i have an old 12 gauge i just picked up from an older friend i have and he got it from his dad back in '74. i dont have much info on it and was wondering if anyone here does. i know its an old central arms shotgun but does not have a model # visible anywhere i could see. i think it may have been imported but dont know for sure. dont have many pics but if anyone can help date this or maybe come up with a possible model or even share any info it would be greatly appreciated. thanks guys.

There was a Century Arms brand name sold through Shapleigh Hardware in St Louis. It is said the actual manufacturer might have been W.H. Davenport...They closed operations around 1910.

Yours is certainly an interesting barrel length...

Not absolutely sure of the facts here. As there are much more modern Century Arms guns all the way up to some made by the Chinese.

Good luck in your research....

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i hear lots of things on these old guns. many of what i have read about have been a model 6012 or 6? not sure. i dont know much about these old dogs. thanks man.

and sorry for the confusion man. its actually a central arms and not century like i had typed above. i fixed the error.

You said "Century Arms", it says "Central Arms", which did you look up?

I've never heard of Central Arms, but I have a Gunmark Book that has an entry for them. From "The Official Identification Guide to Gunmarks", "Central Arms Company, Tradename on shotguns used by Shapleigh Hardware Co. of St. Louis Missouri on guns made by Crescent Firearms Co. c.1960."

I hope this helps get you started. Crescent made shotguns for numerous hardware stores, using various trade names, until it was eventually merged with Stevens Firearms, I believe, and Stevens had sold a shotgun named "Central" but I'm not sure if it was relevent. I've seen several Crescents and own one presently, they were well made in my opinion, but I'm not that big into shotguns.

There was a "Century Arms" that imported shotguns in the '50s, but they were located in St. Albens, Vermont.

Jellybean,

My bad. I was typin' faster then the brain was engaged.

Happens alot....



Dude's gun is a Central....

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i fixed the error man. sorry about that. its a central arms shotgun. i also read that crescent mad lots and lots of weapons for various companies. not sure if there is a way to date these guys though, let alone find a model for it. i think it is well made. it locks up good and tight but still needs minor work.

Hi:
Your DBL looks alot like a Stevens Model 311. Central Arms possibly a trade name manufactured by Stevens Arms Co.??

i couldnt get a good picture of it, but there is also a tiny square stamped on the underside of the reciever where the barrels break down. its really small but very noticable when looking at it. dont know if that helps.

No, problem giz, I have the same problems. Plus I can't remember what I'm typing and have to look back at each word.

Dude, your best bet is to start doing a search on the 'net. I don't know if you will ever get an answer to what model it was supposed to be, I know I never have. You will find a lot of information on other gun forums, which linking too is against the rules, but they are easy to find. I do know they made over 100 different house brands of firearms, and they weren't all the same.

edited to add; I have an old shotgun book by Jack O'Conner where he states Crescent was a subsidiary of The Folsom Arms Co. a jobber based in N.Y., and that they sold tens of thoushands of their shotguns up to the depression.

Looks like a Stevens 5100 model.

thanks jellybean. i have a feeling that it may end with not much to show, as many of my searches have. its all good though.

I agree with 2152HQ, it's a Stevens 5100. Crescent was purchased by Davis who was purchased by Stevens before WW2. Besides, to the best of my knowledge Crescent never made a box lock.

Ironically I once handled a sidelock hammerless that was marked Stevens, and Stevens NEVER made a sidelock hammerless. My theory was that during WW2 when production priorities were elsewhere a few were assembled from left over Crescent parts. Maybe Stevens assembled a few for internal use as guard guns or maybe workers were allowed to make a few from left over parts. It had a 20" barrel so personally I think it was a guard gun.

The "Proof Tested" marking was used by Savage Stevens, I believe you're correct.

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I agree. It is a twin to one I have, stamped Ranger, but a Stevens 311.

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Crescent Arms made a bunch of different guns for anyone who made the minimum order, ie Joe's Hardware or what ever. Central Arms is one of those guns. I have one given to me by my grandfather, only it is a .410. Good enough to hunt with but nothing fancy.

I can't add any information to the above, but I'm curious if you've measured the barrel length? It looks ... uh ... very close.

I think your first impression os correct. It is an older SxS 12 gauge shotgun. That's the kind you keep by the bed.

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Whatever it is, it won't have much collector interest and resale value will be low. However, it is the ideal weapon to stick next to the bed or beside the front door or etc. I bought my Crescent, a "Daniel Boone" model for that very purpose, but didn't have the heart to cut the original full/mod. choked barrels down. I shot it some, cleaned it up and stuck it in the safe. Later, I found an old Hopkins and Allen SXS that had the barrels cut off just behind the choke so I bought it and cut it again.

I have three here whose receivers appear identical to yours. One marked "Springfield Arms Company, Chicopee Falls Mass. U.S.A.". Another is marked only "Ranger Chief". The last is marked on the right side "Diamond Arms Co." and on the left side with "Shapleighs King Nitro". All are Stevens Model 315"s. The 311 and 5100 receivers are very similar, but have separate internal hammers and firing pins. The 315 is striker fired. Just pull the buttstock to check.

"wlmccann" is correct.
These pics reveal that it is "striker fired." Notice in the first pic how the pins are in opposite arrangement of a typical hammer & firing pin set-up. The pin closest to the head of the buttstock would normally be lower (down in the corner) 'cause it would be the sear pin. And the other pin (the hammer pin) would be higher.

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The placement of the pins on the side of the frame suggest a pre 1933 striker fired setup I believe.
The 'Apr. 1915 Pat.' often seen on early Stevens shotguns refers to this system and also the cast steel receiver. It was an inexpensive and quick way to build a SxS shotgun.

That system was used in the Stevens shotguns till that time when they switched to the more common sear & internal hammer set up. That new setup made for a different pin pattern on the side of the action and a different cocking arm.

The latter uses a spade or chisel shaped bar in the barrel lug that engages the forward tips of the hammers and lifts them when the barrels are opened to cock them.
The older striker system uses a one piece extractor/cocking piece to cock the strikers when the barrels are opened.

The switch in internal mechanism did not change the Model names on most of the Stevens guns though some were changed during their production for other reasons. Sometimes I think it was just to confuse us!

The Springfield Model 5000 in about 1920,,then became the Model 5100 in 1930/31. The same shotgun with any of it's changes then was renamed the Stevens Model 311 just before WW2.
Proprietary names, Springfield, Riverside, Eastern Arms, and others like Central, Plymouth and contract 'hardware store' names if the order was sufficient are common.
Outward changes in frame contour and profile, lever shapes, stocks ect are common to all the Stevens shotguns and can lead to confusion in ID when in fact you're looking at the same gun.

A true nightmare when trying to get parts for one of these w/o getting inside of it to really see what you have.

I think it should measure-up OK. Sawed-off shotguns need two dimensions to be legal, and both must comply. Barrels cannot be shorter than 18" and the overall length as measured with the barrels upright and perpinducular to a wall/vertical, overall length must exceed 26". I'll stand corrected (if I must) but after that I'll sit casual.

thank you guys for the replies. out of curiousity, i opend the barrels and took a measurement of exactly 20 inches. i thought it may have been cut when i bought it but it doesnt really seem like it was. but that dont always mean anything. i know these old dogs dont bring in much value and i really dont care about that. i love the fact of the age and the history behind it and that it is still very shootable.

i have to get a pin fixed in it cuz one of them is loose and wants to fall out on its own every now and then. i dont mind putting money into older firearms though. thanks again though guys. youve been a big help on giving me a good idea of the time frame of when it was produced. my old buddy didnt mention about it being cut down or anything but he didnt know when his dad aquired the shotgun. and i do have to repair the stock since it has minor cracks around the reciever area wich i have noticed on many for sale, seems to be typical of these guys. i plan on putting her up next to the bed like stated before. i love these old guns.