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Old February 21, 2013, 04:29 PM   #1
beak1804
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Montgomery Ward Shot Gun

I have a MW Western Field, 16 ga, 27 3/4 ", double barrel shot gun from my father. Markings include
#5000 on right side, selected forged steel and proof tested 16 ga on barrels.
C36664 on inside of body.
Pictures attached.
Can anyone identify the model, year and maker of this gun or tell me where to find the information. Thank you in advance
Attached Images
File Type: jpg DSC_6642.jpg (231.1 KB, 264 views)
File Type: jpg DSC_6645.jpg (224.1 KB, 210 views)
File Type: jpg DSC_6646.jpg (216.9 KB, 199 views)
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Old February 21, 2013, 04:41 PM   #2
Pahoo
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Nice Shotgun

This is what they call a "Store-Brand". Get a Blue-Book, cross reference and see who made it. My SWAG on this, is Savage/Stevens.

Be Safe !!!
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Old February 21, 2013, 04:56 PM   #3
OEF-Vet
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I believe what you have there is a Savage/Stevens 311 that was made for Montgomery Ward. These models were manufactured from about 1920 until 1989. The #5000 leads me to believe it's an older model. Looks like you have a pretty nice one there, these guns were made for field use and many of them were used hard. I will see if I can help you date it when I get home from work.
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Old February 21, 2013, 05:14 PM   #4
beak1804
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Montogmery Ward Shot Gun

Thanks gents, appreciate the help.
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Old February 21, 2013, 06:44 PM   #5
shouldazagged
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I had one in 20 gauge, 28" full/modified, that was made for Sears. Sweet little no-frills double. I took loads of doves and rabbits with it. Had to sell it during a bout with acute financial anemia, but I wish I had it back.
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Old February 21, 2013, 07:15 PM   #6
Slamfire
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Nice shotgun. Worth keeping.

A neighbor brought over a Montgomery Ward bolt action shotgun. Made in the 50's I think. The stock is cracked and a replacement stock is worth more than the value of his shotgun.

Yours however, is a nice shotgun.
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Old February 21, 2013, 07:25 PM   #7
CurlyQ.Howard
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We had a 16 gauge too. Thirty plus years ago, it was stolen and used in some criminal act. Needless to say, we have it no longer.
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Old February 21, 2013, 08:07 PM   #8
Mike40-11
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I agree with the Stevens 311 identification.

Since yours is serial numbered, it's post 1968.

Gun Digest notes on ID and dating: Stevens 311
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Old February 21, 2013, 08:17 PM   #9
OEF-Vet
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I am still researching but finding out.

Stevens introduced this gun as the Model 5000 in the early 1920's, changed the designation to 5100 about 1931, and changed it again about 1941 to the Model 311. Some were marked with both 5100 and 311."

Your gun was made sometime between 1920 and 1931. I know we all turn to 1968 as the year serial numbers started but that is the year they became mandatory. Stevens has numbered their guns since 1878.
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Last edited by OEF-Vet; February 22, 2013 at 08:49 AM.
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Old February 21, 2013, 10:04 PM   #10
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This is some good information found in a post by yargerm at shotgunworld.com

Quote:
This was some good information that I found from Gun Digest :

1. Stevens used plain numbers from their first double in 1878 until 1913.
2. Letter prefixes crept in on the serial numbers used on both hammer and hammerless doubles from 1913 to 1939. They always signified a change in mechanical design or manufacturing process which resulted in an interesting variant.
3. From 1940 to 1948 no serial numbers were used on doubles, only capital letters, usually in groups of three or four, the letter(s) sometimes enclosed in a circle, along with an inspector’s symbol ( a heart , a diamond, a spade or some such ‘shape’, on the bottom of the frame behind the hinge pin.
4. From 1948 to 1968 the letter symbols under the frame were changed to a ‘Capital letter with a one or two digit number’ in a 1/4″ circle. This was a date code which you will find illustrated in the Savage-Stevens-Fox pages of your Standard Catalog of Firearms.
5. From October 1968 to March 1988 Savage/Stevens/Fox B doubles are serial numbered in a completely new serial number range beginning at A000001. The six digit (always) numbers, stamped only on the left side of the frame, not on the barrels or fore end or on the wood, are preceded by capital letters from A to E. The letters do not correlate to production years. The letter prefix accompanied the Savage/Stevens/FoxB/Springfield serial number on every gun they made from 1968 on. Beginning about 1978 numbers 1 to 20 were also stamped on the three major components, frame,barrels and fore end iron, to enable the factory to keep 20 guns of like model together in a group for packing in the standard 20 gun shipping carton.
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Old February 22, 2013, 03:55 PM   #11
beak1804
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Thanks all.
I gather it is a model 5000, with a serial number of C36664
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Old February 23, 2013, 06:23 AM   #12
Mike40-11
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Beak, correct on the model and serial.

OEF-vet, there seems to be contradictory info on the date if Model #5000 indicates 1920s.

What I should have said was that the STYLE of the serial number, 6 digit starting with a letter, indicates post 1968. Though Stevens used S/Ns well before 1968, there was a time when they made 311s without them.
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Old February 23, 2013, 03:31 PM   #13
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Quote:
Though Stevens used S/Ns well before 1968, there was a time when they made 311s without them.
Indeed, I have several Stevens without numbers. My 311A made in 57 isn't numbered. I do not believe that is the original forearm tho.


Quote:
Stevens introduced this gun as the Model 5000 in the early 1920's, changed the designation to 5100 about 1931, and changed it again about 1941 to the Model 311.
The 5100 was in production until 1948, the 311 didn't come about until 49.
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Old March 6, 2013, 01:31 PM   #14
beak1804
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Thanks to all for their input on my MW shotgun.
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Old March 31, 2013, 03:47 PM   #15
alantunney
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alantunney

I read most of the posts. off vets info was the most accurate. I own a model5000 20 ga that looks exactly as yours, the numbers stamped under the barrel on the flat part is c34701 some of the inaccurate info you have been getting is based on the same shotgun manufactured for sears around the same time. I am in to the more sporting aspect of duck hunting now so I had the barrels widened into skeet chokes and use it instead of my semi auto or single trigger o/u good luck
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