Age/Value Stevens 170B 16 Ga?

[Johnnytow]

I have recently aquired a single shot 16 gauge. It has J. STEVENS ARMS COMPANY CHOPEE FALLS MASS. U.S.A. MADE IN U.S.A. stamped on it. Down and to the left of that it has 170B-. In front of 170B it has a kind of thick deep dash (-) stamped in it. To the left of that there is the imprint of a square that is stamped deeper on the right side than on the left. On the same side of the gun the barrel is stamped SELECTED FORGED STEEL. The other side of the barrel is stamped PROOF TESTED-----16GAUGE-----2 3/4 INCH CHAMBER. Stamped on the same side is STEVENS---THE FULLY GUARANTEED SINGLE GUN. There are no other markings on the gun that I can find. Can anyone determine the age and possibly the value of this gun? Any info is greatly appreciated.

[RJay]

About the only thing I can tell you on the age is that it was made after 1920. When Stevens was taken over by Savage the wording was changed to J. Stevens Arms Co. The 170 is just one of many single barrel shotguns made by Stevens. It was a utility shotgun, nothing fancy, just a good solid working shotgun used to put meat on the table and keep the fox out of the hen house. The value of these old single barrels is in the shooting, there's very little collectors interest in them. If it was brand new, in the box, the value maybe around 150, (you can buy a new single shot for about a hundred at WalMart), down to 25 to use it as a tomato stake. Again the big value of these old single shots is as a working gun or heirloom.