16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 2

I've a number of 16 ga. guns. Model 12, Ithica 37 and an A-5 Sweet Sixteen (Jap).
Found a nice Stevens 16 model 5100 at an estate sale. This gun has no markings but the model number of 5100. It does have J. Stevens on the sides. Also a pointing dog. Has walnut wood with cut checkering and 28 inch barrels. Case color is mint. It has the middle bead and no markings other than the 16 2.3/4 inch chambers. It is NOT a Savage Fox. I know little about this gun as to when it was made. I did read on a Google search that it might have been made between 1931 and 1941. As to how true that is I have no way of knowing. I can tell you this is a very nice shotgun with very good bluing and good wood. It has not been restored and came out of an estate that had a number of expensive guns. It is far and away above the old Savage-Steven-Fox guns of my youth. I'm on the long side of 66 and hope some of you can give me some info on the gun.

Thanks,

Dew

I own three 5100s, two 16s and a 12. Some say the best of the 311 variants because they were made at a time with more hand fitting, hand checkering and usually better wood.

You say it has a wood stock so it was probably made after WWII. It first appeared before the war and couple years after with a plastic stock and the rear of the receiver had one long cut-out. Two of mine were made between 1946 and 1949 as they don't have the date code.

The date code, if it has one, will be a tiny 3/16" OVAL with a number and a letter inside. The letter is the date code; A 1949, B 1950 etc. It is found on the bottom outside very front of the receiver.

Here is one of my 16s that had the plastic stock converted to wood. And very professional absolutely no overruns checkering. Don't ask me, I don't know why anyone would spend a $1000 on wood for a $4-500 gun.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/displayimage.php?pid=4010&fullsize=1

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/displayimage.php?pid=4012&fullsize=1
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/displayimage.php?pid=4013&fullsize=1

Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 2

Patriot...

Thank you for that information. There is no date code as you said. I have found the following markings on...

In the flats ( I guess that is what it is called) the letter C" in a circle. Also the letters P H just after the C and and a &.

On the other flat is a large S.

Under the wood forend the letter C in a circle and P H stamped into the wood and also the letters again on the metal.

On the underside of the barrel chambers is again the C (in the circle) and the PH.

On the "claw" that extends up to hook onto the forend clamping mechanisim is an " S"

Also there is a large "S" that has a "T" stamped into the bottom of the curve and another letter that I'm not sure of in the top of the "S" curve.

The top of the barrel over the chamber has the words...Selected Forged Steel on the right barrel and on the left side is Proof Tested-16 Gauge and
2 and 3/4 inch chamber.

On the right side of the receiver is J. Stevens Arms Company
Chicopee Falls, Mass. U.S.A.. Also 5100

Left side on the receiver is
STEVENS and Pointer dog.

Thanks again for your help on this.
Great site you guys have here.

Dew

Yup, that's the 5100; the only one with the bird dog. All those letters are some kind of production codes that are the same on the receiver, barrels, forend and if you took the butt plate off, the letters would probably be stamped there also. It's predecessor was the model 5000 made in the 30's.

Your's was probably made between 1946-48 and any Savage/Stevens made since WWII that's in decent shape can handle modern loads. I wouldn't recommend the 1 1/4 oz load, although it could probably handle it occasionally. The 1 1/8 oz load can handle the toughest phez. I shoot 1 oz most of the time.

BTW, I own a 37 16 also, sweet shooting gun.

Sounds like you stumbled across a gem and welcome the the forum.

Great little guns. I've got a 5100 in 16ga marked "Springfield", a 20ga 5100 marked "Ranger" and a 5100 in .410 stamped Stevens with the bird dog. Shoot it and love it; it won't do you wrong.