A Surprise In My Attic... An Old Shotgun!

[Centsless Detecting]

Hello TNet. Well I definately wasn't expecting to find this in my attic! Its that time of year for decorating the house. Having bought our first house last spring, I was looking all over for Christmas decorations. We have 2 small crawl spaces upstairs with random boxes. The one I was in had no light so I had a flashlight on me. As I was heading out I saw this peculiar black bag standing in the corner next to the door.. I knew it wasnt mine so I grabbed it with a smile and opened it. I guess Christmas came early this year!















Its a Champion 16 guage. From what I found online it was made between 1939 and 1956. It seems to be in pretty good shape. Everything works as it should. The Stock has a nice crack in it. Maybe why it was left upstairs? I have no idea who STEVENS is but I thank you for the secret santa gift

Happy Holidays. Happy Hunting and Good Luck to everyone.

Time to hit the dirt.

-TMD-

 

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[digging440yrs]

 

[jewelerguy]

Sweet. Nothing like free guns. Whoever had it replaced the butt cap with one from a Stevens shotgun. There's several places online you can order a replacement stock and the proper butt cap

 

[Blak bart]

Woo hoo....what a great find. I've been surprised many times while doing attic duty for an estate sale team. Congrats !! Nice shot gun.

 

[kingskid1611]

I have always loved the attic spaces for the forgotten treasures. When my wife and I got married we rented a small old farm house that was then located in the city. The landlord had just acquired it and we happened to be the first tenants. I decided to explore the attic and oh the treasure I did find. Elvis lamps still in boxes, homemade dolls from the depression, social security cards from deceased relatives, old baseball cards and gloves. I got ahold of the family of those who sold the house, they were in their 80's, and returned what they wanted. Their dad had owned the house and had passed away and no one had thought to check the attic. Yes that is why I love forgotten treasures, they bring back memories.

 

[releventchair]

Wow, nice find!

Stevens held the patent on a bunch of styles but didn't manufacture them. Others did. (If I'm recalling correctly).
Calling a gun a Stevens refers to the patent vs. manufacturer.
Usually good stout guns well built.
Of course the age of yours suggests good builds.
Sometimes a shim can tighten up the action where it hinges on worn ones. Maybe newer than yours (like "Topper" brand /models) the shim was plastic and wore out on well used ones causing side to side play when the gun was opened.
The crack in your stock would need studied for a way to glue and reinforce it without wrecking the patina... Any excess glue left on will discolor. And when crack is compressed ,glue will leave it.
Not your only option. And nothing says you have to do anything to it. But just in case you find a few more.....
I've used waterproof carpenter glue and a small long lag bolt on one cracked wrist. Added a wood button. On your shotgun the button would fill the bolt's countersink on the bulge/bump below the wrist. Centered for cosmetics ,and even grip of the bolt.

 

[Westfront]

Nice early christmas present! Here, such a present would bring you into jail quick if you didn't hand it over to the authorites soon....
I don't think i would send something like this for scrapping.

 

[beepbleep]

Good eye, nothing like free guns. And a Sweet 16. I bet some young lad named STEVE owned it and removed the other letters from the donor stock to personalize it. Poor fit anyway as it needs the proper wood.

 

[MikeRo]

Sweet old 16 gauge! I like the crack in the stock, adds character & tells a story. Looks like you have a “secret Santa”! Very cool!

 

[basque-man]

Sweet find!!! She's a keeper!

 

[Digger RJ]

Sweet!!! Congrats!!!!

 

[firemanphob]

Your shotgun was made by Iver Johnson. Champion was the model. The stock is something someone cobbled up and the butt plate is off a Stevens. I would never consider shooting it until it was checked out and repaired by a competent gunsmith. What you basically have at this point is a nice wall hanger. Still in all a great find. I would take one any day.

 

[SanMan]

Hello TNet. Well I definately wasn't expecting to find this in my attic! Its that time of year for decorating the house. Having bought our first house last spring, I was looking all over for Christmas decorations. We have 2 small crawl spaces upstairs with random boxes. The one I was in had no light so I had a flashlight on me. As I was heading out I saw this peculiar black bag standing in the corner next to the door.. I knew it wasnt mine so I grabbed it with a smile and opened it. I guess Christmas came early this year!

Its a Champion 16 guage. From what I found online it was made between 1939 and 1956. It seems to be in pretty good shape. Everything works as it should. The Stock has a nice crack in it. Maybe why it was left upstairs? I have no idea who STEVENS is but I thank you for the secret santa gift

Happy Holidays. Happy Hunting and Good Luck to everyone.

Time to hit the dirt.

-TMD-

Back in the day the 16 ga was pretty popular down Louisiana way.
I've taken my share in the field.

Consider giving it the once over as an off season project.
Then, when upland bird season comes around, (September?), take it into the field.

Don't forget to post pictures here of your project progress, and of your adventures.

There are plenty here to lend advise and technical help, myself included.

 

[Louie D]

Sweet - time to go full out with an all no holds barred search of the rest of the property.

 

[Rookster]

I have a Stevens in the 410 ga.like that style. I got it for Christmas when I was 12. I just gave it to my son in lower Al. to shoot cotton mouth with that come into
His backyard from a close by lake.
I would say Stevens sold the Champion folks the butt plates if not, Stevens made the shotgun.

 

[A2coins]

Thats a cool find I would be all over that attic who knows what else is in there. Great find

 

[GaRebel1861]

Heck yes! Nice find.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice find, looks in good shape!

 

[Centsless Detecting]

I just want to thank everyone for the likes, comments and inputs on my gun find. This has to be one of my better finds. I've always wanted to find a real firearm. Who would have thought I wouldent need a detector or a magnet, more or less have it hidden in my own house It makes sense now that the stock has been replaced because of the poor fit. The wood has been stained as there are some runs here and there. I thought for sure that someone with the name STEVENS engraved the butt plate, but it makes sense that soneone personalized it just a little. I do not plan on shooting it until I get the OK from a professional. Never would have guessed that our house came with a security system included Since we bought the house I've searched high and low for items left behind. So far lots of junk but I did find the original blueprints for the house. Yay for accurate window dimensions! Again thank you everyone and as always happy hunting!

 

[washingtonian]

Quick, turn it in to the cops before you are put in jail for life for illegal firearm possession

Naw, that's a cool find man. Super neat!