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Double Barrel Shotguns ; Double barrels shotguns were "the gun" for a good many years before the repeaters came into being. Some of these were "Work of Art", Parkers, LC Smith, Fox Sterlingworth, Winchester model 21, while others were simply working guns, these Savage/Stevens fitting that category.
The two main type of hammerless double barrel shotguns are sidelock and boxlock. All the Stevens/Savage guns were boxlock.
The Savage company reserved their name to a more deluxe double, (a dressed up version of the standard model Stevens 311) and named it the Savage Fox model B.
Listed below is history of the two companies, which will help explain this article.
Stevens Arms was an American firearms manufacturer founded by Joshua Stevens in 1864 in Chicopee Falls, MA. The company introduced the .22 Long Rifle round and made a number of rifle, shotgun, and target pistol designs. By 1902 they were advertising themselves as "the largest producers of sporting arms in the world". They were purchased by New England Westinghouse on May 28, 1915 and again by Savage Arms on April 1, 1920. As a subsidiary division of Savage, Stevens continued to produce firearms at their Chicopee Falls facility until 1960, but in a semi-independent status until 1942 . That plant was torn down in1960 and the Stevens production was moved into other Savage facilities. Savage dropped the Stevens name in 1991 but revived it in 1999 and still uses it today for a number of its low cost rifles and shotguns.
This merger made Savage the largest producer of arms in the United States at the time.
Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Within 20 years they were producing rifles, handguns, and ammunition. Savage introduced the first hammerless lever-action rifle, the Model 1895, derived from Arthur Savage's Model 1892 rifle that he had designed for Colt in a failed bid for a US Army rifle contract that instead was won by the Krag–Jørgensen design. The Model 1895 won a New York National Guard contract, but the contract was cancelled due to political controversy.
Savage was one of six companies to participate in the United States Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and was named one of the two finalists before losing out to Colt's design, which would become the M1911 pistol. Savage marketed a series of .32 and .380 caliber pocket pistols, the Models 1907, 1915, and 1917 based on the same patents as their .45 caliber prototype.
Savage merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company during World War I and produced Lewis machine guns at Driggs-Seabury's former plant in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Savage also produced Model 1899 muskets for the Montreal Home Guard during World War I.
In 1919, Arthur Savage was approached by Chief Lame Deer to buy rifles for his tribe in New York. Lame Deer offered to allow Savage to use his image as its logo in exchange for discounted rifles and an annual fee. As of 2018, Savage Arms was still paying the annual fee.
In 1920, Savage bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee Falls, MA. In July 1921, a mortgage securing five promissory notes, each for $21,416, was filed in the County Clerk's office in Utica showing that the Savage Arms Corporation had purchased a "number of buildings erected by the government" during World War I for increasing the output of Lewis machine guns at the plant. The notes were due in 1927. In 1929 Savage acquired the A.H. Fox Gun company of Philadelphia and moved production to Utica. Also in 1929 Crescent Arms was bought by Savage Arms Corp.
In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun (a configuration uncommon in the U.S.), which sold over a million copies.
Savage was one of the few American makers of affordable double-barrel shotguns including the Fox Sterlingworth, Fox Model B, and Stevens Model 311 and produced rifles and shotguns under house brand names for large store chains.
Occasionally I get an inquiry as to when my old double barrel Savage/Stevens was made. A recent one was a 20 gauge 2 3/4" made in Chicopee Falls. He could not connect the dots of markings on the gun and it had no serial number. My best guess would be between 1921 when they moved to Chicopee Falls and the start of WWII. But no earlier than 1954 when Winchester brought out the 3" in their model 21.
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CRESCENT F. A. CO. Norwich, Connecticut
The company made good quality inexpensive single and double-barrel shotguns at
its Norwich works, beginning about 1892. It was bought by H&D Folsom of New York
City, large importers and distributors of firearms and sporting goods, so they
could add an American-made sidelock hammer, side-by-side to their extensive range
of imported guns. The Crescent guns were offered in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges
and later, 44XL shot caliber with Damascus twist laminated or Armory steel
barrels depending on the shooter’s wants.
It was merged with Davis-Warner Arms Corp. successors to N.R. Davis
& Sons Co. and became Crescent-Davis Arms Corp.
Crescent Arms was bought by Savage Arms Corp. in 1929. In 1932 the operation was
moved to the Stevens plant at Springfield, Mass. where some sidelock doubles
were assembled, Crescent-Davis brand guns remained in Steven’s full line catalog
until 1941 but from 1937 to 1941 the doubles sold in the Crescent-Davis brand were on
either Stevens or Davis boxlock frames.
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Savage also sold these guns to mail order houses like Sears and Montgomery Wards which used their own model number. Sears model number 1pold have been 101.7.
Listed below are most of the Savage/Stevens/Springfield models produced. Springfield name was normally used on the lower priced, store brand models if that store did not have it's own trade name, or the order was small enough to not bother with a trade model. All are made on the same basic Savage model B frame.
The Stevens/Springfield models 315 and 315S are a totally different internal animal, probably derived from a Crescent Arms model that it had recently purchased. It does not use hammers, but striker type firing pins, and probably made about 1930 as a cheaply made gun made from parts left over from the Crescent purchase to survive the Depression.
Savage Fox B (Double
triggers).
Savage Fox BST, BSTE, BDE, BSE-C, BSE-D, BSE-E, BSE-F, BSE-H (Single Trigger)
NOTE- Any model that has an E behind the model number indicated it had ejectors
as compared to the common (economically to produce) extractor type.
Stevens 311, 311A, 311C, 311D, 311E, 311F, 311H, 311S,
311T, 330, 331, 530, 530A, 530M, 550, (Double Trigger) (here the E
series does not designate Ejector)
Springfield 511, 511A , 5000, 5100 (Double Trigger)
When Savage
made any significant change in a firearm, they added a series letter behind the
model
| Old Stevens sales prochure |
 |
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This was some good
information that I found from Gun Digest pertaining to serial numbers :
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/Fox B/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 forend 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.
One collector only in double guns stopped
looking for numbers on Savage/Stevens doubles after 1988 because that’s the year
they shipped their last ‘Stevens Model 311′.
The highest number I have seen was on 20 gauge Stevens Model 311 Series H serial
number E957971.
Savage used basically three different names for essentially the same guns. Their top line sporting checkered walnut stocks and a ventilated rib was the Fox model B, BS, or BSE (the B would have been the earlier version with
double triggers, the BS would have had a single non selective trigger and the BSE would have single trigger AND an ejectors). Next would have been the Stevens, with plain barrels (no ventilated rib), double triggers and walnut stocks, but a lesser quality of checkering. The bottom line would have been the Springfield, which would essentially be a Stevens but with plain stained birch stocks with either no checkering, or if a later gun, pressed checkering. None were factory fitted with a recoil pad.
The Savage branded imported doubles, over and unders or side by sides, are numbered differently. Each model is numbered in the range created by its manufacturer. As you probably have heard,
'Savage/Stevens' production records on their older models were destroyed in a sprinkler accident a number of years
ago, according to officers of the company.
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The following are excerpts from a old shotgun forum.
Tenite
stocks first appears in the 1940
Stevens/Springfield/Crescent-Davis illustrated price list on the Stevens No.
530M double. The No. 530 with a walnut stock had a dealer's price of $19.30 and
a suggested retail price of $24.00. The No. 530M had a dealer's price of $18.20
and a suggested retail price of $22.75. For $3.25 extra either could be had with
a non-selective single trigger. Offerings were the same for 1941 with prices up
about $2 across the board.
Post WW-II the Tenite offerings expanded to
include the Model 94 hammer single barrel, the now Stevens Model 311 double
barrel and the Model 22-410 over / under. Also for 1948 the new Stevens Model
124 Cross Bolt Repeating 12-gauge Shotgun was introduced with the Tenite stock. Offerings were the same for Tenite stocked guns in 1949. By 1951 the only such
stock still offered was on the Model 124 and the name Tenite wasn't mentioned,
just "durable service-proven molded plastic." By the 1952 catalogue everything
is walnut or walnut finished hardwood.
The various versions of the
20-gauge Fox Model B got 3-inch chambers in the 1964-65 time frame. The
12-gauges versions of the Fox B with double triggers got 3-inch chambers in
1973. From the catalogues it appears Savage never quite trusted their single
trigger with 12-gauge 3-inch magnum recoil. I would imagine the Stevens No. 311S
got 3-inch chambers about the same time as the Fox Model BS. Someday I'll get
the catalogues out and look.
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I have a Stevens 311A made in
1963 , 20 gauge, with 3 inch factory chambers. I think that it was first
chambered for 3" in that year (12 gauge 3" came about 10 years later). Hope this
helps.
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Hi all, new to the board, great source of info. Currently
restoring a couple of Stevens 311S and found this post. The 311A 20 gauge I have
was made in 1957, based on the "17I" in the oval at the front of the receiver
base. (also info obtained from this site!) and is chambered for 3" shells. The
12 gauge 311A was made in 1951 and has 2 3/4" chambers.
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311A's were made beginning in 1949 I believe. Is there a circled letter on the
receiver? "A" indicates 1949, "B" 1950, etc. I own a 5100, the 311's
predecessor. They are a great, quality American made shotgun. Welcome to the
board.
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The fact that it has no serial # indicates that
it was made before 1968, when the Gun Control Act of 1968 required that all
firearms have serial #s.
The model 311 started as the Springfield 5000
around 1920 with model designation changing to 5100 in 1931. Around 1940 it
became the Stevens model 311. It was discontinued in 1989.
If it was
manufactured between 1949 and 1968 there should be a small circle with a number
and letter stamped between the trigger and the hinge pin. The letter reflects
the year of manufacture.
A to N = 1949 - 1961
P = 1963
R to V =
1964 - 1968
Yours, with a circled "A", was probably made in, or very
close to, 1949.
Value? Well, here we have a bit of a discrepancy. The
Standard Catalog of Firearms values it at:
Model 311A - Hammerless
Boxlock:
Exc. - $525
V.G. - $450
The Blue Book values it at:
Model 311 SxS (16 ga.):
98% - $295
95% - $240
90% - $220
Why the big difference? Your guess is as good as mine!
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The Stevens SxS's have a date code. It is a small circle (you need a magnifying
glass) with a number followed by a letter inside the very small circle. A=1949
B=1950... V=1968 etc. O and Q were not used. Do not confuse this with the manufacture
marks which are much larger, or the serial #. If it has a serial # it is post
68'.
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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.
Yours is one of these. Since I am interested only in
double guns I stopped looking for numbers on Savage’Stevens doubles after 1988
because that’s the year they shipped their last ‘Stevens Model 311'.
The
highest number I have seen was on 20 gauge Stevens Model 311 Series H serial
number E957971. The Savage branded imported doubles, over and unders or side by
sides, are numbered differently. Each model is numbered in the range created by
its manufacturer. As you probably have heard, Savage/Stevens’ production records
on their older models were destroyed in a sprinkler accident about 35 years ago,
according to officers of the company.
To calculate an approximate number
of ‘Stevens Model 311s’ that were made from 1968 to 1988 you could do this math
exercise. Since Savage used 5 letters (A to E), each on 999,999 guns, they must
have made about 5 million guns. Perhaps 40% were doubles in the various Savage
Brands and Private Brands. That makes 2 million doubles of which I estimate 80%
were Stevens 311's. And that’s not counting production before 1968. No wonder
the “311? in its various variations is the all time favorite American made
double.
And think how many Stevens 311s ( and Stevens made doubles that
looked like Stevens 311s but carried private brands) had already been produced
in the years between 1940 (first year of the ‘true’ Stevens Model 311) and 1968,
during which time they weren’t serial numbered at all! There must be at least 4
million Stevens Model 311s, in one form or another, out there!
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Savage Arms no longer answers questions about old Stevens guns.
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Savage SS
/DB / OU shotgun date code
A 1949 B 1950 C 1951
D 1952 E 1953 F 1954
G 1955 H 1956 I 1957
J 1958 K 1959 L 1960
M 1961 N 1962 P 1963
R
1964 S 1965 T 1966
U 1967 V 1968 W 1969
X1970
"Collectors will find a date code stamped on every
double-barrel shotgun in the Stevens brands produced between
March 1949 and December 1968. Usually, it is behind the
hinge pin or ahead of the trigger guard on the bottom of the
frame. It will appear as a small circle containing a number
and a letter. The letters correspond to the years shown in
the following table. Significance of the numbers is not
known."*
*From page 1101 of Ned Schwing's 2004
Standard Catalog of Firearms, 14th Edition, published by
Krause Publications of Iola, WI.
I would like to add
that I have found this circle, or oval, containing one or
two numbers plus a single letter, just about anywhere and
everywhere on the frame, but only on the outside of the
frame, never inside. I have also found the circle or oval
with letters and numbers on the barrel clusters, on the shot
barrel or on the barrel assembly lug block. While the letter
within the circle always match on factory matching barrel
and frame, the numbers never match, or at least that has
always been my experience. These Date Codes are also present
on the Model 94 frames and barrels, and I am sure on many
others.
The marks on the inside of the frame, where
the lower barrel seats when closed, are what I would call
assembly stampings, and match frame to barrel, found on
underside of shot barrel near forend lug, and also sometimes
found on the butt stock under the butt plate. ~EE
Gunsmithing Information ;
On this series of shotguns, many
parts will interchange, however here were some internal
changes, like hammers that are different, along with parts
for smaller gauges. Safeties and extractors usually
interchanged. Trigger guards would interchange no
matter the configuration. Trigger guards were
originally a pot metal casting, then a simple stamped out
sheet metal one. The Fox Bs were a more elaborate
steel casting. Forends and the hanger brackets went
through a lot of changes.
Frames were also different as the early ones at the rear had scallops on each side, where the later models the frame was flat vertically.
For those of you who do not understand the word Tenite when used in stocks. It was essentially a plastic molded, checkered stock, both buttstock and forearm, using a basic brown with a black swirly pattern, simulating wood. These buttstocks proved rather weak at the junction where the tang was, with most being cracked.
In the LH photos below, note the scalloped front contour between the receiver and stock. The RH photo below, this stock apparently came off one of the 311s that was shipped to the US Navy.
| Here a early 311 Tenite buttstock | Here a 311 Tenite buttstock branded US PROPERTY |
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And in the lower photo the flat front. However on this receiver, the rear edges are tapered inward so as to force the wood in and less breakage. This is a later stained birch with impressed checkering buttstock.
| Here a later 311 stained birch buttstock |
 |
.
The author does not have any source of parts for any of the firearms listed above
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Originated 09-26-19 Last updated 04-30-2023
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