16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. Guns  ~  Ranger 16, need Mfg. ID help
Lefty Dude
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:49 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 302
Location: Maricopa County, Arizona

I have a chance to purchase a 30" hammerless double 16 ga.

The piece looks like a Savage 311, however it is not. I think ? On the port side of the receiver/frame it is Marked: Ranger 101.6. On the starboard frame side it is marked in smaller numbers 5000. On the top left barrel marked: Proof Tested 16 gauge. On top of the right barrel, marked: Selected forged steel. No where is it marked 2 3/4" like a Savage/Stevens.

Could this be a 2 9/16" chambered piece ?

The action opening lever has a flat head bolt thru the middle, a Savage does not. Just forward of the Safety slide is another flat head thru bolt, a Savage does not. Has a mid-barrel small ivory bead, Front bead is ivory.
The action also opens more than a Savage/Stevens or Fox B.

The choke appears to be Full/ left barrel .636" and Modified Right barrel .647"

I know this is a contract piece, but of what manufacture ?

I tried the Blue Book, however the 101.6 does not compute.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fin2feather
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:15 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2171
Location: Kansas High Plains

Lefty,

I'm pretty sure it's a Stevens; 5000 is a Steven designation, but I don't know that model. Cap'n Billy can probably tell us. My Ranger is marked 101.6, and it's a Stevens 5100. Look at the shape of the action; are the sides flat, then sculpted out toward the barrels? And the bottom: is it solid, or does it have a plate w/screws? If it's got a plate it's likely a Fulton; solid, probably a Stevens. Pix would help...

Fin

_________________
I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Captain_Billy
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:36 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Location: Schuyler County, NY.

Lefty---Its a Stevens gun. 5000,5100 and 311 are really about one and the same gun. It will be chambered for 2 3/4". Hey, BTW if its got a plate with screws and is a Fulton they ain't no good. PM me and you can mail it here to the farm Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Lefty Dude
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:23 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 302
Location: Maricopa County, Arizona

It is not a Fulton, bottom is flat no plate or screws. Must be a Stevens. How old do you think ? I checked the chamber length using a RGL hull and a SP16 wad inserted backwards to hold the crimp open. With the barrel off the action the shell will not fully seat in the chamber. Will I need to ream the forcing cone or leave it as is ? The forcing cone is set up for papers shells right ?

I guess I could shoot my Hammer Double brass shells in the piece and not touch the forcing cone.

I need Y'alls opinion on this please.

The piece is in good shape, blueing is on the barrels, caseharding of receiver is good. No wood splits or cracks of the Walnut. And it locks up tight. Lever is centered and has no play. Just a good old solid piece.

And the final question, what is the piece worth as a shooter ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Captain_Billy
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:17 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Location: Schuyler County, NY.

Lefty---Prolly from the 1940's its a hard call with old Stevens guns as to date sometimes. Don't mess with that shell and wad stuff, get a smith / whoever to stick a chamber gauge in it and you'll know for sure. Yes you can take out the cones more and it might help the patterning some. I have a lot of these old klunkers and sometimes it does not make any difference. As far as recoil goes a forcing cone job won't do a thing to lessen it. I would shot a few different loads in it if possible and see what the old girl does. The Ranger 16 5000 I am looking at here does have 2 3/4" chambers. They are an ok "rough gun". Far as price goes , I see em for $250-400 on AA and GBkr all the time. The bottom line on price is --if its in good shape as you've said its worth what your willing to pay. Good shape old Stevens are not many but there are plenty of beat up ones still hanging round.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
sprocket
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:15 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 596
Location: Massachusetts

Its a gun made for Sears and labeled Ranger - the 104._ will help you ID the exact maker.

Go check a gun values book and rummage around in there - you'll find it

Sounds like with a little bit of barrel work, it'll be a great shooter for you
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
rayb
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:53 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 27 Jun 2005
Posts: 283
Location: Texas Panhandle

Proofhouse.com has:

Ranger 101.2 = Savage 238

Ranger 101.8 = Stevens 83

Nothing in between the two..

There are other tables out there, look around some..

rayb

_________________
anything other than the 16 gauge is a passing fad
(kind of like smokeless powder)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fin2feather
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:13 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2171
Location: Kansas High Plains

If it's anything other than a Stevens I'd be real surprised. If you want to compare it to my 20ga Ranger 101.6 there's a pic in the Winter 2007 issue of DGJ.

_________________
I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lefty Dude
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:15 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 302
Location: Maricopa County, Arizona

Thanks FTF;

Ya it must be a Stevens/5000. Sure is a nice piece. Wished those barrels were a mite shorter. The piece swings like a club. I can see why it was used little. Most likely some ones safe queen.

I bet this piece will give those Dove's who fly on Oxygen a bad time with # 6 shot.

You know 30 years ago I would have never given this piece a first look. We considered Savage/Stevens doubles junk guns back then. They are made better than some imports now. My how times change.

And 30 years ago I would not have given a 16 gauge a second look either.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
M D Christian
PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:59 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 280
Location: Southern Ohio

It's pretty well cut and dried that this is a Stevens made gun, but for future reference, the Fulton (Hunter Arms) ranger is a 101.3. All the Fulton Rangers I have seen were also marked "Precision Grade".. Sears & Roebuck must have had some pretty high standards as all the Rangers are Finished much nicer than their parent model, with a grip cap, mid bead and usually nicer wood..MDC
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
berg
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:47 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 06 Nov 2006
Posts: 128
Location: NE

I should let somebody else do this, but...

Yeah MD, Sears did have some "pretty high standards", but those were sold as J.C. Higgins, not as a Ranger Laughing

HS also made later model pump and semi-auto shotguns as well as .22 rifles, pistols, and revolvers that were all sold by Sears, as Higgins, Sears and Ted Williams.


Lefty, a quick question, are the pins arranged so that the rear one is higher than the front one or is the rear one lower? If the rear one is higher, it is in the model 315 type guns, these also had the two bolts you describe, the top snap screw, and the top snap plunger guide screw, which the 311, 5100 series did not. Oh screw it, does it look like this Central Arms made by Stevens here ?

The gun very well may have short chambers, a better do it yourself test for chamber length than you backwards wad has been described here before, using a rolled up index card slide it into the chamber til you can feel the end, mark it and repeat a couple of times to check.

berg
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
M D Christian
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:09 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 280
Location: Southern Ohio

Berg; While I see no problem with most of the J C Higgins guns I cant see them as any better than the Ranger Brand or the Meriden ,, Like most gun companys, the ones that furnished gus for Sears & Roebuck had a stedy decline from about 1930 to present day.. However, maybe quality, like beuty is in the eye of the behohder.. Anyway it's all about opinion.. MDC
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Captain_Billy
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:00 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Location: Schuyler County, NY.

Thats a great answer MD! Wink

I have never seen a model 315 with 5000 stamped on the frame. Laughing

I could be wrong.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Lefty Dude
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:31 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 302
Location: Maricopa County, Arizona

Front pin is higher than the rear pin. The pin arrangement is different than the Pix of the Central Arms.

So you say it could be a Stevens 315 ?

The 5000 stamp is small on the right side frame, low left between the two pins. The numbers are 3/16" high.

Is the 315 the same as a 5100 ? I have a Friend who has a 5100. I will get the two pieces together and compare.

Thanks again all.

Its kinda nice to know what piece I have. If I break a spring or need a firing pin I will know where to start looking and at what model.

So far all I have done is snaped the snap caps to see if the triggers and cocking springs work. I will give it a live fire test later in the week.

I have some low pressure Brass loads to shoot first, 2 1/2" shells.
Then I will try some RGL's.
As I said this is a nice piece, If it was a junker I would not bother. Also it is a 16. We have to save all the 16's we can find, Right ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Captain_Billy
PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 1:25 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Apr 2005
Posts: 339
Location: Schuyler County, NY.

315 is different animal than the 5000 you have. 315 is also different than the 5100 and the 311. Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 2
Goto page 1, 2  Next
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. Guns

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09