Help! What Gauge? No Markings

DiMP

DiMP

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I need some help. I recently bought a used IVER JOHNSON shotgun sold as a 12 gauge. Didn't pay much and had a plan to try my hand at restoring a firearm. I finally had some time last weekend so I brought it and a box of shells out to the range only to find that it wasn't a 12 gauge. I again looked it over for any gauge markings and couldn't locate any (no choke markings or serial numbers to be found either)

I assumed (I know, never assume) that it must then be a 20 gauge so I picked up a box of shells to try. Turns out I was wrong again. I fired 2 shells and it wasn't until I picked them up off the ground that I noticed they had both split. The metal base of the shotgun shell had split, because, as I can figure, the shell is too small and has room to expand within the chamber.

I don't have a gun store nearby (I usually buy my ammunition online or at a Canadian-Tire-type store) so my gauges available in my area are limited to .410, 20 and 12. The Iver Johnson company was bought out and the name disappeared in the 60's so I have a hard time finding information about their firearms. That coupled with the fact that I can't find a Model #, Serial # or anything similar on the gun.

Here are some pictures of EVERY marking on this gun as well as what it did to the shells I fired.

The Shotgun In Question
P6210053.jpg


The Only Marks On The Receiver
P6210055.jpg


The ONLY Other Markings On The Entire Shotgun On Top Of The Barrel
P6210056.jpg


The Chamber
P6210059.jpg


The Split Shells
P6210060.jpg


The Split Shells (Notice How They Expanded Away From The Hull Of The Shell)
P6210061.jpg



Any suggestions would be appreciated. Anyone willing to part with a shell or two of 16 or 18 gauge would be rewarded with great Karma (and possibly 98 unfired 20 gauge shells) :redface:
 
get a vernier caliper from crappy tire and measure the inside diameter of the chamber and go from there, 12 ga is about .812", 14 ga. is about 0.775", 16 ga is about 0.745" and 20 ga is about 0.698"
 
A gunsmith should be able to gauge your shotgun. Also, removing the barrel might show more markings on the bottom of the barrel.
 
I think to find a gunsmith the closest one to me is about and hour and a half away. I will tinker with it tonight and see if I can remove the barrel and find any more markings. I'll check with my friend and see if he has a set of calipers I can borrow.

My question now is:
Is it common for a firearm to be missing so many markings? (Gauge, choke, serial #)
 
No its not uncommon, but it is uncommon for a person to shoot a gun that they haven't verified what the proper shells go in it. You are lucky the shell didn't blow out the back.
 
DiMP;7382645 My question now is: Is it common for a firearm to be missing so many markings? (Gauge said:
Are you sure there isn't a little number stamped on top of the barrel right in front of the breech that is hard to see? I have 3 Iver Johnson single shots but they were all assembled in Canada. Two have the gauge and "barrel and lug forged in one" stamped on top of the barrel in front of the breech. The other just has in small writing, "28 gauge" in front of the breech. Has someone started removing the bluing from this gun? Even some of the stamping you show looks like it is hard to make out clearly. Could be they sanded away the fine gauge marking. However, I'm pretty sure it will be a 16 gauge. Did the 20 gauge shell not drop a fair way into the chamber? It should have as it is a lot smaller diameter.
Iver Johnson serial numbers were usually stamped into the tang behind the trigger guard.
Click to expand...
 
DiMP said:
Anyone willing to part with a shell or two of 16 or 18 gauge would be rewarded with great Karma (and possibly 98 unfired 20 gauge shells) :redface:
Click to expand...

I find it difficult to absorb the fact that said shotgun was used in the first place without matching correct ammo to the firearm!!
 
Some of those older single shot shotguns stamped the gauge size in strange places. Look on the sides of the barrel locking lug (square part below the chamber area), or inside the receiver where the barrel closes in place. It might be on the back of the receiver under the butt stock (need to remove the butt stock), or on the metal of the forend. You should expect it gauged by the number only, meaning 12, 16, etc.
 
Ahsan Ahmed said:
I find it difficult to absorb the fact that said shotgun was used in the first place without matching correct ammo to the firearm!!
Click to expand...

I know. Rule #2 of safe firearm handling (#1, Always assume it's loaded)

I can tell you I will never assume again, I was lucky this time
 
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