Ranger Side by Side 12 Gauge Questions

[SteveK]

I'm helping my brother-in-law catalog a bunch of old guns formerly belonging to his dad and the above-titled gun is one of them.

It's a poorly cared for double shotgun with rust patches on the outside of the barrel, but the bore seems to have been protected by all the crud. (I yi yi)
One the receiver: the script-letter word "Ranger" is stamped on the L side and in small letters closer to the tang, "PAT APR 20-1915". Nothing appears visible on the right side, There's also a serial number stamped under the barrel cambers position which reads X##761. (That number also matches the numbers on the metal and wood parts of the forearm and under the barrel release lever.)
On the barrel top is stamped "PROOF TESTED 12 GA." The bottom of the barrel has 2 markings, T###028(?) near the barrel lock, and the letter "M" is stamped on the forearm guide/catch.
The back (inside facing) part of the plastic butt plate/pad is stamped 7-34. (This piece looks aftermarket.) And that's all the stampings that I can see on the gun.
The buttstock is cracked and chipped off in several places but the forearm is still good. I'm guessing it kicks like a mule even with 2 3/4 shells.

I believe the gun was made by the Steven's Arms Co. for Sears sometime after 1915, but that's about it. I do not know when it was made or sold.
I don't think it's worth $50 in present condition but, with new furniture against your shoulder, a new spring or two and bobbing 4 - 10 inches off the rusty end of the 30 inch barrel, it might be worth 100-150 bux.

Any opinions or data about when it was made or about a semi-restoration?

Thanks for your time.

[2152hq]

It is indeed a Stevens mfg. That pat date and Brand name of Riverside give some indication of mfg time.
No factory records exist anymore,,supposedly destroyed in a fire in 1920. Savage bought the company at that time and still owns the name rights to it.

The April 20 1915 pat is a George Lewis pat. for Stevens Arms & Tool Co.
Marked 'Pat Applied For' or 'Pat Pending' with the date would be a pre 1915 mfg.
'Pat April 20, 1915 is from there forward. So you have at least that much so far.

The pat was for among other things in the action a firing system that used coil springs and straight in-line strikers(firing pins). No pivoting hammers as would be normally be used.
The Riverside Model as you have using this action was their Model 315.
Others in the line were the Springfield 311, Stevens 330 & 331 and others.
They were all the same basic gun. Differences were in such things as wether or not the gun had a pistol grip cap or not,,checkering or not, if so how much and pattern, ect.
The Riverside 315 and all of the guns built on this basic 'Lewis Style Action' as Stevens collectors refer to it as lasted till around 1934/35.
So about the best dating can be done without something very specific known about the gun itself is an approx 1920 to 1934 mfg time period.
Someone very 'in' to these may be able to look at the stock profile or some other small detail and see something they can ID as a characteristic of a more narrow time period with in that range.
But the guns are what you already suspected, a low dollar game getter using gun. Not too many people will crowd around to see one unless it's in pristine orig condition. Then it can be surprising what interest it can bring from the Vintage SxS collector and shooter group.

The other markings you find are inspector and internal control numbers put on during production. None of these were usually ser#'d and did not have to be as shotguns were exempt from ser#'g under Fed Law till the GunControl Act of 1968 (GCA68).
Later Stevens marked shotguns & rifles made under Savage ownership will show a date code marking on the frame and also the bbl of some.
However this date code system did not come into use by Savage/Stevens/Fox till 1949. It was discontinued right after the GCA68 mandated ser#'s on those firearms .

Good luck with your shotgun. If in good repair, they make a good solid shooter.

[SteveK]

My sincere thanks 2152hq. Even figuring out the model is very helpful as it should help me find a few needed parts.

Believe me, the word "pristine" and this shotgun will never, ever, be used in the same sentence. I think that with a good chop job on the barrel this gun could be a pretty fair coach gun for use in Cowboy Action Shooting, or perhaps home or shop defense.

Thanks again for the info and the education!

Steve

[Drm50]

If you have a Numerich catalog, they have a good cross reference section on manufacture to house
brand guns. There is probably a way to bring it up on line. Not me, I know more about guns than
tech stuff. On most old doubles if you need a stock you are looking at $100 if avaible, so if in poor
shape usually not worth it. I drill, dowel, and glue them when possible. They do sell good cut off.
I clean inside of ribs with dremil, put a small wad of brass wool in cavity with flux and drip it full
of low temp silver solder. Draw file the muzzle and it looks official.

[SteveK]

That was very helpful Drm50, thanks for that post. I've looked at Numerich and just got confused. The schematics just didn't look like any matched my gun perfectly. I'd like to fix a few things if it makes sense to do so, like the barrel opener lever return spring, a bottom tang stock screw and "whatever screw" that goes into a hole beneath the barrel release lever. See attached pictures.