My Great Granddads not Great-Great?
 

I said I hope you would excuse me if I get something wrong, and I hope you will because I have been working from the wrong side of my mother’s family. It was her father’s, father’s, father’s shotgun. Flem Smith was on her mother’s side of the family. My mom is 88 years old. I think I will probably have to eliminate one of my great granddads because he may have been too old to have ever seen a center fire shotgun. My great granddad was probably the first owner of this gun. No one left living that I know knows. I will have to visit the family grave yard to find out. I doubt this gun could have been made after 1912 if my great granddad died before 1912 and was the first owner and assume this is the case. This all took place in Vernon Parish Louisiana the home of Fort Polk, one of the largest army bases in the world. This gun could have come from there.

It's a 2 finger shooter
 

Ha Brian, it’s a 2 finger shooter. Never using a side by side or 2 trigger gun, and trying it out, I don’t think I would have any other way. The first 2 fingers of the right hand fit like a glove. This gun should be about as fast and comfortable as any single trigger model on the market today and the selection of which barrel to use “faster”. The triggers look to be original equipment and not a modification.

It's a J. Stevens for sure, I believe called the Riverside if memory serves. It's not a two finger gun, if you put both fingers inside the trigger guard the recoil of the first shot will make you pull the 2nd trigger everytime causing a double discharge. You put one finger inside at a time, that's just how it's done.


Destry

Thank you Sir,
I was just thinking about that. Maybe it’s the WW1 army version meant to pull both triggers every time because it sure fills good that way although the one that pulls the triggers may not fill so well. Or maybe it was meant for low brass loads because it would be faster and more accurate to get rid of that thumb switch if you could overcome double ignition. Whatever the case may be thank you very, very much and as soon as all this deer hunting is over with I am going to check it out. There could only be one thing more important than something like this and it is what may be down stream of one of these things and if I thought this old rabbit ear shotgun could handle supper X X 3 1/2” magnum 000 buck shoot I would love to try it out in the morning with 2 fingers.

2 Finger Riverside
 

Let’s see as it stands now we have a J Stevens Arms and Co. Model 235 2 Finger Riverside 12 Ga. Double Barrel Rabbit Ear Shot Gun. What do you think should I Asaw it off and bore it out to a 3 1/2 “magnum for title? It sure would make my great grand nephews class mate’s eyes grow a little bigger and you know how kids are, it’s going to happen someday anyway because it would then be a J Stevens Arms and Co. Model 235 2 Finger Riverside 12 Ga. 3 ½” Magnum Double Barrel Sawed Off Rabbit Ear Shot Gun the most dangerous and powerful firearm ever made. I’m going to have it disabled anyway. I couldn’t sleep; passing it on to family, if I didn’t have it disabled because it’s sure enough must be the most dangerous firearm ever made like it stands now. I will probably have to donate it to the local museum to keep something like that from ever happening.

I don't quite follow you Rocky... It's just a beat up old hammer gun that has some home made replacement parts on it.

Thanks Brian,
It’s a mystery Brian, a what it is, what it was, and what’s it going to be. Something everyone can enjoy. A priceless air-loom regardless of how worthless it is. I found out yesterday the house my grandmother was born in may become another museum of Vernon Parish. This gun was major part of that family and I am sure they all used it and probably would be a better home. Again, to the museum, Pricless. I would like to find out as much about it before passing it on.

If you try to fire that gun with fingers on both triggers then both barrels will go off, it won't matter what kind of shells you're shooting. If you're actually serious about shooting 3 1/2 magum shells in it then I would question your sanity. They do have fluid steel barrels, at least every one I've ever seen, so you could shoot regular field loads in it without a problem if the wall thickness was good. But anything else would just be silly in a cheap old gun like that.


Destry

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...=260887014#PIC

It's a Riverside Arms, before Stevens bought them out

Thank you Sir,
Even though I too know it would handle high power loads I don’t think I will ever shoot the gun unless for prosperity with 2 low brass loads. If I bored it out to 3 ½” and sawed off the barrel and stock it would just be for the grand kids to play with and Mama to scare off burglars. I would remove the firing pins and braze the holes before doing that. It would take at least an 18 point buck with a 28” spread and 4 fingers of something else before I would fire it like that with 2.