Phil’s mystery Stevens 311

[Researcher]

The No. 215 was a hammer gun. The G.S. Lewis patent No. 1,136,247 granted Apr. 20, 1915, gun was introduced in the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co.'s last large catalog, General Catalog No. 54, as their lower priced line, Riverside Arms Co., No. 315 in 12- and 16-gauges --

Catalog No. 54, Riverside Arms Co. No. 315.jpeg

J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. was acquired by New England Westinghouse for war production for The Great War, and was renamed J. Stevens Arms Co. After the war, NEW sold J. Stevens Arms Co. to Savage Arms Corp. which continued to operate it as a separate entity until after WW-II. The Riverside Arms Co. No. 315 continued in the offerings after WW-I and by 1923, they added a slightly upscale version the J. Stevens No. 330 and added the 20-gauge to the offerings --

No. 330 1923.JPG

By 1925 they added a .410-bore version --

Riverside No. 315 from Catalogue No. 56, 1925.jpg

About 1928, J. Stevens Arms Co. changed the name of their low priced line to Springfield Arms Co. For 1929, they added a lower priced version of the G.S. Lewis designed gun, the Springfield No. 311 --

Springfield No. 311 brochure interior.jpg

In addition to these three quality levels of the gun, J. Stevens Arms Co. produced numerous "trade branded" versions of this gun up to WW-II.

[Researcher]

I started my Pheasant hunting career with one of these G.S. Lewis designed J. Stevens hammerless doubles that was marked RANGER on the side of the receiver, a Sears, Roebuck & Co. "trade brand." It was my Mother's shotgun. It had been restocked for her with a straight grip and a quality trigger guard with long backstrap by my Great Uncle Art Gustafson, a Seattle area gunsmith. So, even at thirteen I needed a lace-on pad for extra length.

Pheasant Hunting 1959.jpg

Phil's lovely set of Stevens doubles appear to be the gun that was the follow on to the J. Stevens No. 330, the No. 530 from 1936 to 1947 or the Model 530 from 1948 onwards.

Stevens 530, Fox Model B ad 1953.jpg

For 1939, Savage Arms Corp. took the internal parts of the No. 530 and put them in a bit nicer profiled black gun metal finished receiver, and fitted it with a bit nicer stock and called it the Fox Model B --

1939 Flyer introducing Model B.jpg