Post by bereaboy on Feb 27, 2024 14:42:21 GMT -5
Hellos, all here - total newbie to the forums. I was just gifted what I think is an old Stevens 24 O/U that I'm hoping to be actively restoring. The former owner says it spent a lot of time in the bottom of a fishing boat up in Bristol Bay, Alaska...and the condition of the outside of the barrel kinda bears that out. 
But the mechanisms all work and I think nothing's bent or broken beyond my skill level to fix. (Crossing fingers there...)
I've been through the forum FAQ and the pinned ID post here, but my gun doesn't seem to follow any of the normal rules. Hoping someone can help with their knowledge and experience to id it? Here's what I have:
- 24" barrels and wood (not tenite) stock
- Over/under selector on the right side
- "STEVENS" then "Stevens Arms Company / Chicopee Falls Mass USA / Model .22-.410" stamped on the left side of the barrel
- ".22 Long Rifle" and "Proof Tested .410 bore / 3 Inch Chamber" stamped on the right side of the barrel
- "Patent Pending" stamped on the side of receiver
- What looks like a serial number / inspection stamp at the bottom of the receiver, near the trigger. It reads either "OSS 989" if I read it one way, or "686 SSO" if I read it from the other - hard to tell which way is "up".
So what do I really have here, and when likely was it made? Is is possibly one of the WWII "survival" guns the Army handed out to Alaska air crews? Thanks!
But the mechanisms all work and I think nothing's bent or broken beyond my skill level to fix. (Crossing fingers there...)I've been through the forum FAQ and the pinned ID post here, but my gun doesn't seem to follow any of the normal rules. Hoping someone can help with their knowledge and experience to id it? Here's what I have:
- 24" barrels and wood (not tenite) stock
- Over/under selector on the right side
- "STEVENS" then "Stevens Arms Company / Chicopee Falls Mass USA / Model .22-.410" stamped on the left side of the barrel
- ".22 Long Rifle" and "Proof Tested .410 bore / 3 Inch Chamber" stamped on the right side of the barrel
- "Patent Pending" stamped on the side of receiver
- What looks like a serial number / inspection stamp at the bottom of the receiver, near the trigger. It reads either "OSS 989" if I read it one way, or "686 SSO" if I read it from the other - hard to tell which way is "up".
So what do I really have here, and when likely was it made? Is is possibly one of the WWII "survival" guns the Army handed out to Alaska air crews? Thanks!