[Jeff23]

Hi Guys--

Just finished a read-through of all the threads on Iver Johnson. Didn't find what I was looking for, but I did stop to chastise one rather rude guest :evil:

Sorry to bother you with yet another Iver question, but this has a safety / hunting angle so I thought you might be willing to help me out. I have an old Iver Champion in 16 gauge. Lockup is tight, bore like a mirror, all clean and in good shape, though old. Barrel is 30" long. Serial # is 7176, engraved in four different places and they all match. On the barrel it says "16 ga--choke bore" So question one, does this mean full choke or modified? Feel free to tell me to get off my a** and go buy a choke gauge if you don't know the answer.

I don't care how much it is worth, since I only paid $58 for it, and I just like it because it is old, it smells like gun oil, it has character, and I feel like hunting with it from time to time. However, I am a tad concerned about safety. Had it to a competent gunsmith, who admired the thickness and strength of the receiver and said it was fine for game loads. Do you think this would make it ok too for 16 ga bismuth, which is only 1/8 more drams equiv than Winchester low brass? Should have asked the gunsmith but didn't think of it.

It would be nice to know when it was made, just for nostalgia, but don't go out of your way. Get that harvest in!

All the best,

 

[Guest]

hi my grandfather had on old hercules 12 gauge side by side its pretty old and I want to fix it up from its bad shape :wink: .the thing that pulled back the pins is missing :evil: and all I need is the fore arm .I dont know where to start to look :? so do you have any ideas :?:

 

[Jeff23]

Hey guest, go get your own thread, I'm trying to get an answer out of the gun ID experts here :lol: Only kidding! But if you register and get a name we can converse with you better.

 

[kildux]

I have always assumed that choke bore meant no choke at all, but I may be wrong. Someone will probably come along and correct me shortly. Good luck in your endevors

 

[Jeff23]

Hmmm. Thanks Kildux. That would actually be kinda good. I could use it to miss grouse. Hey Marlin, All Hat, Ulysses, et alia--is there some reference I can use to look up the serial number? Just use the blue book? It'll save you guys the trouble.

By the way Kildux--is that quotation from _Winner Take Nothing_? One of Hemingway's darker works, if I remember correctly

 

[MarlandS]

Jeff, I don't know of any resource that list the serialization of Champions.

Choke bored was basically a buzzword, a catch phrase or slogan if you will, since every resource I have says the Champions were full choked. But hey get off your lazy butt and get a choke ***** actually it's more fun to pattern it .

I wouldn't be too afraid to run bismuth in it on occasion, I wouldn't feed it a steady diet of it but that's just an opinion.

 

[MarlandS]

Guest for parts for the hercules, I'd try here : http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.asp? ... HOTGUN&MC=

 

[Jeff23]

Thanks for helping, Marland--

That's a good suggestion. I'll get off my lazy a** and pattern it--it'll be way more fun that buying a choke gauge. :lol: I thought of the Bismuth because, if it's choked tight, I could take it out and miss sea ducks with it. Then when I drop my gun overboard (it's only happened once so far) it'll just be a $58 Iver.

Odd, how I like the old girl--I think that I'm getting to love old shotguns way more than new ones, even old ones nobody else wants :roll:

 

[Jeff23]

Ok, a guy on another site, named B. Goforth (that's his screen name at any rate), tells me that "choke bored" does indeed mean full choke. I'm going out to pattern it anyway though. Also, this guy is apparently working on a book on Iver Johnson. He can't date them by serial number yet, but he asked me to describe all the markings and said he could give me a rough idea of the year of manufacture partly based on the markings, the method of takedown, and on which forearm the gun has. Apparently there were three: very slim, larger and rounder, and semi-beavertail.

Just thought you all might like a little footnote. Thanks again for all the help! I've already had $58 worth of fun with this 'ol girl and I haven't even shot her yet :roll: