Iver Johnson Champion 12g

[DBjr]

Hello,

I'm new to this and I can post pictures of the gun in a few days. I would just like to get started on gathering information on a shotgun I acquired.

I have a 12 gauge Iver Johnson with the serial number 39269.

On one side of the action it has:

Iver Johnson
Arm & Cycle Works

Made in Cobourg

12 Gauge Bore choke


I'm looking for:

What I can shoot through it, if I should.
There era
$ Worth

The gun is in good shape the break action is tight and has been in the previous owner’s basement for at least twenty years. It needs a really good cleaning but other than that it looks great.

Much appreciated,


Doug

[b.goforth]

the canadian marked iver johnson shotgun are hard to date because not enough of them have turned up in the states to build a data base. there is some disagreement at the present as to weather or not they were actually manufactured in canada or just shipped to Cobourg to be marked and sold. there are some that have Montreal marking also. generally speaking iver johnson single barrel shotgun without any suffixes to the serial number were manufactured between 1910 and 1921, but i don't know how the canadian marked ones fit into the accepted serial number range.

CHAMPION MODEL 36-------------------------------------------1909-1922
Single barrel; rebounding center mounted hammer; top lever operated break open design; gauges: 12, 16, and 20; barrel length: 28, 30, and 32 inches (features barrel and lug forged in one piece) bored full chock only; American black Walnut butt stock and fore-end; automatic extractors; weight 6¾ pounds; overall length with 30 inch barrel 45 inches; case hardened receiver (nickel available as option), browned barrel; automatic ejectors extra cost option; .410 bore, 24 and 28 gauges offered in 1913; 24 gauge dropped 1928; all gauges except 12 dropped after 1941; name changed to Champion single Barrel in 1917.
CHAMPION SINGLE BARREL--------------------------------------1923-1978
This is the same gun as the earlier Model 36 champion except that the smaller gauges are now built on the same frame as the large gagues. See above picture for specifications. The exact year production stopped has not yet been determined. Some of these single barrel shotguns have been seen with Canadian marking, these were most likely shipped to Canada and then marked as there is no evidence that Iver Johnson’s Arms & Cycle Works ever had a manufacturing factory in Canada
VALUE: 100%=$250 60%=$95
Add 15% for 24, 28 gauges

any standard velocity factory 2 3/4 inch shells should be fine for this single barrel shotgun.

maybe pictures would help determine the era of manufacture.
bill

[DBjr]

Thanks Bill.

I will post some pictures in the next day or two. Your help is very much appreciated. Very exciting to dig up some information on this shotgun.

I think that for $23 CDN dollars it was a good purchase.

Talk soon.

Doug

[DBjr]

Hi,

I have posted four pictures. The shotgun also has the auto ejector.

The previous owner bought it from the original owner for $16.00 back in the 50's. He offered it to me for a bottle of Rum, which is about $25.00 Cdn.

Any other information would be very appreciated.

Doug

[Bindernut]

Wow! That's a neat ole Champion!
Except for the Canada marking it's a twin to the one that I grew up with (grandpa's hand-me-down...was the first shotgun for both of us). I don't remember what the serial # on mine was but it fit into the 1910-1921 range that Bill posted. (This fits with my grandpa getting his as a kid. He was born in 1911.)

I didn't realize that there was a Canadian marked version out there. Would definitely be a rarity in the States but probably more common for you guys up north.

My Champion had a nice tight action yet too, but had a slightly pitted chamber so I stuck with low-base game loads (rabbit/squirrel/dove loads).
If your chamber is smooth you could probably fire high-brass shells through it, but I would probably stick with 1 or 1 1/8 ounce loads just to keep from hammering the action loose. They are a good strong action, but they are old too.

[b.goforth]

no more info. than i have already given.
bill

[DBjr]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for taking the time to review this one again.

I have been doing a little digging and found that Cooey (which was located in Cobourg) was involved in making guns for Iver Johnson. This one I have may have been made by them. Could it still be from 1909 - 1922? I'm thinking more the 1919 - 1922 range based on the information I read on Cooey and when they started making guns for Iver Johnson after their move.

Cheers,

Doug

[b.goforth]

i would like to know where ou found the information on cooey making firearms for iver johnson. this is new as i have not found anything on this.

bill

[DBjr]

Hi Bill,

I have found the following link. It talks about Cooey making single and double barrel shotguns for Iver Johnson.

http://gunownersresource.com/gorole/...6_Arms_Company


I also found the below posting on another website.


11-17-2008, 07:17 PM

BOOMSTICK
Large Member Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Marlinville
Posts: 91

Re: Champion?

There was the Champion model made by Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle works from ~ 1900 to 1950ish. Solid old guns. They were not made in Canada though.


#4
11-17-2008, 07:52 PM

Chuck
HuntingBC Champ Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: West Kootenay
Posts: 1,835

Re: Champion?

Thanks for that info guys! He told me but must have had his wires crossed.


#5
11-17-2008, 08:13 PM


ruger#1
magically delicious Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Mission
Posts: 3,264



Re: Champion?

Champion, made by Iver Johnson`s Arms & Cycle works , (Canada) ltd -Montreal , made in Cobourg. i have one in 16 gauge that i bought at a garage sale for $30.00. shoots good and a little bit of history. and yes at one time they were made in the USA.


#6
11-17-2008, 08:24 PM

Mauser98
Member Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Sechelt, BC
Posts: 411

Re: Champion?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BOOMSTICK
There was the Champion model made by Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle works from ~ 1900 to 1950ish. Solid old guns. They were not made in Canada though.
I've got a Champion shotgun that my Dad had for many years. I don't know how old it is but is was well-used when my folks moved to BC in 1949.

It's stamped:

Iver Johnson Arms and
Cycle Works(Canada) Ltd
Montreal
Made in Cobourg

So it appears it was made in Canada. Perhaps by Cooey, who had a plant in Cobourg



Cheers,

Doug

[doubleslover]

I just picked up an Iver Johnson 12 gauge single shot. All mine says is Ranger on one side of the action but has the same markings on the barrel that says barrel and lug forged in one and choke bore. The butt plate says Iver Johnson and has the owl head. The serial number is stamped on the tang at rear of trigger. There is no suffix, just numbers. The fellow I got it from said he has another Cooey and it looks identical. I am up in Canada. Could this gun have been made for Iver Johnson by Cooey but I can't find any info on a Ranger model single shot.

[DBjr]

Hi Bill,

I also found this link. It leads gives a name of a book for information. I looked it up on Amazon.com.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/Every...il.aspx?id=528

Cheers,

Doug

[DBjr]

Hi Doublesolver,

I would just keep digging on-line using Google. Hopefully Bill will be able to give you some direction.


Cheers,

Doug

[b.goforth]

thanks for the information on the cooey / iver johnson connection. i know of canadian marked iver johnson shotguns but had no information on cooey being connected to iver johnson.

i am going to go out on a limb here and say what i have been saying for a long time now. there is no evidence that shows iver johnson ever had a manufacturing factory at any location other than fitchburg, mass.

i believe that cooey only acted as a agent for iver johnson in assembling shotguns and the model X 22 single shot. cooey had their own line of shotguns and 22's why go to all the trouble of tooling up for another company's product.

the closest i have come to canadian manufacture is the patent for the model X was also issued in canada as well as in the U.S.A.

as far as the RANGER marked single barrel with the iver johnson butt plate can you send pictures.

bill

[DBjr]

Thanks for your time Bill. I will keep digging. One never knows what I will be able to turn up.

All the best, great site!

Doug