Hello. I have an old H&R Model 1908 single barrel shotgun in 12 Gauge. I received the shotgun in the summer of 1972 when I was 16. I was helping my grandfather put a new roof on his friend John's house. The day after the job was completed, my grandfather noticed that he forgot his hammer at John's house and asked if I could go get it for him. He only lived a mile or so up the road from our family. After talking with John for a few minuets, he asked me if I would be interested in an old shotgun he had knowing that I hunt and had an interest in guns. Turns out the gun is an H&R Model 1908. He told me he bought it new but never said when he did. He used it for hunting small game and to pick off a nasty old crow every now and then but mostly it sat in his gun cabinet. When I got the gun he mentioned that he didn't use it in at least 10 to 12 years but that it shot good and had a tight pattern on it. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the gun an 8. It locks up as tight as a bank vault. The forearm and stock are in excellent shape without any cracks or splits behind the tang like most other single barrel shotgun that I have seen. Has some light dents here and there but that typical for an old field gun.Has a black hard rubber buttplate in really nice shape marked H&R ARMS CO I measured the barrel and it's exactly 28 inches. The left side of the receiver is marked
Model 1908
Harrington & Richardson Arms Co
Worcester Mass USA Made in USA
Top of the barrel is marked 12 GA. CHOKE. It always shot a tight pattern so I assumed it was full choke since there are no other markings on the barrel. The serial number is A455xxx and marked behind the trigger guard under the tang. The barrel is marked with the full serial number by the barrel lug and the forearm is also marked with the last 3 digits of the serial number along with the letter A. Anyway, I brought it home with me and cleaned and oiled it up with some 3 in 1 oil and some Hoppes No 9. He took good care of his guns so it was very clean for the most part, just a bit dusty from sitting in the corner of his cabinet for a long time. Starting that fall, I patterned it once on a shotgun target to see how tight it was and I began using it for small game and pheasants along with a crow now and then. Shot quite a few pheasants with it for dinner once and a while. Overall it hasn't been fired much by me. I would guess about 2 boxes or so mainly during hunting. Being it was old, I only shot 2 3/4 inch 3 dram #6 or #7 1/2 shot shells though it and never had a problem at all. John gave me an old box of Remington paper shells with it. I couldn't believe they all went off too! I would like to know when it was made though but have no intentions on selling it. It has some value to me since it was a gift and also because I used it for many years. When I bought my first Winchester model 12 in 1985, the H&R was cleaned and put away in the back of my safe for retirement and I haven't fired or taken it out of the safe since then. After all those years of use by me, it still looks the same as it did the day I got it and never shot loose like many others did. Still locks up very tight. Any ideas when it was made? Any help is appreciated!
William
Model 1908
Harrington & Richardson Arms Co
Worcester Mass USA Made in USA
Top of the barrel is marked 12 GA. CHOKE. It always shot a tight pattern so I assumed it was full choke since there are no other markings on the barrel. The serial number is A455xxx and marked behind the trigger guard under the tang. The barrel is marked with the full serial number by the barrel lug and the forearm is also marked with the last 3 digits of the serial number along with the letter A. Anyway, I brought it home with me and cleaned and oiled it up with some 3 in 1 oil and some Hoppes No 9. He took good care of his guns so it was very clean for the most part, just a bit dusty from sitting in the corner of his cabinet for a long time. Starting that fall, I patterned it once on a shotgun target to see how tight it was and I began using it for small game and pheasants along with a crow now and then. Shot quite a few pheasants with it for dinner once and a while. Overall it hasn't been fired much by me. I would guess about 2 boxes or so mainly during hunting. Being it was old, I only shot 2 3/4 inch 3 dram #6 or #7 1/2 shot shells though it and never had a problem at all. John gave me an old box of Remington paper shells with it. I couldn't believe they all went off too! I would like to know when it was made though but have no intentions on selling it. It has some value to me since it was a gift and also because I used it for many years. When I bought my first Winchester model 12 in 1985, the H&R was cleaned and put away in the back of my safe for retirement and I haven't fired or taken it out of the safe since then. After all those years of use by me, it still looks the same as it did the day I got it and never shot loose like many others did. Still locks up very tight. Any ideas when it was made? Any help is appreciated!
William
