Old break single shot

J

johnwilliamson062

Moderator
I bought this in my younger more foolish days(last summer). At the time I thought any gun that was silver was stainless steel and this one had just been abused a little. The bore inside is only a little better than outside. Now I am pretty sure it is just "in the white," although I would not know how to check for sure. It also has a broken hammer. You can pull it back but it does not catch and the trigger does not reset. You let go and the hammer flies forward.
I probably "overpaid" for it, but it was at an auction and we were raising by dollars when the bidding ceased so someone was willing to pay a dollar less than I. I really like the look and the feel of it. It wasn't much anyways.

Wall hanger?
Get it fixed up?
Anyone have a guess as to what the hammer problem is?
 

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"Iver Johnson
Arms & Cycle Works
Fitchburg,Mass USA
CHAMPION" on receiver

"<12gauge choke bore barrel and lug forged in one" on barrel
All caps for both.
 

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The sear engagement broken or worn out. Trigger tip broken. It's typical of a framers barn gun, kept out in the barn for a unwarry chicken fox or rodents in the corn crib. Taken on the tractor for birds that were flushed when tilling in the fields. Thousands of then made, very low cost, cast iron frames. Choked mod to full. Part of the rural American history 1890 thru the 1950's. Wall hanger. Create a story for it. Who's to say uncle Joe didn't bring home 20-30 ducks during the season of 1908. Have fun with it.
 
A good used NEF/H&R single shot in 12 or 20 gauge can be had around here for $50-75. I wouldn't spend any money fixing up a beater (or risk eyes and fingers shooting a dubious gun) when a reliable shooter was available that cheap, if I needed a good single shot.

Hint: DON'T dry fire single shots- it pops the tip off the firing pin sooner or later.

jmho, ymmv,

lpl
 
IJ quit making the Champion in the 30s,IIRC.

In 1910 or so, asking price was about $7.

Oil it up, hang it over the fireplace and admire it.

Like Lee said, a cheap,modern S/S is easy and safe to get and shoot.
 
In the case of a wall hanger that is defective and inherently unsafe, I would remove or file off the firing pin to avoid the possibility of someone/anyone from getting it to fire.

Brent
 
I have an H&R. I like the look and feel of the "Champion".

There is something that really confuses me on utility shotguns versus utility 22s.

Almost anything is available for a utility 22. You can spend a few thousand dollars on a 22 meant for rabbits and squirrels.
As far as light single shot field guns go you basically have Rossi's, H&R, both very low end firearms, and then you transition into heavy competition guns at higher price points. There really isn't much in the way of high quality break light weight single shots.
 
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There really isn't much in the way of high quality break light weight single shots.
Click to expand...

One of the editors of Gun Digest spent an entire year shooting only single shot shotguns and said he missed very few kills due to the lack of a repeat shot. He said he talked to a gunmaker about the possibility of a high quality hunting (as opposed to a trap gun) single shot, hammerless, ribbed, with maybe a little engraving. The gunmaker said "yes, and we might be able to sell fifty of them."
 
Jim,
I know. Sometimes I cry inside.
I have only been hunting a few years and I have noticed my percentage after the first shot is absolutely pitiful, even on pheasant where there is very little practical difference between the first and second/third. When I express my desire for a well made single shot everyone seems to think I am absolutely crazy. Even on this forum which is primarily people who are interested in higher quality firearms, not budget guns, no one seems to agree with me.
Make that 51, although i would be happy with a hammer if it was well made.
 
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The problem is the cost of mfgr. they took off the top lever off of the singles. Now you have push bottons, side pushs, and crude levers comming from the trigger guard. And plastic pieces where there was once steel. The guns function but look like crap. The Remington single shotgun/rifle is a prime example of this look at the crappy hunk of mis shapen metal they use for opening the gun.

I guess of the buying public will spend their money on that stuff then the mfgr's will keep making it.
 
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