Author Topic: Stevens 180 Hammerless  (Read 2460 times)

OhioMike

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Stevens 180 Hammerless
« on: June 27, 2020, 03:58:10 PM »
There's one for sale on Gunbroker. This would make a interesting addition to a collection. Has some pitting but looks to be a quailty gun from its era.Is it the basis for the Savage 220?

Garnett

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Re: Stevens 180 Hammerless
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2020, 05:42:23 PM »
Mike, thanks for posting.  It is a beautiful early gun.  A gunsmith friend here in Selma has one for sale in his shop.  I had never seen that model before and neither had he when he purchased at a gun show.  I did some research and identified it for him.  I agree that Savage may have gotten the idea from this gun.  While I believe the actions are totally different, the concept is the same and the general overall lines are very similar.  I hope it finds a good home.

Mike Armstrong

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Re: Stevens 180 Hammerless
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2020, 10:37:45 PM »
Garnett, you are right--the two guns only share the "concept"--they are very different internally. 

About the same timeframe as the Stevens 180, Ithaca Gun Company was marketing a hammerless single shot shotgun called the "Western Arms Long Range" which probably competed (successfully) with the 180.  It was made in (at least) the four common guages, but never made with a rifle barrel as far as I know.

A strong and functional shotgun, the "Long Range" was a little rougher than either the 180 (which was very nicely finished) and about the same level of finish as the earliest 220s.  It was made in at least two frame sizes:  .410 size, and other guages.  I had a .410 for a while before I found the Savage guns, and liked it OK.  Liked the 220s better....

shotgunred

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Re: Stevens 180 Hammerless
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2020, 01:06:44 PM »
Mike the only Western arms long range I know of is a double barrel produced by Ithaca. Ithaca did have the Lefever long range trap and field. An early single barrel hammerless Gun.?

Amended: I have found reference to single barrel guns marked western arms co.  A trade name used by both Crescent arms and Stevens at times. Ymmv
« Last Edit: July 23, 2020, 01:19:07 PM by shotgunred »

Mike Armstrong

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Re: Stevens 180 Hammerless
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2020, 06:29:45 PM »
Red, I'm talking about the "'Lefever' Long Range" singles made by Ithaca, including the Long Range Trap.  Some of them were marked "Western Arms" instead of Lefever.  I've seen a few of those and had one many years ago.  I assume that Savage bought the "Western Arms" trade name when they bought Stevens.

Real Lefever nuts resent the use of that name by Ithaca (which apparently bought either the gun company or the trade name).  Real Lefevers are really fine guns, and the "Long Range" guns aren't up to that standard, just "usin' guns"!  Since we now have many of our "name" sporting goods made in China or Turkey or wherever the labor is cheapest, I guess we should get used to that.  Or maybe not!

I was told the "Western Long Range" double is the Ithaca "Nitro Special" action with a cast rather than a forged receiver, and that the "Western Long Range" singles are the "Lefever" singles with a cast action.  I'm no metallurgist and probably couldn't prove it if I had the two side-by side. 

As an aside, many--probably most--successful 19th and early 20th Century economy break-open shotguns had cast iron receivers and are still blasting away just fine.  I've seen a very few cracked receivers but never one that blew up and caused injuries. 

When there was an exception to this practice, the manufacturer usually advertised it as such, hence the Winchester Model 37 "Steelbilt" shotguns, whose receivers were made on auto manufacturing equipment Winchester bought from a failed auto plant, as were the Model 24 doubles!
« Last Edit: July 23, 2020, 06:34:07 PM by Mike Armstrong »

Garnett

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Re: Stevens 180 Hammerless
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2020, 06:52:43 PM »
I have one LeFever single barrel 12 gauge.  If I every have it home again, I will take some pictures.  It is not fancy like the Ithaca single barrel trap models, but it is very nice.  They just don't make them like that anymore!