doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Is This a Stevens Model 420 O/U?

The owner of this gun thinks it may be an early prototype Marlin Model 90DT O/U. However, it doesn't look anything like my early Model 90 with first generation forearm and top lever attached to the frame with an exposed flat head screw.

I think it might be a Stevens 420. Anyone have a gun with barrels, extractor and pin through the lower, rear frame that looks like this one?

Stevens 420

Savage Arms Corp. and their wholly owned subsidiary J. Stevens Arms Co. had a bit of trouble figuring out exactly what they were doing in 1936-7.

The gun became the Savage Model 420 and the nicer version the Savage Model 430.

From the 1938 Savage illustrated Wholesale Price List --



This is the earliest listing I've found for the Marlin Model 90, the September 1936 J.L. Galef catalogue --



In the same catalogue they also introduce the Stevens No. 430 --



But, by the January 2, 1937, Savage Wholesale Price List the gun is introduced as the Savage Model 420 or 430, offered in 12- and 20-gauges, along with the new Savage Model 320 side-by-side and the Model 220 hammerless single barrel. As shown above, the 16-gauge was added to the Model 420 and 430 offerings by 1938 as was a non-selective single trigger.

Reseacher and Skeettx,
The gun in question has really nice upgraded wood with a grip cap so I am assuming it is a Model 430.

The owner said the gun has 37 and 6666 on the bottom of the frame but no other numbers anywhere else on his gun. Also there are no markings on the barrels to indicate the model and the company that made it. Did the early 420's and 430's have serial numbers?

Just curious, but did Stevens/Savage make the 420 and 430 with a malleable iron frame like Marlin did on their model 90's? Also, were the 20ga. and 16 ga. 420's and 430's made on smaller frames like the Model 90's?

No recoil pad or checkering, The original 430 came with both
Mike

Mike,
The owner sent me another picture of the stock and it has the same checkering pattern as shown in the catalog page posted by Reseacher. However, the forearm is not checkered, so perhaps it is a replacement stock.

My first double, early 60's, was a Savage 420. Dynamics of a 2x4. Marlin 90 feels like a Superposed in comparison. Mine was a 20, made on a smaller receiver, but it didn't help much.

Not a lot of those 420's/430's around. Unlike the Model 90, they did not survive the war.