doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Meriden 20Ga SxS

Hello all. My first time posting here but thought I might get some help. I have a SxS 20Ga. made by Meriden Firearms. It needs a new stock, has a couple barrel dings, missing firing pins and a few other parts, and to top it off has had all the metal painted with black epoxy. Doesn't sound like a good start but I am stubborn. I'm carving a new stock and it's going okay so far. I'm also going to remove the paint and get the dings removed which I understand isn't that hard to have done. I'm wondering about getting parts and if anyone know of a website that sells Meriden parts?
thanks,
Kirk

You can try Numrich... and good luck.

Is this a box lock or sidelock gun? Meriden Firearms was owned By Sears & built their A J Aubrey guns as well as building some under the Meriden name for sale in other venues. These were sidelock guns, but seem to recall Sears also sold a boxlock gun under the Meriden name, though not positive about this.
At any rate if its a sidelock gun you might also look under the Aubrey name for parts. A search for Numrich will likely turn up their site, but I believe they actually use the name GunParts Corp now. Not being critical here, they were named Numrich so many years, I still call them that too.

Keep your eyes open for a parts gun,they show up cheap now and then. Bobby

Can you give a little more information about this gun? How do you know it is a 20ga? Is it hammerless or does it have external hammers? What is on the rib? When you remove the barrels, there will some numbers on the receiver flats. What does it say there?

Finally, what parts are you looking for? I may be able to help.

You will find some basic info about these guns here:
http://damascus-barrels.com/Aubrey.html

Thanks,

Pete

Thanks everyone for your responses. I appreciate the lead on Numrich, they have many of the parts I need. One thing I've noticed you don't find much info on these guns. I would bet you don't see one come up for sale often but I'll keep my eyes open. The ones I have seen haven't been a model I can use.

2-Piper, it is a side lock gun.

Pete, I was wondering if you were going to chime in on this. I say this because I've seen some of your posts about this brand and have looked at your website (nice by the way). I was planning on emailing you because I heard you were collecting info on serial numbers. Guess I can't say for sure that it is a 20ga. I stated that based upon just looking at the barrels. It is a hammerless side lock gun. The wording on the rib says "Mfd by the Meriden Firearms Co. Meriden CT Pat'd. July 9, 1907". On the flat of the receiver it has the numbers S28. I've cleaned some of the paint off of the barrels and they appear to be steel, not damascus. I believe that the 28 indicates the barrel length. The other number is the serial number, 78531. I'll put together a list of the parts I need. Numrich "supposedly" has many of the parts I need but there are some they don't have.

I'm pretty new at all of this but it would be nice to get this gun to where it shoots. Doing so will take some time but it will be fun. I've had this gun for about 20 years now so it's not like I'm on any strict time line to get it done.

Kirk

Kirk,

You are correct the stamp indicates 28" steel barrels. It is a late gun. Likely to have been produced at the very end circa 1918 or 1919.

Is there any engraving on the gun? I asked about the gauge, because the 20ga guns are very rare. I can only confirm a 3 or 4 of them as still being around.

Again, if you need help let me know.

Regards,

Pete

Hey Pete,
No, there is no engraving on the gun. It's pretty plain. I haven't put shells in it but I know it's not a 12 or 16. I stripped paint off of one of the lock plates last night and it appears to have most of the bluing left if that's how they were finished. Would that be the case? As for the finishes of other parts, I assume the barrels were rust blued? How was the receiver finished, color case hardened?

Also, I was looking at the parts list on Numrich and there's a part listed called a locking bolt. I don't see it in my receiver but I haven't torn it apart completely. However it looks like a large part so I would guess it's missing on mine. Can you provide some info on this part?

Also, I will post some pictures so you can see what I'm dealing with.

Thanks for your help. I will be in touch I'm sure.

Kirk

OK. Perhaps you do have a 20ga. Without engraving, it would be an entry level gun.

Never having examined a 20ga, I am not sure if they changed the frame. I think they did not. There was supposed to have been a 3 barrel set custom order gun. It was thought to originally have 12, 16 and 20 gauge barrels.

I had to checked to see what part they are referring to... strange name. I am not sure if it the same for a hammer gun.

I will wait for your pictures.

Pete