doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Iver Johnson Champion

I realize this is not a double barrel but thought someone may know. I have an Iver Johnson 16 gauge champion in great shape that I am having a hard time finding the year it was made. Can anyone help me? The serial # is 9123 I. I can't post pics to let you enjoy the case colors on it. But I think they look really good for a utility gun. I can email pics but not post sorry.
Thanks for any help Tom

Tom, there's a seller on GB with a 4-gauge set of Wards' Western Field-remarked Champions. Unfortunately, I am not quite 1200 bucks-worth of sentimental fool. If they were about 150 apiece, I think I'd have jumped. Don't know about IJA serialization but I agree about the looks of the guns and particularly the solid ribs.

jack

I have a 12 ga. Iver Johnson Champion in great condition with shiney dark bluing on the barrel and vivid case hardening on the receiver. It has a pretty walnut stock with good figure in the wood. I purchased it 55 years ago while a student in college. and used it to hunt water fowl on San Francisco Bay. It has a tight choke that could reach out and hit Canvas Backs and Bluebills at 30 yds. or so. It served me well until I purchased a Savage Fox Model B. That gave me an extra shot. The gun was great on handicap trap because of its choke. Mine has no serial number, but I would say it was a post WW II model. The only weak part of the gun is the locking lug spring. It is a large flat spring and easily breaks from fatigue. Always keep a couple of extra locking lug springs as you may have to change it if the one in the gun breaks. It is really a well made gun othewr than the spring. It points quickly and when in a trap shooting match or hunting its recoil is not noticeable.

I've shot 16yd trap with my 20 gauge. Didn't set the world on fire but 18x25 wasn't impossible.

jack