doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com stevens 365, 375, 385

saw a Stevens double model 365 sell on gunbrokers a couple days ago with no butt stock otherwise complete. the pictures showed the barrels breech end and parts normally hidden by the butt stock. the breech locking system was like a fox and Ithaca NID. did a 'net search stevens model 365 and found a little info. there are 2 other stevens doubles 375 and 385 of similar build. saw a picture of an engraved 385 that was given to the national leader of the masonic/masons as a gift. from the little information I found this was stevens arms only venture in the higher grade American made double gun market. apparently it was unprofitable and brief. this is the only stevens 365 I had ever seen or heard of ect. anyone out there ever owned a stevens 365, 375, or 385 double stevens and would share their experience and an assement of these shotguns?

Models 385 and 375

Nice shotgun Daryl! Understated and elegant.

Bill, I have seen only about 6 of the top gun, Model 385, and even fewer of the bottom gun, Model 375.

The J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. series of rotary bolted hammerless doubles began circa 1906 with the mono-bloc barrel No. 350 --



and up to the No. 360 and 370 --



Then circa 1909 J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. switched to chopper lump barrels which they called demi-bloc and the guns became the No. 355 --



No. 365 --



No. 375 --



and No. 385 --

Researcher, good history. How long did they produce the 385 and similar guns in the Demi-bloc series ?

The No. 355 to 385 are still offered in the second J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. Catalog No. 53, which Stevens authorities say is September 1913. They are not in the last J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. catalog, Catalog No. 54. The "Demi-bloc" was not just these higher grade doubles, but all J. Stevens doubles. Through the last J. Stevens Arms Co. catalog in 1946, they continued to advertise their doubles, both J. Stevens and Springfield as having "Barrel and lug forged in one piece."

thank you and researcher for the information posted. the 365 I saw had the Krupp steel barrels. i was in the process of buying a couple doubles to finish project guns when the 365 came across my screen. found just enough information that this model stevens was a high quality double -- equal to the best grade American made doubles of that time. it sold for about $200.00 but did not have a butt stock. this slowed me down as by then I realized fitting this gun with a butt stock would be a major project ect. these guns were only listed in stevens catalogues for a few years -- less than 10. there can't be many left today. I never realized stevens ventured in the high grade doubles market until I saw the 365. these stevens are now on my radar scope.

There was also a No. 345 which was only made in 20 gauge. It looked similar to the 355-385 but had a different mechanism.

The No. 345, "The Sportsman's Ideal" first appears in J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. Catalog No. 54 --





A bit interesting that the No. 345 was only made for 2 1/2 inch shells when they were also making their No. 200 pump gun for any 20-gauge shell up to 3-inch!?!



The No. 345 survived into the J. Stevens Arms Co. years, last appearing in their 1923 catalog, but not on their Jan. 2, 1924, price list.

I recently acquired a Stevens sxs that I thought might be a 350, 360, or a 370. But after I found this thread my confusion grows (it don't take much) because the rib extension on mine resembles the rib extension on the Model 345 but mine is a 12 gauge. The ad said 20 gauge only. Any help on what model I have?
Thanks in advance,
Scott

We need to see pictures to tell what you have.

Thanks Researcher-I'm not sure how to attach pics yet. The gun is completely disassembled now so if I figure out how to upload pics I will post them.

Can anybody help out on the posting of attachments?
Thanks

82nd Trooper, email me your pics and I will post them.
euroclan@yahoo.com

For Scott, 82nd Trooper

On the l/s of the frame:
Stevens A&T Co,
Chicopee Falls, Mass, U.S.A.
---Pats.Apple For.--

Thank you Steve for posting the pics.

Hopes this helps identifying a model number.

John E-Thank you for your offer to post the pics.

During the first six or eight years of the 20th Century the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co.'s double guns were evolving very quickly. In every catalog they were different. My best guess is your gun is a No. 325 as shown in Catalogue No. 52 --



The other possibility would be a No.350, 360 or 370 as shown in Catalogue No. 51.



In Catalog No. 52, the No. 350/60/70 had lost the underlug and has a rotary bolt --



By Catalogue No. 52 (Revised Edition) the underlugs were gone and all the guns bolted just through the rib extension. Also, the mono-bloc barrels were gone and they went to chopper lump barrels which they called Demi-bloc. Numbers that had ended in 0 now ended in 5 and the entry-level hammerless became the No. 335.

Researcher-all parts match the 350, 360, and 370 models. The ads above show the main differences appear to be barrel type i.e. twisted, damascus, and special high pressured steel. My barrels do not have any barrel type on them so would it be correct to think "twist" and "Damascus" would be so marked on the barrels?

Thanks
Scott

P.S. I believe your user name is the most appropriate on the gun forums that I look at. Your research is greatly appreciated and some times the only source I've received on other firearms info.

This is a 1902 catalog listing for the 350 and 360. The transition from the steel breech monobloc to the twist tubes should be apparent

Dr. Drew Hause-Thank you for the link and the above information that's good stuff. It definitely looks like a no frills barrel.

Any idea what year serial number 342 would have been made?

FWIW, here are the rest of the No. 350/360/370 pages from Catalog No. 51 --







Drew, what is this 1902 catalog you showed the No. 350 and 360 from? That page doesn't match any J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. catalog I have.

There are no surviving J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. records, so best we could do for dating is to bracket your gun in the 1901 to 1905 range. I'm wondering if the D stamped on the watertable means Damascus barrels?

Dave: 1902 Logan-Gregg Hdw., Pittsburgh catalog

Drew/Researcher-from a historical perspective let me know when you start writing books about Savage/Stevens models and catalogs.
Or other manufactures with like information.