r/canadaguns • u/sevenseascapes • Jun 02 '26
Misc Trying to identify old 12ga
Trying to identify this single 12. It is stamped MADE IN USA and has larger letters U S in sort of a figure 8. Other than a serial number starting with U on it I can't find any other markings.
4
u/flamingdurian Jun 03 '26
Don't know about the US symbol but it looks like the cooey 12 ga single break action.
2
u/Fuzzy-Decision2843 Jun 03 '26
Yeah, not sure about the receiver stamp either but it seems closest to a Cooey Model 84 given the stock and rivet placement
2
u/DryF1re Jun 03 '26
ya looks a lot like our old cooey 12-gauge single shot as well,
however, that hand guard and stamp dont match ours.
1
u/GreenMan165 Jun 07 '26
An older H&R perhaps? I can't say with absolute certainty but the handguard, method of opening and stock seem to generally match up.
1
u/sevenseascapes Jun 07 '26
So I stripped it down and the only thing found was the matching serial number on the bottom of the barrel's pivot and on the bezel of the forestock.
2
u/Cute_Ad6301 Jun 15 '26
Likely a U.S. Arms Co. single-shot break-action.
The "US" stamped inside a figure-8 (kinda like an infinity symbol) was the trademark for the U.S. Arms Company, a brand name used by the Iver Johnson Arms.
These were "trade-name" guns manufactured by Iver Johnson between 1890 and the 1940s.
Many older single-shot shotguns from this time have shorter chambers (like 2 9/16" or 2 5/8") than modern 12-gauge 2 3/4" or 3" shells.
Also, these barrels wern't designed for modern high-pressure smokeless powder or hard steel shot. I would be careful using modern shells because they might blow the barrel or destroy the action.
6
u/scottsuplol Jun 03 '26
Have you tried taking off the hand guard some barrels are stamped under