Description

Page-Lewis c1925 Single Shot Rifles (eventually bought by Savage)

The Page Lewis story is a long, complicated and fascinating insight into the incestuous nature of the gun industry. Mr. Page and Mr. Lewis had been associated with Stevens then went out on their own, made guns for Eugene Reising, and later sold their operation to Savage who also acquired Stevens. Eventually Page Lewis guns were sold by Stevens under their Springfield brand name (not to be confused with the government’s Springfield Armory which was about 10 miles from the Page Lewis and Stevens operations in Chicopee Falls , Mass. These folks also were involved with the Stevens- Duryea automobile Company, L.S. Starrett (tool makers), Hunter Arms Company, High Standard, and several other non-gun related manufacturing enterprises. People forget that innovative gun-making technology was at the very core of the rise of American manufacturing and tool making success, but that is another long and interesting story in itself.

Page Lewis started off making simple rolling block rifles with frames of laminated steel (a sandwich of two thin side plates with a inch thick spacer piece between) and then moved on to simple bolt action designs. Their model "D was an entry level gun for junior shooters that had to be manually cocked, a desirable safety feature for youthful shooters as well as less expensive to make. This model was produced 1923-1928 with a 20 inch barrel. During this time Savage/Stevens bought the assets of Page Lewis and in 1928 they introduced the Model 50 Springfield Junior which was little more than a Model D with a bit larger stock and a 24 inch barrel. This model, priced at $5.87 was discontinued in 1933 in favor of the Model 52 with a 22 inch barrel and this model sold for $3.98 in the 1933 Sears Roebuck catalog. Most inexpensive rifles and shotguns were not serial numbered prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968 when a requirement for serial numbers was imposed on all firearms. (The above passages are from the Dictionary of Guns & Gunmakers by John Walter ISBN 1-85367-392-7)

16 pages, about 8 1/2" x 6" glossy soft-cover in full color. New re-print restored and digitally enhanced from a nice original. Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper. Fully Illustrated.

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