Recondition Process:
We've just been tasked with a new reconditioning project. The firearm is a single-barrel shotgun produced under the Mass Arms Co. trade brand and made by Crescent Fire Arms Company (TBD). Unfortunately, it's missing its buttstock, the mechanism isn't operational, and the forestock is fragmented, held together only by tape. I'm optimistic that with an advanced level two reconditioning, this shotgun could be restored to its former glory. More to come...

That one is going to clean up nicely! My understanding is that for guns manufactured for Crescent Fire Arms, you'll find the serial number etched onto the lower tang, just to the rear of the trigger guard. You can use this serial number to estimate the manufacturing year. Conversely, Stevens-made firearms, which began producing under various trade names like Mass Arms Co. in 1915 and ceased this practice by 1940, do not have readily available serial number tables to date them.

The gun appears to have a three-digit number (under 1000) plus the letters "LJ" marks on the bottom tang. I just read that the first single barrel shotgun made by Crescent Fire Arms Company for Massachusetts Arms Company (Mass. Arms Co.) was sold in 1898. Crescent produced firearms for various companies under different brand names.

I had a really hard time finding a Crescent designated stock but after doing research any of the tradename shotguns from this period should work. You must be careful as some similar looking stocks like from Hopkins and Allen are VERY close in size but will not have the rounded corners at the leading edge. I found a Spencer buttstock (made by Crescent) on ebay for $25 and hoping that it will fit.

The stock arrived yesterday, and it fits great. I started to remove the layers of old varnish but it's going to take a few passes.

I also learned to be more careful with installing and removing the plunger seats. If you lose your hold, it will go flying and in my example the shop ate it and I was forced to order another. I'm betting I find it 10min after the replacement arrives.

The wooden fore end was also missing components necessary for it to spring and lock into place. I struggled to install a spring internally until I noticed a thimble-like part in a YouTube breakdown video, which would have pressed a spring against an internal rod to lock the fore end. Since I couldn't find this part on eBay, I decided to fabricate one using an old socket and some washers. Welding the washers to the socket initially seemed promising, but the screws ended up too high for mounting. I found that applying welds at a 45-degree angle and then filing it down worked better. I positioned the tabs at a downward angle so the screws would secure it when tightened. After cutting a small spring to fit, I successfully mounted the fore end without needing tape. The final step was to grind the new part down into a thimble shape so that it could be easily mated with the receiver.

I have one last issue to address. The break-open lever action lacks a tensioner, meaning it sort of locks but the lever moves without resistance. I'm aware that a tensioner lever or plunger is missing, but I haven't found a diagram or the part on eBay. The top lever rod and locking lug assembly seem to be worn in general and I suspect may need to be resurfaced. I plan to examine it further today and attempt to fabricate the missing part to hopefully complete this project.

The gun seemed to be missing the locking bolt arm plunger and its spring. I've been struggling to find parts specifically for Crescent shotguns, and I've been going in circles trying to determine if they're compatible with Stevens shotguns. Although they aren't supposed to share the same base design, they appear quite similar in both dimensions and mechanics. I decided to take a chance and ordered a Stevens plunger from eBay to try it out. I can confirm that these parts fit, and now I have a functioning locking mechanism!

I've been operating under the assumption that this shotgun was designed for black powder brass hulls. I think sticking to black powder is the safest option unless we find further evidence suggesting otherwise.

Is it Black Powder or Nitro?

Antique Crescent single barrel shotguns were primarily designed to shoot black powder shells. These shotguns were manufactured around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when black powder was the predominant propellant. Specifically, they were intended for 2 1/2 inch shotshells loaded with black powder and lead shot.

However, by the early 1900s, some Crescent guns were also designed or adapted to use low-pressure smokeless powder (nitro powder) shells, which were becoming more common. The transition to smokeless powder was significant because it offered higher velocities with less residue than black powder, but the early designs of these shotguns were not necessarily built to handle the pressures of modern high-pressure smokeless powder loads, especially not those of 3-inch or magnum shells.

Regarding the use of modern shotgun shells, it's generally not recommended to shoot modern ammunition in these antique firearms without a thorough inspection by a competent gunsmith. Modern shells can have significantly higher pressures, which could be unsafe for guns made with the metallurgy and design standards of the time.

Here are some photos from the forestock restoration process which happened before a few of the above steps. The wood was previously broken and held together with tape, with the mounting screws having no solid grip. Instead of opting for a new piece, I decided to restore this one to preserve its character. I glued the broken pieces back together using epoxy, filled the internal areas and screw mounts that aren't visible with body filler. Please note, I waxed all the metal parts and screws before the filler hardened, then removed them to avoid them sticking permanently. Be cautious and do the same if you're attempting this. I also redrilled the hole for the locking plunger to ensure minimal sliding friction. The final touches involved removing the old pin nails, and then filling the external holes and cracks with a mixture of epoxy and sawdust from a concealed part of the stock.

The internal barrel looks to be in OK condition but needs a really good cleaning to examine the surface. Now I know what a dentist feels like.
Update: I WAS WRONG! After giving the barrel and acid bath we found that it was scratched up from years of use and abuse. I'm sure they get worse than this, but this is one is pretty bad and we're going to have to hone that out.