identify shotgun

Question
recently acquired single shot 20ga ,would like to know age and who made it. only markings WP WONDER/20GA.CHOKE/A244300 thank you

Answer
John,

You have a "White Powder Wonder" shotgun.  These were made by a wide variety of contract manufacturer for Sears and Roebuck.  These guns were made by Crescent Arms, W. H. Davenport and Meriden Firearms to name a few.  They were produced primarily between 1891 and 1910 by Davenport and from 1910 to 1919 by Crescent.  After 1919, Stevens Arms, who acquired Crescent, continued to manufacture the gun for a few more years.

The "white powder" designation came from the colloquial  way that people referred to the 'new' smokeless powder at the time.

I'd have it checked out before trying to shoot it.  Typically guns of this vintage were not designed to handle the higher pressures of modern ammo.  It is probably not worth much more than $100-$150.  As far as the actual age, there is really no way to tell without a detailed examination of the gun itself.  There might be some manufacturer marks on the actions, but without being able to see the gun it is impossible to tell.

Hope this helps you out...

Doug