Hi again. Ok, the online history of riverside arms is sparce. By searching the net when i first got my gun the info i ran across was vague and contradicting. I have seen that Riverside arms was a trade name by the Stevens arms co for their lesser quality basic guns of which the same design more deluxe models could be had that carried the Stevens tag. Basically the riversides were the stripped down models without all the fancier asthetics.
But, then i have also read that Riverside arms were a company that was bought out by stevens in around 1916 i believe. They made alot of the double barrel exposed hammer coach shotguns.
Telling the difference between One of the Riversides and one of the Stevens riversides i think would be next to impossible without SN#'s or detailed records, which i have found none. Mine has none, the only markings are the Riverside arms stamp on the left side reciever, proof tested 12 gauge on the barrel and a 5054 B stamp on the bottom reciever butt stock tang.
The picture below shows the stevens higher grades that wore the stevens brand, they are not labeled riverside, but are mechanically the same gun. Parts for these are available from Numrich as i said before. The upper model are Browning patent slide, which would explain the browning stamp on yours, mine does not have that, so i'm led to believe it is either one of the early Riversides before the stevens buy out, or is is one of the Pederson patent slides like the one pictured near the bottom, even though it bears no Pederson stamp. You can see now where the mystery and confusion from lack of detailed or lost history comes in. This is how i found your post. I re search from time to time to see if any new history has hit the web since the last time i searched. The Stevens company in turn was bought out by Savage arms and made firarms in Chicoppee Falls Mass also. I collect old savages and no doubt the guns could have been made on the same machines just bearing three different monikers. Alot of my research comes from the Savageshooters website where i believe i read that long ago fires played hell with the history as pre buyout company records burned and were lost forever
Yours is the only Riverside labeled gun like mine i have ran into so far. I have handeled Stevens marked examples that look exactly the same except for the stamps at gunshows and gunshops. I would get her mechanically safe and leave her outsides alone. She's a looker just how she is. I will be getting parts, also as mine suffers many of the same things and needs part replacements to be a safe shooter. They are both very old, built like tanks and are super neat. I'm very fond of mine and it is evident you feel the same for yours.
Hope this helps? Sorry if it's long, i tried to shorten as much as possible and still be informational without putting ya to sleep
