Spanish Stoeger Zyphyr Pinehurst

[mcso]

I am having a difficult time tracking down date of manufacture and/or details of a newly acquired double barrel 12 gauge. A family friend passed this shotgun to me and I could not be happier. I like to know the history of all my firearms as many of us do. Detail are as follows as well as questions.

Top strap on double barrel has Stoeger Arms Corporation - Made in Spain.

Very detailed silver in color receiver has two pheasants on one side, two partridge on the other side and a flying duck on the bottom. The bottom also has "Zephyr Pinehurst" engraved in it.

There are a considerable number of proof marks or manufacture marks if you will. one is an oval with 12-70 inside which I understand stands for 12 gauge and 70 is 70mm as in 2 3/4" shells.

The word or name "Sarasqueta" appears in receiver and bottom of barrel.

There are a number of numbers on each barrel that have the word "choke" over them. Being the brightest kid in my class I assume the numbers are what choke each barrel is as each barrel is different. Both have 18.5 which is metric for???? One barrel has 17.2, the other 17.7. I'm assuming this is a restriction (choke) when compared to the 18.5. The 18.5 may be 12 ga?
I do not know how to covert the metric measurement to the choke names/numbers I am familiar with.

Also the s/n is a 6 digit starting in 15XXXX. I would like to know manufacture date.

What I know.....Previous owner purchased it new in state of New York maybe late 50's early 60's. He stated that it was an "upgrade" from your average gun for sale.

Anyone have an opinion or some knowledge please pass it along.

Thanks in advance.

[wombat12]

This may give you the year:

http://www.9mmlargo.com/year_codes.htm

[Signess]

This or similar to? >>> http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=205316443

[mcso]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=207226196

[mcso]

Scouring the internet the markings 18.5 - 17.7 one one barrel and 18.5 - 17.2 on the other are bore diameter (18.5 mm coverts to .72835 which is our 12 gauge). So both barrels are 12 gauge with chokes of 17.7 and 17.2. Coverting those from mm to standard or american measurements and subtracting both numbers from .72835 yields .0315 (17.7 tube) and .0511 (17.2 tube).

Further research lends me to believe that the chokes are modified and full. Though the full choke measurement of .0511 seems tight for our standards but others have said for the ammunition available at the time it would jive.

I'm posting an answer to my own question in case someone comes across a similar senario. I don't like to hear myself type :).

Also some other proof marks are as follows.

VS in an oval is gun maker Victor Sarasqueta.

On the tang that the beavertail forestock accepts I found a date of 1960 and this makes sense to original owner though I have not found a date specfic serial number listing.

Stoeger imported the arms from various sources including Satasqueta which is stamped on receiver flat and barrel flat where the two hook up.

There are other proof marks I'm not familar with and to be honest I can't make out what they are suppose to stand for. One looks like two canoe paddles in a jar. I'm assuming that is some type of armory stamp.