Difference between revisions of "Cooey model 84"

Revision as of 12:52, 13 June 2013

Cooey model 84
A Canadian classic
Type	Shotgun
Land of Origin	Canada
Specifications
Length	46.5", with 30" barrel
Barrel length	usually 30" (see text)
No. of Barrels	1
Gauge	.410 bore, 12, 16, or 28 gauge (rare)
Cartridge	3"
Action	break action; external hammer
Sights	front bead, no rear
Production History
Designer	Hubert Joseph Cooey (?)
Design Date	1902/03
Manufacturer	H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Co. (pre-61) Winchester-Western Canada Ltd., aka Olin Corp. (post-61)
Unit Cost	CDN$75-$150
Produced	1903-67 (model 84) 1967-79 (model 840)
No. Built	~ 1,900,000 (Cooey 84/840) 221,578 (Winchester 370) 395,168 (Winchester 37A)
Variants	Cooey model 840 Winchester Model 370 & 37A

The Cooey model 84 (later renamed the model 840) was the first shotgun designed and manufactured by the H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Company in Coburg, Ontario, Canada. It was sold as the model 84 until 1967, and (following acquisition by Olin Corp.) as model 840. The gun, along with all other Cooey products, ceased production in 1979.

History

Contrary to information given on another wiki, these are not collector's items^[1], unless you can pick up one of the rare ones chambered for 28 gauge or with a 36" barrel. As for the rest, they are one of the most (if not the most) ubiquitous shotguns in Canada - everybody and their dog has one.

Guns made prior to 1961 will be stamped "H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Company" on the right side of the receiver and those made after Olin's acquisition of Cooey will instead be stamped "Winchester-Western (Canada) Limited." They came with barrels 26", 28" and 30" in length, with 32", 34" being much more uncommon and 36" downright rare. The most common choke in an original barrel was full choke, which is the most desirable configuration when a tight pattern is needed.

The model 84/840 comes chambered for most common shotgun shells including 12, 16, 20 and (very rarely) 28 gauge, as well as .410 bore. A new owner should get the chamber measured for the proper size of shotshell by a gunsmith since most of the older 84s were chambered for 2 3/4" shotshells (except .410s), while the 840s were chambered for the larger and more powerful 3" shotshells.

There were not many documents kept on the production history of Cooey firearms in the first place, and fewer still survive to the present day. Written records of serial numbers are therefore not generally available. Some have suggested that Cooey did not use serial numbers at all prior to being bought out by Olin, and many model 84 / 840 units manufactured prior to 1970 do not, in fact, have serial numbers. On the other hand, there are also many pre-1961 model 84s which are stamped with serial numbers on the receiver (directly beneath the branding), barrel (under the forend stock) and under the butt plate/shoulder stock. Dating the serial numbers remains a challenge (to put it nicely) for Cooey gun collectors.

Variants

Shortly after Olin acquired Cooey in April 1961, the model 84 was cheapened and re-branded as the model 840 in the 1967 production year^[2].

At about the same time, Winchester "introduced" the same damn shotgun as the Winchester Model 370. After the Coburg plant closed, Winchester dropped the Winchester Cooey Model 840 and did a little upgrade work to the outside of the Model 370, calling it the Winchester Model 37A^[3].

Cooey manufactured 221,578 Model 370s from 1968-73 and 395,168 37A units from 1973-79.

Resources

This article has no links to any manuals whatsoever! This article needs more input to fill in those missing bits. You (yes, you!) can help Gunsopedia provide more comprehensive information to our users by submitting a manual that you might have. See this page to find out how you can contribute a manual to the Gun Owners' Resource Online Library and help your fellow gun owners. With your help, we really can make this a one-stop resource for all gun owners!

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  Parts view of the Cooey 84

See also

• H. W. Cooey Machine & Arms Company
• Table of Cooey firearms
• List of Winchester models
• John A. Belton, "Cooey Firearms Made in Canada, 1919-1979". Museum Restoration Service, 1992 (out of print as of 2012). ISBN 091931628X.

Notes

1. ↑ '"The gun ceased to be produced in 1979. Today, the 84/840 is considered a collector's item." -Wikipedia's article for the Cooey 84.
2. ↑ Almost all Cooey designs suffered the same fate of having a zero added to their model numbers
3. ↑ Not to be mistaken with the similar but different Winchester model 37 single-shot shotgun (1,015,554 made. Never serialized. All production took place in New Haven, CT.) discontinued in 1963, of which neither the 370 nor 37A are direct descendants.