Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns An Old Stevens 311A Followed Me Home

I tripped over this rough old Stevens 311A the other day at a rual pwn shop. They wanted $150 OTD. I did take it out back and shoot it, patterns a bit low and loose for its 30" barrels, but the bores had light rust and may be shredding shot cups. I figured if it's still there Monday I was supposed to rescue it.



Well, it was still there. I had dropped a set of micrometers in my back pocket and pulled the barrels off to check the chokes. The left barrel came in at a tight full and the right one fell between modified and improved. Hmm... the left barrel was always the more open choke on these guns. Also when I popped the forend off, the ejector activator came loose from the forend metal and skittered across the floor. The screw that holds it to the forend metal had broken off. It is captured by the hinge pin so I replaced it carefully, bringing the extractors back to life.

My pal who works there was looking all sheepish and I said "Guys, this is a hunnerd dollar shotgun at best. I don't know what you have in it but I'll go a hundred and throw in seven boxes of 20 gauge field loads (which we have no shotgun for and I miraculously had in the truck today) so you make a buck on it" The opposition huddled, the deal was agreed to and the old double came home today.

I took ten clay birds out to the thrower and powdered nine of them, alternating barrels. Short stocked old bastard kicks like a mule and a good pad is getting ordered while I de-crud the action, polish/reblue the barrels and (after the pad arrives) refinish the stock. For no good reason I love it.

I got most of the metal work done today, so bear with me while I post more photos. This old shotgun was made in 1949 so it had 67 years worth of crud caked in and on it. 3M fine pads and 0000 steel wool got most of it off and produced a finish appropriate for a working gun. The action got soaked in PB Blaster, douched with carb cleaner and a light coat of Rem Oil left inside. The receiver is staying as-is for the moment. FWIW, Brownell's Oxpho Blue is some good stuff for cold blue- miles ahead of Birchwood Casey. Stock work begins in a few days.