Stevens 20 Ga. repair.

[steamin10]

I have a Stevens model 311, side by side 20 GA shotgun. It is made by Savage arms as is labeled on the Left side. The complete stamp reads: Stevens Model 311..and below 2nd line: Savage Arms Corporation...3rd line: Chicopee Falls, Mass. U. S. A. Teh right side has a small number stamp just below the forwrd pin that mounts the hammers internally: 5100

I was gifted this gun around 1960-61 when I was about 10 yrs old. I have owned it ever since and is my favorite rabbit and squirrel gun, not to mention varmints around buildings. (Rather than a rifle). This has been broken and became a shelved project, as other things moved on. i now have raiders on my henhouses, and want this to be my first weapon of choice for night defense.

Somehow, I think my son did it recently (5 yrs ago), broke a firing pin by dry fire without a hull or spring cap in the gun. While I have taken the gun apart the pins are not available, so replacements will be cut from a stainless steel bolt, and applied to the trusty old gun.

What I dont know, since there is no serial number, and 311A thru H denote the age, it seems that this gun could be from about 1946, until the A designation came out, about 1956. So it appears it is prior to 56.

As curious as I am, I am trying to figure out the vintage, as the forstock and shoulder pcs are a dark brown swirly plastic set that could be replacements, if the wood was in poor condition. Further to muddy the water, The triggers appear to be a diecast pair, that had been sheilded by a diecast trigger guard, that I broke, and replaced with a common steel guard. It had been told to me, that Sears or other major chain may have marketed this gun, with their specified plastic stock and cheapies as a Christmas youth gun, or similar. I cannot seem to find a history on its production for the early model this appears to be.

I have stripped the action down, and have taken the hammer pin out, ( they will be finiky to put back with the spring setup, and pin alignment) after taking measurements, and the new firing pins are made and ready to install. They are a simple turn and smooth/polish lathe turning and are ordinary in any respect I can see, so I wont waste board space, doing looky see stuff.

I have made a number of searches with Google, wiki, and so on without anything jumping out at me. If anybody can lead me to some early production information on this beloved shotgun, I would appreciate it.

[Rolland]

This is one of the most popular shotguns try here http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacture ... -33479.htm

[pacrat]

Sears made nothing. But contracted for Trade Name goods with their label on them.

IMO had it been sold by Sears it would be labeled Sears, JC Higgins, Ted Williams, etc.



http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=47065

The model 311 started as the Springfield 5000 around 1920 with model designation changing to 5100 in 1931. Around 1940 it became the Stevens model 311. It was discontinued in 1989.

If it was manufactured between 1949 and 1968 there should be a small circle with a number and letter stamped between the trigger and the hinge pin. The letter reflects the year of manufacture.

A to N = 1949 - 1961
P = 1963
R to V = 1964 - 1968

Parts...............Spendy stuff.

http://www.gun-parts.com/savageshotgun/

The genuine immitation wood looking plastic stocks were made of Tenite.

I have a 311-20ga w 26" IC/M chokes, with beechwood stock which was originally finished in a cheap stain/laquer mix one shot finish. Now nicely stained and Tru-oil finish.

JM2c

[steamin10]

OK, thanks for that. I can confirm the very proud lettering under the left barrel on the reciever frame. But it still leaves some confusion. It has capital letters R M followed by a circled A E. All are very legible, all seem to be stand alone characters as they slope off slightly, like hand stampings.

So, it is a marked 311, (not 311A) with the production year codes for earlier than 1961. The key is probably the stock, that is manufactured to replace the wood furnature.

I have been told this was made around 54-56 time frame, but I cannot get any supporting evidence.

I am further confused by the two date stamps, not knowing how they reflect upon the finish date.

Numrich and others show the firing pin, at about $12-$15. However, if you look at the group, it has a screw that bottoms on the upper pin part capturing a spring that preloads the actual firing pin with the snout on it. This assembly is clacked by the spring loaded hammer at firing. So each pin is an assembly of parts, and they are not all available (my understanding). Maybe I should make a phone call to the Arkansas dealer you listed, since he seems to have bought the major parts hoard form Savage.

[JackF]

Big Dave,

I have a 12 ga Stevens/Savage that my Dad bought me at age 13. He bought it at Sears in 1955. On the left side it has in large #s and letters MODEL 311, on the right side near the bottom in small #s and letters model 311A. I still have the original tag that came with the gun somewhere around here.

Jack.

P.S. The stock and for arm grip are walnut.

[ctwo]

Sounds like very nice arms worthy of handing down...

I've enjoyed the Century Intl. Arms Coach SxS in 12 ga. in 20" barrel - the break barrel with two triggers/hammers, single action.

I wish you luck in the repair.

[Rolland]

You might try here as well http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubb ... p?ubb=cfrm If you will post photographs and a full description you will get all the information you need might even be able to pick up the correct parts. These guys are the most knowledgeable group I have ever met in regard to shotguns.

[steamin10]

JackF: thanks for the comments. I take from the anecdotal evidence, that my unit was probabaly sold through Sears or other favorite Big store, possible catalogue sales. With any assurance that 1955 was the sale era for your example, the markings on mine would indicate to me earlier production. That is, there is no external A desigantor anywhere with the 311 model number. The 5100 stamping is a probable discerning clue, as is the odd Plastic stock.

My gut feel on this is around late 40's and into the 50's they had an explosion of very high quality plastics, that they tried to market as knobs in cars, fashion jewlelry, and about anything else that you can think of, before costs began cutting into the quality of the thermo-setting plastics like bakelite. So while I think I am close to a 50-52 manufacture, the plastic stocks remain a mystery, and probable large clue.

I have querried the double gunshop list, we will see what turns up.

[steamin10]

Of all places I found a pair of new firing pins for a model 311 on Fleabay $13. I bid them. I ran across them while looking for comparable parts, and any information that can be gleaned from any such sales sites.

The Gun shops have not answered my query.

[redneckalbertan]

Do you know for sure that the stocks on this gun are original? Could they have replaced a worn and damaged wooden stock?

[steamin10]

Actually, I thought the plastic stocks were possibly replacement furnature supplied for an otherwise good gun that may have suffered some kind of damage, and was traded. As noted earlier, the original trigger guard was diecast, and broken climbing a tree stand by me, raising the unloded gun on a lanyard. I have never seen another example with such a guard. As such, this is an interesting puzzle to have so many variances from what I percieve normal is. You would think all the telltale facts would be remembered, but most inquiries get either blank stares, or a daunting stream of guesswork.

[steamin10]

Ok, since the firing pins are in hand, and they look right AFAIK, I am thinking of restoring some of the look to my favorite well worn double. There is some minor pitting on the reciever, but mainly the heat treat swirl is gone. Is it possible to restore this effect? Or can I use cold blue to give some protection to the pretty raw surface? My original objective was to make the old girl work, but since its apart, should I strip it bare and have it tanked blue or what? The barrel could benefit from a refinish too. I could blast it with walnut shell to really clean it down, but I have no experience with doing this to a modern gun.

I put together one of those cute Italian made, Civl War Navy replicas, and it rusted terribly on the first outing. I busily took a scotch brite to it, and found that the rolled engraving all but disappeared on the cylinder. Lesson learned. It was cold blued, and did not wear worth beans. (Brass brush would have been better I think, not wearing the prominances off).

Pinging George G . I would honor your opinion greatly if you would chime in here. I have a really good pistol smith in town here, that does blueing in batches every so often, but I havent talked to him yet. He is something of a snob and builds race guns and custom slide guns.