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New stevens 311 owner

5K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  KYLongrifle 
#1 ·
Hi all, picked up another addition at the fun show today, this is one I’ve been wanting for a long time; Stevens 311 model h in 12ga, 2 3/4 and 3” shells, serial b660197. Bores look good, snaps shut, it’s a very beefy and businesslike gun.
When roughly were the h models made? Can I run buckshot through this? How about slugs (ignoring opening up the choke, I’ve heard you shouldn’t through a double but I’ve also heard the 311s are built well enough that you can without risking barrel separation). Is the release lever supposed to sit a little to the right like it is in my pic?
I’m hoping for many years of happy hunting with this gun, anyone who has or has used them feel free to share your experiences and thought!:)
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#2 ·
Your 311 is a well-built, well-designed, working gun built for service and durability. You can load both barrels with buck or slugs, and pull both triggers with no damage to the gun. Keep it clean and lube it carefully, it will give your descendants good service. I know of 311s that serve a third generation, when they tire of video games. A few Nervous Nancys will disagree, but you own a good shotgun.
 
#7 ·
The 311 will be reliable and give long life for the shooter to whom a couple hundred rounds a year is the norm. I've shot two of these loose to the point they needed to be rebuilt while shooting league sporting clays and a few other venues but that would have run several times the price of a replacement. They are serviceable utility guns but high volume guns they are not.

There should be no problem shooting slugs or buckshot through your gun. That wives' tale has been around for over a century but just won't die. Having more than one or two guns is a relatively new ability so both guns and loads of old were designed to be compatible with each other. Maybe some of the real cheap price point guns of that era had design and/or manufacturing issues but the 311 was a couple cuts above that.

The taper is normal, at least one of mine does. The other does not but I don't think it has to do with dates as the one that is tapered is a 16 ga round body from before WWII while the one without is a 20 ga from the 1970's too. My totally unscientific guess is the factory may have honed out the chokes a bit to get the desired constriction after swaging the barrel a little too much. That is a guess based on the appearance of a barrel I had opened up on a Winchester SxS compared to the other barrel of that same gun. That is my guess and I'll stick with it until people stop buying me beers.
 
#8 ·
I had a Stevens 311 H, 12 gauge I bought new in 1968. It was my first shotgun. Mine looked a lot like yours. Here is a picture. It was a well made gun that I had for 50 years. I never had a problem with it, but it was a heavy gun not well suited for upland hunting. I kept it for all those years for sentimental reasons but did not use it much after the first 10 years since I got better SxSs. I just sold it 2 years ago. Also, the finish on the stock was a cheap varnish type that covered up any grain in the wood. The wood was not walnut. I think it was birch, but did have some grain under the old finish.Many years ago I stripped off the old finish and redid it. The picture is the refinished version.
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#10 ·
16gaugeW,
Your 311 is a nice entry level American made double gun, made for hunting not line shooting Clays. The trigger pull is usually around 5Lbs for both triggers, never saw one of theses guns double. Many sportsman start out with these guns because of their cost. Nothing wrong with that at all, I have to say I have never seen a 311 gun that was not articulated correctly for shooting birds. The guns are a might heavy, however I have known many people here in our mountains to have their 311 guns for more than one generation. Many of the men who did nice wood work, refinished the stocks and made the guns look quite nice. Remember you have a used entry level double gun, and have no idea what has already been shot thru the gun. Keep a close eye on your gun the 1st year you hunt with it to make sure a prior owner has not abused it. Congrats on owning an entry level, Classic American double gun. Have fun hunting with her.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
 
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#12 · (Edited)
KYLongrifle,

American made Classic double guns, ya got to love them! All these American made guns of the different eras are higher quality than most of the modern entry level guns being shipped into the USA. Yes some like the 311 were heavier than they should have been, most of them are still around being used however. The 20 gauge 311 guns were decent Grouse guns! Some of the boys in our mountain had their Grandpas & Fathers 311 20 gauge guns and were very proud to have them. Articulated correctly for bird shooting, never ever doubled and had decent trigger pull, a very nice entry level American made, 20 gauge double gun.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
 
#17 ·
I have a 16ga 311 my dad bought me when I was just a kid in 1960. I doubt it has been shot less than a hundred times. I have since added a .410, a 20ga and a 12ga. They all have the birch stocks which I refinished. They are displayed on a wall rack in my den and I never shoot them as they don't fit me worth a darn. Fun to look at though
 
#18 · (Edited)
I hunted with a man who used his 20ga 311 for all of his hunting. He hunted all kinds of upland, squirrels, ruffed grouse, rabbits,ect. When deer season came he loaded it with slugs. He killed many deer with that gun and never seemed handicapped by it. One time during deer season we were all having lunch when he slowly got up dropped two shells in the gun. He fired one shot swung and fired again. We were standing there with confused looks. He emptied his gun and asked if one of us young guys could help him drag out his deer(plural). He had spotted a buck following doe. He shot the buck first and got the doe on the run. It was one of those "eating by the truck", "squatting behind a tree" deer stories, but saw it for myself. "Beware of a man who hunts with just one gun, he might know how to use it". Yes your 311 will shoot slugs and shot.
 
#19 ·
There are a ton of these good old workingman's doubles out there. I have two in the safe, one from Sears 26" IC and Mod 12 Ga. the other is Western Auto 30" 20 ga mod and full.
Yes I reworked the stock on the 20 to a straight grip, and the buttstock is OK. It then does not "work" with the chunky forend. Be aware, darn little wood under the forend latch, reduce the width, do not reduce the depth. Or have a forend with a rectangular vent in the bottom like mine, looks bad but works fine.
 
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