Steven 258B bolt action 20 ga

Prof Young · February 24, 2018, 01:31 AM

So elsewhere I've posted some bits and pieces about a bolt action Stevens 20ga I bought at auction. It came with a magazine that is a piece of junk. Thing falls apart when trying to load it and if you do manage to load it the shells don't feed and the second shot hangs up in the magazine. From looking on line the magazine I have looks to be an after market. There is no manufacturer name on it. Nunrich has a new magazine, and while a touch pricey it is made by Savage so I'm hoping it works as it should. Haven't shot the gun yet, but that should happen soon.

Thoughts and comments welcome.

Life is good.
Prof Young

stuckinthe60s · March 2, 2018, 09:22 AM

the mag will be worth more than the gun.

Prof Young · March 6, 2018, 09:57 PM

The mag from Nunrich was $30 and works just fine. Without it the gun is a single shot, which is okay, but a bolt action shotgun is a lot more fun with three shots.

Life is good.
Prof Young

FrankenMauser · March 6, 2018, 11:42 PM

Watch out for rim-lock in the magazine. It's quite a pain in the butt to fix, if it happens.

Prof Young · March 9, 2018, 10:02 PM

FrankenMauser - I think that was the problem with the magazine that came with the gun. Shell at the bottom would not slide up. It was locked in place by the rim being jammed at an angle in the rear slot.

New magazine dosen't do that but man is it hard to get the magazine pushed all the way in when there is already one in the chamber. First two times I shot it with the magazine in the mag popped out of the gun.

This is fun to shoot but has enough problems that it's not much more than a range toy or to do some shotgun plinking.

Life is good
Prof Young

FrankenMauser · March 10, 2018, 05:16 PM

Understood. It sounds like the original magazine may have been smashed at some point.

Be careful to not stick the forward magazine guide inside the magazine. It's a common problem with shooters new to handling mine; and I believe the primary reason for people running into difficulty with insertion.

But, of course, all of my experience is based on a sample size of one -- which, itself, was damaged, repaired, and modified before any testing.

---

I picked mine up at an auction, as well. It was, however, sold as a "parts gun" because it had been rolled over by a horse. The barrel was bent, the fire controls were damaged, and the stock was absolutely shattered. I got it mostly fixed up, and it turned out to be worth keeping around.

Other than the safety*, it works well enough that it actually goes on hunting trips and a couple family members keep asking to buy it from me.

People carrying it do have to keep the two major flaws in mind, though:
1. Don't trust the safety*. Just keep the chamber empty.
2. Rim-lock in the magazine. Incorrect loading, or a slip while attempting to unload the magazine will jam 'er good and proper.

*(My safety was damaged. It's not a design flaw, from what I recall. -But it's been a few years since I had that action out of the stock to refresh my memory. Heck, I may have even removed the safety entirely, just so people wouldn't try to use it. Other people use that shotgun so much more than I do, that I haven't fired it in years.)

February 24, 2018, 01:31 AM	#1
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Steven 258B bolt action 20 ga So elsewhere I've posted some bits and pieces about a bolt action Stevens 20ga I bought at auction. It came with a magazine that is a piece of junk. Thing falls apart when trying to load it and if you do manage to load it the shells don't feed and the second shot hangs up in the magazine. From looking on line the magazine I have looks to be an after market. There is no manufacturer name on it. Nunrich has a new magazine, and while a touch pricey it is made by Savage so I'm hoping it works as it should. Haven't shot the gun yet, but that should happen soon. Thoughts and comments welcome. Life is good. Prof Young

March 2, 2018, 09:22 AM	#2
stuckinthe60s Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2017 Location: Va., Ct., Mo.. Posts: 877	the mag will be worth more than the gun. __________________ Retired Military Aviation Former Member Navy Shooting Team Distinguished Pistol Shot,NRA Shotgun/Pistol Instructor NSSA All American, Skeet/Trap Range Owner

March 6, 2018, 09:57 PM	#3
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Works . . . The mag from Nunrich was $30 and works just fine. Without it the gun is a single shot, which is okay, but a bolt action shotgun is a lot more fun with three shots. Life is good. Prof Young

March 6, 2018, 11:42 PM	#4
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Watch out for rim-lock in the magazine. It's quite a pain in the butt to fix, if it happens. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

March 9, 2018, 10:02 PM	#5
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Rim-lock . . . I think I know but . . . FrankenMauser - I think that was the problem with the magazine that came with the gun. Shell at the bottom would not slide up. It was locked in place by the rim being jammed at an angle in the rear slot. New magazine dosen't do that but man is it hard to get the magazine pushed all the way in when there is already one in the chamber. First two times I shot it with the magazine in the mag popped out of the gun. This is fun to shoot but has enough problems that it's not much more than a range toy or to do some shotgun plinking. Life is good Prof Young

March 10, 2018, 05:16 PM	#6
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Understood. It sounds like the original magazine may have been smashed at some point. Be careful to not stick the forward magazine guide inside the magazine. It's a common problem with shooters new to handling mine; and I believe the primary reason for people running into difficulty with insertion. But, of course, all of my experience is based on a sample size of one -- which, itself, was damaged, repaired, and modified before any testing. --- I picked mine up at an auction, as well. It was, however, sold as a "parts gun" because it had been rolled over by a horse. The barrel was bent, the fire controls were damaged, and the stock was absolutely shattered. I got it mostly fixed up, and it turned out to be worth keeping around. Other than the safety, it works well enough that it actually goes on hunting trips and a couple family members keep asking to buy it from me. People carrying it do have to keep the two major flaws in mind, though: 1. Don't trust the safety. Just keep the chamber empty. 2. Rim-lock in the magazine. Incorrect loading, or a slip while attempting to unload the magazine will jam 'er good and proper. *(My safety was damaged. It's not a design flaw, from what I recall. -But it's been a few years since I had that action out of the stock to refresh my memory. Heck, I may have even removed the safety entirely, just so people wouldn't try to use it. Other people use that shotgun so much more than I do, that I haven't fired it in years.) __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.