bought a Savage/Stevens 311H 12 ga.

utaherrn · October 5, 2005, 05:59 AM

30" bbls, extractors, for $200.00 from a buddy who's had it in a closet for years. finish on stock is pretty worn here and there. little spots of surface rust all over. tore it all down, cleaned up real nice, shoots well.

thinking of relacing the springs throughout as the triggers are pretty gritty, and maybe replacing the wood.
the release lever is all the way to the left when closed, pretty stiff too.
is this normal?

good deal, or no?

any ideas on what the chokes might be? no marking that I can see, and I can't find a gauge to measure it, though maybe I'll check the local Cabelas in the next couple of days.

joab · October 5, 2005, 07:21 AM

Don't know if it's normal but my lever is also to the left and sometimes does not fully disengage when I break the gun open

IIRC
The chokes are Improved on the left and Modified on the right

DPris · October 5, 2005, 12:21 PM

Anytime the lever rests to left of center you should suspect wear. If it's all the way left, it'll need work.
Denis

joab · October 5, 2005, 05:51 PM

I had a feeling somebody would say something like that.

My gun is from 1952 and I had suspected some sort of malf, although it appears to lock up solidly some times the lock does not fully disengage and the lever flips back to the far left positition

DPris · October 5, 2005, 07:05 PM

The lever works its way left with use. It can run fine a bit left of center, but lockup's affected more the farther it wears left.
Denis

joab · October 5, 2005, 08:01 PM

Mine is at the extreme left side, I don't think it be more liberal

utaherrn · October 5, 2005, 09:41 PM

That's it, it's outta the safe, it'll corrupt all the other guns there, making them malfunction too!

joab · October 5, 2005, 10:39 PM

Glad you joined in I was starting to feel like a hijacker.

I paid about $100 for mine from a gun shop, because he had had it on display for over a year with no takers.

I bought it only because it reminded me so much of my grandfather's gun

Less than a year later I statrted seeing 311's in worse shape going for much much more.
Timing is everything

utaherrn · October 6, 2005, 05:17 AM

Yeah, a local shop hase one like mine, worse shape for $350.

I got this from a friend who was trying to raise some cash to pay for medical bills (preemie baby), but wouldn't take more than $200 for it. Feel like I got the better end of the deal, and didn't want to cheat him considering his situation and needs, but he's happy, so...

m14nut · October 9, 2005, 06:32 PM

311H....

Gotta love it....

I found this one for about a hunred.
Cleaned up the stock, and de-gummed it. shoots better than I can.

Shoot it, enjoy it....repeat as necessary.

20cows · October 10, 2005, 10:50 AM

I went to a gun show last Saturday, just to look. The first vendor had a couple of 311s. One was a more recent model in 20 ga. with the plastic forearm underlug (not interesting). The other was a pretty tough looking 12 ga. that was considerably older (no plastic nor aluminum) that had the original stock replaced and this one was starting to split, too, but not too far gone to fix. It had Sears written all over it, but it's a 311. Got it for $225. Three vendors tried to buy it from me as I walked around with it.

A little further along I came across another. This one was a model 5100, just another variation of the 311 (I have one in 16 ga.). This one was older than the first. Back in the late 40's or early 50's they made some with plastic stocks (my brother grew up shooting one of those). This shotgun had apparently been a prison shotgun as it had PROPERTY US GOV molded in the plastic stock. It must have spent most of its life in the rack as it showed no wear. The color case hardened receiver is gorgeous. I got it for $300.

The bores in both guns are great and my brother and I used them to dove hunt that evening.

I will refinish the stock and bed it to the receiver and it'll be good as new.

October 5, 2005, 05:59 AM	#1
utaherrn Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2005 Location: Happy Valley, USA Posts: 649	bought a Savage/Stevens 311H 12 ga. 30" bbls, extractors, for $200.00 from a buddy who's had it in a closet for years. finish on stock is pretty worn here and there. little spots of surface rust all over. tore it all down, cleaned up real nice, shoots well. thinking of relacing the springs throughout as the triggers are pretty gritty, and maybe replacing the wood. the release lever is all the way to the left when closed, pretty stiff too. is this normal? good deal, or no? any ideas on what the chokes might be? no marking that I can see, and I can't find a gauge to measure it, though maybe I'll check the local Cabelas in the next couple of days. __________________ Bash 'em in the head, that seems to work out!

October 5, 2005, 07:21 AM	#2
joab Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2002 Location: Orl Fla Posts: 3,254	Don't know if it's normal but my lever is also to the left and sometimes does not fully disengage when I break the gun open IIRC The chokes are Improved on the left and Modified on the right __________________ Joab the Bugman Founding member- Lords of Pomposity It's a Yankee Doodle thing

October 5, 2005, 05:51 PM	#4
joab Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2002 Location: Orl Fla Posts: 3,254	I had a feeling somebody would say something like that. My gun is from 1952 and I had suspected some sort of malf, although it appears to lock up solidly some times the lock does not fully disengage and the lever flips back to the far left positition __________________ Joab the Bugman Founding member- Lords of Pomposity It's a Yankee Doodle thing

October 5, 2005, 08:01 PM	#6
joab Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2002 Location: Orl Fla Posts: 3,254	Mine is at the extreme left side, I don't think it be more liberal __________________ Joab the Bugman Founding member- Lords of Pomposity It's a Yankee Doodle thing

October 5, 2005, 09:41 PM	#7
utaherrn Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2005 Location: Happy Valley, USA Posts: 649	you mean I actually have a Biden/Schumer/Kerry/Clinton/Kennedy shotgun? That's it, it's outta the safe, it'll corrupt all the other guns there, making them malfunction too! __________________ Bash 'em in the head, that seems to work out!

October 5, 2005, 12:21 PM	#3
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Anytime the lever rests to left of center you should suspect wear. If it's all the way left, it'll need work. Denis

October 5, 2005, 07:05 PM	#5
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	The lever works its way left with use. It can run fine a bit left of center, but lockup's affected more the farther it wears left. Denis

October 5, 2005, 10:39 PM	#8
joab Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2002 Location: Orl Fla Posts: 3,254	Glad you joined in I was starting to feel like a hijacker. I paid about $100 for mine from a gun shop, because he had had it on display for over a year with no takers. I bought it only because it reminded me so much of my grandfather's gun Less than a year later I statrted seeing 311's in worse shape going for much much more. Timing is everything __________________ Joab the Bugman Founding member- Lords of Pomposity It's a Yankee Doodle thing

October 6, 2005, 05:17 AM	#9
utaherrn Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2005 Location: Happy Valley, USA Posts: 649	Yeah, a local shop hase one like mine, worse shape for $350. I got this from a friend who was trying to raise some cash to pay for medical bills (preemie baby), but wouldn't take more than $200 for it. Feel like I got the better end of the deal, and didn't want to cheat him considering his situation and needs, but he's happy, so... __________________ Bash 'em in the head, that seems to work out!

October 9, 2005, 06:32 PM	#10
m14nut Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2002 Location: United States Posts: 375	311H.... Gotta love it.... I found this one for about a hunred. Cleaned up the stock, and de-gummed it. shoots better than I can. Shoot it, enjoy it....repeat as necessary. __________________ Support Our Troops -o\[[[[[[[/o-

October 10, 2005, 10:50 AM	#11
20cows Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2005 Location: West Texas Posts: 376	I went to a gun show last Saturday, just to look. The first vendor had a couple of 311s. One was a more recent model in 20 ga. with the plastic forearm underlug (not interesting). The other was a pretty tough looking 12 ga. that was considerably older (no plastic nor aluminum) that had the original stock replaced and this one was starting to split, too, but not too far gone to fix. It had Sears written all over it, but it's a 311. Got it for $225. Three vendors tried to buy it from me as I walked around with it. A little further along I came across another. This one was a model 5100, just another variation of the 311 (I have one in 16 ga.). This one was older than the first. Back in the late 40's or early 50's they made some with plastic stocks (my brother grew up shooting one of those). This shotgun had apparently been a prison shotgun as it had PROPERTY US GOV molded in the plastic stock. It must have spent most of its life in the rack as it showed no wear. The color case hardened receiver is gorgeous. I got it for $300. The bores in both guns are great and my brother and I used them to dove hunt that evening. I will refinish the stock and bed it to the receiver and it'll be good as new.