doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Have a question about my old shotgun.

It will handle however many cases you want to shoot through it.

One of turkey hunting's great writers, Tom Kelly used that same gun for turkeys. Like the Stevens 311, the model 24 Winchester is at it's "best" in 16ga..Geo

Now I am familiar with the Stevens 311 my Grandpa has 2 a .410 and a 12ga. that he just calls his "Meat Maker".If I end up shopping for a new gun the Stevens will be one that I look for. Are there any weak spots in the Stevens doubles? Thanks.

TPJ, I like the Stevens guns for their reliability and because I don't mind getting them wet on a bad day. However, they seem to me to be built on just two frame sizes; the 12's seem to be built on a frame that is unneccesarily big and all of them handle like a 2x4, whereas the 16, the 20 and the .410 all seem to be made on the same frame. That frame is just too big for the smaller guages. Only the 16ga seems "right" to me. If you can find an older gun made in the forties or fifties, you'll be surprized at how good the walnut stocks can look.

All said, there are many better guns, but not many of them sell in the $250 to $450 range that Stevens 311's do...Geo

The only problem with the Model 24 is that some (most?) dealers ask ridiculous prices because the gun says "Winchester" on it. You can probably find a Hunter Fulton, Lefever Nitro, or Ithaca Western Long Range a good bit cheaper, talking about guns in similar condition. All pretty much similar quality, although the 24 does have consistently good stock dimensions, while you may find some of the others have quite a bit of drop. You'll find Stevens a whole lot cheaper than 24's.

Ok. Here is what I have so far. I'm going to look at getting the Peerless fixed, if that will be too much I'm going to look at the Stevens 311, the Nitro special, the Model 24 Win. The Hunter Fulton, and the Ithaca. On these guns I know the Winchester and the newer Stevens can handle the occasional high-brass load. But what about the rest I listed there? Thanks for all the help.Oh I'm going to look at the SKB's too

Just about any decent SxS built since WW II will be safe with modern 2 3/4 loads.

It would probably not be wise to shoot the Hunter Fulton, Ithaca Nitro, or Western Field guns with heavy loads. They will no doubt take it in the beginning, but once the bolting surfaces get pounded, every successive round gets a running start and the wear accelerates. Once a gun gets loose, even normal or low pressure loads can cause more damage.

I will probably be looking for something post war then.Any more suggestions? Thanks

Today I looked at J.P. Sauer & Sohn made 1958 that was off face too. It wasn't because of firing heavy loads as these Sauers are pretty hardy. It was very apparent the owner never cleaned or lubricated the trunion or locking surfaces on the double underlugs. He also slammed it shut when he handed it too me. He was quite dissappointed when I handed it back after examining it and so was I as otherwise I would have bought the gun at his price. So for another suggestion - clean and lubricate the trunion surfaces after each use, also the locking lug surfaces. Learn to close the action properly - don't slam them closed as that will stretch the action faster than a few heavy loads. You can add a post war Sauer to the list of guns you might want to consider. They can be had in the $500-$800 range frequently. Also the Charles Daly Miroku SxS which is a close relative of the Browning BSS and much less expensive.