20 gauge, just couldn't pass it up. I think condition was the factor along with the appeciation of wood and steel. Date code on this one shows to be 1956. Now my 16 has a partner! Here is the thread on that one. http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...-16-gauge.html Wish this one was in the same condition.

Nice pick-up- those are great old shotguns!

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Some Might Say.

A SxS is a wonderful thing! I'm down to 5 but always looking for the next one to own.

The Stevens, Savage, & Fox model B's, were well enough made to hold up to years of Sporting Clays and teenagers hunting with them! The Turks don't fair that well.

Ivan

Lovely old gun! It’s in fabulous condition and it’s a 20 gauge.

I picked up its ugly stepsister last month at an estate sale; a 12 gauge WesternField SB-300 made by Stevens for Montgomery Ward. It’s essentially a 311, with a blued receiver and plain hardwood stocks. I couldn’t find the circled date code and there’s no serial number, but it does have the letters MQ on the frame, barrel flats and forearm iron. I know Stevens didn’t use the letter Q and M represents 1961, so that could be the date of manufacture.

This one was caked with dried grease inside and out. It looked like it wasn’t used much, but was difficult to open, the top latch wouldn’t lock in the open position and the triggers wouldn’t return after releasing the hammers. That’s just how I like to find them!

I spent a few hours cleaning up the gunk and getting it back in working order, but I’m not complaining. I’ll buy every one I can find for $100!

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"I also cook."

Nice catch, great gun. Not a lot of time fitting when made but a great workhorse gun, very sturdy. I have a set of 26” barrels for that frame that I would sell in the basement. Also a nice figure set of wood for sale. With hunting season around the corner, enjoy your prize. It’s a classic, Larry

Great SXS, got a .410 from my Grandfather.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

The 311 is a great old SxS. My brother inherited my Dad’s 12 gauge.
I haven’t seen one for sale in years.

Yours is in fantastic condition.

I sold the Stevens Model 530A (12 Ga, 2-3/4", 28" Full and Modified) for $300 about 4 years ago. Awful lot of lead shot went through those tubes, not so much steel as I got "longer in the tooth".

I always thought those Stevens, Savage, Fox and their private label clones were the real, honest, backbone of working mans scatter guns...I know it didn't matter with me,,,birds, rabbit, clays, etc. Only went after squirrel with it once, as there wouldn't be enough meat left after attempting to pluck out shot to even make a small stew, and that was when 5 was the bag limit back in my teenage days. Had to switch to 22LR to get a meal.

A vest full of shells, small game pouch on my back = a whole dang day of fun tramping in the outdoors.

I thought (at least with that 530A) that Stevens started date code (letter inside a circle) with letter A = 1949. Mine was letter code E in a circle in 3 places, so should have been 1953, but that would put letter code M = 1960 so with post above on the Western Field I am probably wrong.

That is a very nice specimen the OP got hold of, and those of you that still have them ..enjoy...they ain't no Purdy..but they are still Classic in every sense of the word!

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Great looking side by side!! Thanks for showing.

That is a really nice shotgun. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine. All of mine are Damascus or short chambered guns. The benefit of yours is that it’s easier to shoot yours whenever you want to.

Really nice find! I have a 311 in 20ga also but it is the very plain grade, no checkering or color case. Yours is a beauty! I had one in 16ga many years ago but regretfully it was stolen and never recovered.

I have its cousin, a 311C in 20 gauge from 1967. Friend of mine is a gunsmith specializing in old doubles and he did a restoration/remodel on mine. It's a touch heavy for upland field work but it swings nice.

Years ago had one, a 12 Ga.
Mine was Marked Savage and looked like the one in Post No.4.
Don’t know why I sold it!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Beautiful well balanced shotgun.Even though I only longer birdhunt I would buy that in a heartbeat.

Nice! Excellent find. There is zero chance of me ever passing something like that. If you ever see another one...

Bryan

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Ordnung muss sein
SWHF #789

My first shotgun was a 20 ga 311.

I killed a lot of birds with it before I sold it in 1971 to a college friend.

Then I found a Beretta 20 ga over/under. Much nicer gun than the Stevens, but I couldn’t hit much with it, so I sold it and replaced it with a Winchester 101 20 ga. I couldn’t hit much with it either.

Then I discovered Parker shotguns. Turns out I can hit with Parkers. A 16 ga. Parker on the O frame is a delight!

I love SxS shotguns, have four of them. I started off with a 12 ga. Stevens 311H, was a clean gun but the stocks were birch and too blond for my liking. I traded it for a 12 ga Fox B, much nicer walnut furniture, and it has been a great shooter. I've put over 200 rounds through it in a single day of clays shooting, the barrels got too hot to touch a couple of times.

I added a 16ga. Fox B and a 20 Ga Fox B and a couple of years ago I bought a CZ Hammer Classic (Turkish made by Huglu). It is a super-tight gun, fantastic workmanship for what I paid, and it, too has done several 200+ round days on the clays ranges. It has adjustable chokes, a little less challenge than shooting mod/full chokes at clays all day.

That's a great-looking shotgun! Much nicer wood than my Stevens had, mine was made around 1970 or so. My 20 ga. Fox B is from 1950, the oldest of the three I have. My 16 ga. Fox B has a beautiful tiger walnut stock; unusually nice wood for what was not an expensive shotgun.

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That is the nicest 311 I have ever seen! Chad’s is more typical, very plain wood and with faint case coloring out of the box.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I bought a Model 311 a long time ago. It looked like heck because a previous owner left it out in a boat, bascially ruining the blueing. In place of the nice original blueing the gun was painted with cold blue. But I decided it would be perfect for a SASS shotgun so I bought it. With the collector value gone, I decided to gussy it up a bit. I was down at the Virginia State SASS Match and there was a vendor who was doing laser engraving of gunstocks. So I got the stock engraved with my handle, SASS number and an engraving of a groundhog to go with my SASS handle. It turned out to be a great gun.

I had one in 16 gauge and it was a super nice one. I think it was something like a project gun in a gunsmith's school. Lovely but plain stock, bluing was perfect and it had a steel "Neidner" style buttplate. I got it cheap and sold it reasonably. Great gun..

I always thought Parkers were too chunky and until I saw an O frame 16 ga. I have never saw but one and it got my attention but I was too poor to own it. You are blessed to own one and saying it's a delight is an under statement. Larry

Very nice model 311 . The wood grain of buttstock is impressive for a 311. My very first shotgun at 13 years of age was a 12 gauge 311 30 inch choked mod/ full but I still felt fortunate to have it . Bought for me at a local shop for $65 by my dad . I was with him, when he bought it. Mine must have been a lower grade
no checkering and it had a “ blond “ stock refinished I’m pretty sure
But I got some pheasants and rabbits with it.
Respectfully
JoeDice

I discovered them several years ago. What I discovered was I couldn't afford one.

I'd love to have a nice Parker, and a nice A.H. Fox.

My grandfather had a A.H.Fox (with Krupt steel barrrels he was quick to tell you). 30" full and full. And he had a 20 Parker that he had sent back to the factory to have automatic ejectors fitted. I just lusted for that Parker. Still I think the prettiest gun I've ever seen. The Fox was his deer gun when I was hunting with him. I saw him kill many a deer with that gun and number 1 buck. I don't think I ever saw him hunt with the Parker, but my uncle used it from time to time when rabbit hunting. I suppose he has them both now.

Back to topic. The first gun I ever picked out and paid for myself was a Sears-Roebuck double 12. 30" Mod/Full. A Stevens 311 rebranded as Sears-Roebuck. I picked it out of the Sears wish book, and my mother called Sears and ordered it for me. A day or two later a Sears truck dropped it off at the house. That was in the long gone pre GCA-68 days. I guess I was about 15 or so. I had worked on a tomato farm all summer for $5.00 a day to pay for that gun. Still kick myself for selling it.

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John 3:16 .

I have one in 12 ga used to have one in 410 I foolishly sold that one....

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Randy

Have a Springfield M5100 - basically the same gun with different markings.
- A 12 ga. with 28" Mod/Full and choked VERY tight!

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Here is my 311 20ga (middle). Also an L.C. Smith "Field Grade" in 20ga and a Rossi "Overlander" in 12ga. My only other SxS is a Western Arms (Ithaca) in .410.

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I used to buy them when I saw clean ones for a couple of hundred bucks. I just had a couple of sixteen gauges cut down for house/truck guns, very handy. Nothing says go away better than the business end of a two barreled scattergun. Oops these are my model 24s, not sure where the pics of the 311s are. Anyway, the Winchester model 24s are cool also.

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I bought a new 311 12 ga. years ago. Nothing fancy, strictly utilitarian, but a rugged, well-built shotgun that would probably last a lifetime of heavy use. I just never could come to like a side-by-side.

My first shotgun was a .410 311 choked full and full. My dad cut it down for me and refinished the wood. Killed my first Pheasant, Quail, Duck and Goose with it. Still have it.

OZ