Steven Model 311 Double Barrel 12 Gauge Restore

[SimsDelt]

I decided to tackle my grandfather's Stevens Model 311 12 Gauge Double Barrel 1949. This 12 gauge never left the farm work truck... it sat next to the shifter with the barrel in the floorboard of the passenger side... rain, shine, cold or hot... this is where it stayed. It was a workhorse for years and was worked hard and put up wet so to speak. The handgrip was duct taped to the barrels and there were multiple cracks in the buttstock. I though the barrels were blued... turns out they were so rusted and dirty it looked blued.

Before pictures:












I sanded down the buttstock and handgrip. It was missing a piece of metal in the handgrip to attach it to the barrels. So I drilled two holes in the mounting bracket that holds the barrels to the action and tapped them. Then inserted two sheet metal screws through the handgrip into the tapped screwholes and recessed them inside the handgrip. Then I wood puttied the cracks and inserted thin pieces of metal up and down the interior of the buttstock to reinforce the cracks and then sanded down the wood putty and feathered the edges. It is a stainable wood putty. Wood puttied the recessed holes in the handgrip and feathered and sanded them too. Then I tackled the barrels with some WD 40 (found it works better for rust removal than gun oil) and 00 steel wool. And I just started rubbing and rubbing using lots of WD40 and elbow grease. I mainly knocked off the rust and dirt... then I used Hoppes bore scrubber on it and then alcohol to remove the bore scrubber and then a light coat of oil to keep it from rusting again. I need to keep going with it but I don't know how to get the black stains out of the metal... I've read that I can start with 220 wet/dry sand paper and work my way to 800 and it will polish down the metal and take out the stains... need input on this guys.

During Pictures: (staining)



This turned out really good, didn't have the two light spots from the wood putty after 8 coats of stain.


Like I said I'm only partially finished with the restore. I want to shine the barrels to an almost new look and I know I can get a new stock for this thing, but to be honest it would loose what it means to me if I did... this was the first shotgun I ever shot. So the chunk that is missing next to the safety is fine with me... I am going to keep it as is on the stock. Still need some info on how to get these barrels to look perfect... I know it can be done, just need some info and I know it will take lots and lots of polishing. Also need some info on how to protect the barrels after the polishing.. some type of coating that is clear hopefully... not blueing unless y'all think that might be the best option. Not going for new out of the box here... just want it to look good and I know it is now 100% functional again.

Partially Finished Pictures:

 

[SimsDelt]

More after pics:

 

[blake]

Beautiful!

 

[RamRoddoc]

If it has a bunch of fine pits I'd start with 150 grit steel sand paper (Aluminum oxide), 220, and at 400 consider stopping. The deeper pits will stand out more as the metal is polished more. Sand with the grain/length of the barrel and use a firm foam block to form around the contour of the barrel. Take your time as this will take hours of work. Set it down when fatigued and come back to it when you’re rested. Use a flat block (metal/stone/wood) to sand the lion's share of the flat metal parts such as the receiver.

Also use a facial dust mask as some metals and aluminum oxide dust aren't going to do your health any favors.

I like to see folks understand that an old scratch, a ding on the stock of a family firearm means something and rather look at it as an eye sore it is but a mark of character. I still have my 40 year old Remington 870 pump 20 gauge, my first gun, newly given to me by my Dad over 40 years ago. It still is original and bears a nice scratch (it's first one) on the wood forearm from where it fell on a barbed wire fence. I was in a fit over that and at 10 years old I didn't realize it was a memory that I look back to of my youth and a learning step.

Brownells does a real nice cold blue but for best results a rust blue is the ticket for a side by side due to the soldered/welded barrels.

Also I'd sand blast the barrel rib. The grooves will be difficult to do otherwise.

 

[SimsDelt]

Thanks for the info... I will leave some of the imperfections but would like to clean it up as much as possible.

 

[loadnplenty]

Looks like a fun project.

 

[rjones_wlm@yahoo.com]

good job... ive been restoring some of my daddys old guns.. its really a fun hobby..