[Badger Arms]

Does anybody own one? I would like info on what people like and don't like about the gun. I'm considering buying one. I've seen and handled them, but have no other experience with them. Thanks in advance.

[Dave McCracken]

The "Ball Bearing Corn Shucker" is what the 31 was nicknamed. It was as good as the Model 12 in many people's opinions, and still has a following among older shotgunners and those that appreciate fine workmanship.

It was superceded by the 870, the 31 had too many machined parts and was expensive to make.

In good shape, it'll do anything you want.

Caveat,many have zillions of rounds through them. Having a good smith look at them is a great idea. TTBOMK,no 31 has ever been worn out from shooting.

HTH...

[Badger Arms]

I just downloaded the patent information for the gun. Amazing, it's a Remington Model 17 upscaled!!! Reading the patent, it is clear that the only changes were the bolt and ejector (for side ejection) and the barrel/magazine attachment system. These changes were clearly detailed in the patents.

I noted from taking apart my M17 that EVERYTHING was machined. The one thing that both my 17 and the 31 have is a "Latch" as the inventor calls it. This latch acts as the disconnector does on an AR-15 to lock the hammer in the rear position if the tirgger is held back while the gun is cycled. This is in addition to the action bar lock. The action bar lock engages the hammer and releases as the bolt goes forward. Without the disconnector latch, these guns will slam-fire much like the Winchester Models 97 and 12 and the Ithaca 37.

It's interesting from a design standpoint that Ithaca chose not to copy this feature when its patent expired. Instead, they left the slam-fire and did not add the disconnector. When they decided that the slam-fire feature was a safety hazard, they neutered the gun by omitting the action bar lock hammer locking feature. This means that the modern Ithaca's hammer rides the bolt forward as the action is closed.

Anyhow, I'm probably thinking out-loud here. Anybody that cares for them can email me and I'll email them the patents in PDF or TIFF format. Thanks.

[Badger Arms]

BTT

I handled one at a pawn shop. 99% condition, excellent wood, 20ga (wanted a 12, but no problem with 20). Only problem was that it had been refinished, poorly. Good color and penetration, lettering was polished down on barrel. Darn.

Anybody else with any experience?