Hey Dave McC...question re: Stevens 67 pump

[JB3rd]

I've found a pump shotgun that I've never seen before and would like your opinion ( as well as anyone else who has knowledge of this shotgun).

I believe it was a Savage or Stevens model 67 or 87, can't remember for sure. It was a police shotgun - - nothing fancy but hardwood furniture and all steel. receiver appeared to be milled, as well as rest of action. felt very solid, and price was under $200. overall condition appeared 90% or better.
I'm guessing it was manufactured in the 50s or 60s.

I have never (knowingly) seen a pump shotgun like this one and was wondering about it. is it a gem or junk?

Since you are the resident pump guru and repository of shotgun knowledge, I would like to ask your opinion/experience of/with this model?

Thanks

 

[Dave McCracken]

Dunno about Guru-ship, I'm an enthusiastic student who has been doing this for a bit longer than most.

The Savage/Stevens pumps are more complicated than a soap opera's plot line, but well made and reliable,IME. Parts are hard to find, but Numrich does have them on occasion. Good news, it takes major abuse to need them. IIRC, disassembly takes three hands and patience the first few times.

While the Ithaca 37s got rightly applauded for point use in the Nam Mess, there were plenty of Savages and Stevens out there also. Some had short,Full Choke barrels from the factory and may have been holdovers from WWII. Martial marked Savage pumps draw big prices from collectors. Riot versions occur in old prison inventories, beat to heck but near new inside.

It's hard to say without seeing it, but if it's in good shape,it's worth a $200 gamble. Have your smith check it out before firing, like all old shotguns. I see this as a good candidate for upland work, occasional clays and house use. Not for high volume shooting due to the parts scarcity.

Handle it. If it feels right, get it.

HTH....

 

[Jack R]

Savage/Stevens ShotgunsJ

Just a note on the parts question. I have a Stevens mod 620(WW2 vintage ) that broke a firing pin shortly after I bought it,after 3or4 phone calls I tried Sarco in Sterling (they have a website) NJ.They had the pins in stock,gave card #, had the part in less than a week,less than ten bucks.PS Dave in on the money about complicated. Jack

 

[JB3rd]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate your responses.

 

[mnrivrat]

Just another opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) . I have had a lot of Savage 67's apart for various problems over the years and consider them a second rate gun. My opinion is to take the $200 and put it into a good used Mossberg 500 or toward a Remington 870. Your money will be better spent.
The Model 67 is a completely different gun than the Stevens Model 620 which was an updated Model 520 . There working mechanizims are totally different . Problems with headspacing, broken lifter springs, broken firing pins, broken slide bars, and bent shell stops are more common with the Model 67 than most other pump shotguns. They are near the bottom of my reliability list , along with Noble's, Stevens 820's, and those junky 916's

 

[Jack R]

Stevens pump

Anybody wanna buy a 30" full Stevens with real nice walnut?

 

[Hutch]

The Springfield shotgun was my first, a Christmas parent from parents who knew from nuttin' about guns. $200 will almost buy an 870 Express new, or will sure as heck buy any number of used po-po 870's. I'd steer clear, unless you just HAVE to have one of everything.

 

[Horsesense]

I have an old 20ga Stevens pump. Don’t recall the mod # but it dated back to pre WW2 when I looked it up back in the 80's. I have shot thousands of rounds in it without a hitch. It is the undefeated FFA Turkey Shoot champion and to this day, I have never seen another shotgun hold such a tight pattern. I got it from my dad who got it from his dad.

We would shoot at 40 yards and count the holes in a six-inch circle. We would shoot in 20 16 and 12ga and then "open class" the Stevens would beat everything on the field…except for my buddies Mod 12 12ga. Still though not too shabby for a 20ga, one shot one turkey in 20ga and then it would give the mod 12 a run for its money on open class.

I would get an 870 for the money, but thanks for the memories.

 

[mnrivrat]

Horsesense ,

Your pre-war Stevens was likely either a Model 520 or 620 . The 520 had sort of a blocky back reciever like the browning A5 shotgun and it was followed by the M620 with a more traditional style slope back reciever. Their internal parts were very simular and they were built from a John Browning patent which is apparent when taken apart and compared to the A5 autoloader. They were a good pump shotgun and the 20ga Model 620 I owned was fitted with an extra interchangable slug barrel (by me) with Remington sights and with a shortened barrel (open bore) would hold every round within a 3 inch black at 40 yards from its smooth bore. They seem very difficult to find in 20 ga. these days. At any rate they are a completely different gun than the post war model 67's .

 

[Horsesense]

mine would be the 620 then. Didn’t know about the Browning connection, I'm going to have to take it out and shoot it a bit.