How should I keep the Stevens 620 for HD?

[.455_Hunter]

Greetings,

I have decided to move my Steven 620 Martial Riot Gun to the bedroom to complement my .38 Police Positive for HD duties. The gun is a WWII production model, ordnance marked, but saw minimal action (stateside plant guard shack?) and is in excellent mechanical and finish condition. The magazine capacity is 5+1.

I have pretty much two storage options:

Cruiser Ready- Magazine fully loaded, hammer down on empty chamber

Unloaded- Shells stored nearby

Which is better?

The gun has always been very reliable at the range, but will a 60 year old spring take a set if left loaded for an extended period?

Do plastic shotgun shells "swell" if left in a magazine tube for a extended period? Does anybody make factory loaded brass buckshot shells anymore?

The above questions also apply to modern combat shotguns as well.

Your thoughts please.

Thanks,

Hunter

 

[Dave McCracken]

The way I've kept my 1950 870 ready for the last couple decades is.....

Action locked closed, hammer up.

Safety on.

Empty chamber.

Mag loaded one down from full.

No probs with springs.

Easy and quick for cogniscienti to operate, nigh impossible for kids and ignorami.

Of course, practice,practice, practice....

HTH....

 

[Bix]

but will a 60 year old spring take a set if left loaded for an extended period?

It's a $4.50 part:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.asp?chrMasterModel=089Zz620&MC=

Your mag spring is probably fine, but I can't imagine a good reason not to plop a factory-fresh one in there.....

Do plastic shotgun shells "swell" if left in a magazine tube for a extended period

I've heard this addressed in a class and the trainer considered it a nonissue. He said that we ought to be cycling defensive ammo through our weapons often enough in practice that nothing gets a chance to swell. In other words: when you go to the range to train, burn up the buck that's been stored in your mag tube and replace with fresh ammo when you get home. Struck me as very sound logic

Cruiser Ready . . . Unloaded- Shells stored nearby
Which is better?

Try doing both under a little bit of artificial stress and see which one you like better [having performed the exercise, I have my suspicions on where you'll wind up on the issue ]. A local 3 gun match is a nice laboratory for these types of things.

 

[Tom D]

US 620 riot

The Stevens 620 you describe is a valuable US Military shotgun. It's probably worth $1,500, maybe more.

If it were mine, I would store the Stevens as a collectable and buy a Rem 870or a Mossberg for HD. JMO

 

[.455_Hunter]

I have a 7+1 Mossberg 500 in the safe too- it just does not point as well as the Stevens. I bought it last year with a '42 Colt OP 6" HB (VG+) for the combo price of $500. I guess I got a good deal. I will have to post pics sometime.