Is this guy crazy to do this to this shotgun?

[Sniper X]

A couple years ago, my father-in-law gave me a 60-70 year old John Browning designed Sears and Roebuck "Ranger" 102.25 (aka Stevens 520A) 2 3/4" 12ga break-down pump action shotgun in good, safe shooting condition. It has been around the block and the stock was cut down to about a 12" pull, probably for some kid to use. There is an adjustable choke on the 30" barrel.

With winter coming, I'm looking for a fun project and figure this could be the perfect object for that make-over. Obviously, this gun isn't very usable or have any value as is, so I figured it would be a great candidate to cut it down and use it for a truck/camping gun.

Here is what it looks like:



Is it worth anything or is he OK doing what he wants to do?

thanks! thought I might be able to talk him out of a mistake if this is one.

 

[rcmodel]

Don't know why not.
Its never going to have any collector value anyway with the off-brand and cut down stock.

If I was doing it, I'd figure out a way to shorten the barrel and re-mount the Poly-Choke.
It would be far more useful then a cut-off Cyl bore for all-around truck gun use.

Also add a thick recoil pad to the cut-down stock to get some of the length of pull back.

rc

 

[Milkmaster]

RC gave good advice. The only thing I would differ in his advice is to get a full aftermarket stock replacement. My arms are long and a recoil on that thing to fit me would be a huge block of material. Good Luck!

 

[NMGonzo]

Buy a new one and leave that alone.

Alejo!

 

[Fred Fuller]

this gun isn't very usable

I beg to differ, strenuously. It's EXCEPTONALLY useful, if it's in good mechanical shape.

The only deterrent to altering it any further would be if it has US ordnance marks, aka the stamped "US" and the flaming bomb marks that indicate it was once government property.

Many sporting style shotguns were used in WW2 either in training aircraft gunners in the art of aerial gunnery (they wound up shooting skeet from moving trucks, believe it or not) or in recreation programs of servcemembers. Military marked shotguns of any type bring a premium these days. Of course, the genuine trench guns top the list, with riot guns coming along not far back, but sporting configuration guns with military marks still bring a premium.

Here's one sort of similar to yours, in civilian garb: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145008617

And here's a consecutively numbered pair of 520-30 trench guns- http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=145268124 . Yes- the seller really is asking $6500 as a starting bid. Note the stamped military markings on the receivers in picture # 7 and # 8.

So, that said...

Assuming the gun has no ordnance markings, it's not really collectible. And not terribly valuable, since it's just one more old shotgun with a weird design, as far as most people are concerned. I bought one for $57 out the door not that long ago, for example, though it looked much the worse for wear compared to yours.

Just between you and me, they make into great take-along guns. The 520 and 620 feature one of the best take-down systems ever devised IMHO. They are fine guns, when in good working condition. And they make great riot guns too. They'll slam fire too, giving them a higher range-fun quotient.

I'd put a good grind-to-fit recoil pad on that one, cut it down to a 20" barrel, put a big brass bead back on it, and call it good...

lpl

 

[chas08]

I'm always hesitant to offer advice in an area that I'm not comfortably sure of. Specifically the guns value as is. But it has been altered from it's original design, with the shortened stock, and the adjustable choke, so my gut feeling is to turn it into something you can have fun with and "shoot the piss out of it" JMHO.

 

[Speedo66]

Depending on how magnanimous you feel, you may also want to give it to a deserving child.

 

[gyvel]

One caveat: Stevens 520s are notorious for breaking firing pins, so don't dry fire it if at all possible.

Also, they are "slamfire" guns.

Having said that, I'd make a riot gun out of it. (But that's just me)

 

[huntsman]

so I figured it would be a great candidate to cut it down and use it for a truck/camping gun.

then you'll have what Clyde Barker called a whippet.

 

[35Rem]

Clyde Barrow...Bonnie Parker...

 

[Fred Fuller]

Bonnie and Clyde mugging for the camera - http://crime.about.com/od/history/ig/Bonnie-and-Clyde/

The diminuitive yet deadly outlaws generally preferred semiauto shotguns, where scatterguns were concerned. Bonnie had a cut-down 20 gauge Remington Model 11, Clyde had a series of Model 11s but essentially stole whatever he could lay hands on in the way of firearms from wherever he could find them. Clyde had a genuine soft spot for BARs, and raided National Guard armories to get them.

I think I recall seeing a Stevens 520 in one picture of captured Barrow gang guns, he had a lever action Winchester 10 gauge at one time too. But his favorites were BARs, and 1911 .45 autos, which were available at any handy armory.

For more pictures, including a Barrow gang 520, see http://texashideout.tripod.com/guns.html .

lpl

 

[huntsman]

Clyde Barrow...Bonnie Parker...

yep that's it