I bought one new in 1974 for $125. Worked all summer mowing grass @ $3/yard to save the money. Gun stopped working on the first dove hunt and over the next 10 years it was literally in a gunsmiths shop more than in my home. I traded it for a revolver in 1984 right after I got it back from the shop. It functioned when I sold it, but the ejectors still didn't work right.
All of the Stevens/Savage shotguns used cheap stamped internal parts made from soft metal that were never intended to be used much. Almost all of those guns have already been used past the point they were designed to last. They were made to last a lifetime for a guy who only shot a box or less per year.