Is This A Factory Custom Stevens 520?

L

larstusor

Inactive
Gentlemen, I'm looking for info on this shotgun I found in a local pawn shop. It is a Steven 520; early model with the "double hump" and "suicide safety". The barrel has been crudely cut down to about 25". What is so intersesting and different about it is the fact that is has very nice wood and an English straight grip. The lower tang of the receiver is straight and the wood to metal fit is excellent. It has a "toostie roll" forearm The butt plate appears to be original and fits perfectly. The receiver appears to have been case hardened (now very faded) and not blued. The serial # is 35xxx. I've not seen another like this and wonder if it came from the factory this way. It would not be unusual for an old gun like this to have been refinished and restocked but the straight lower tang would not fit a pistol gripped stock as usually seen on 520's. Any body have info or an educated opinion about whether this is a custom, factory order gun or a very well done frankenstien.

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Left side view... Is that a Torx head screw directly above the trigger?
It looks far different from all the others.
Brent
 
I'm no expert, but it looks like a backyard stock job to me. Thats a cool old gun, but it wouldn't bring $100 in this neck of the woods.
 
Dropthehammer, that's what I thought at first but I've never seen, in person, photo or diagram, a 520 with a straight lower tang; and this one doesn't appear to have been messed with.
 
Could easily be a prototype, or an early production gun. The angle of the bottom of the stock looks hokey to me. With a chopped barrel, homemade stock and given the rough condition, what could it be worth??????????
 
It's an early gun with the step in the receiver and the safety inside the trigger guard. Let's see what I can find.

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From www.gunandgame.com/forums/shotguns/58209-stevens-520-anybody-got-one.html

"The following information was obtained from: John M. Browning: American Gunmaker.Second Edition. John Browning and Curt Gentry. Published by Browning. 1964. Page 258.

History: Patent application on this model was filed July 10, 1903 and U.S. Patent No. 781,765 was granted February 7, 1905. Manufacturing and sales rights were acquired by the Stevens Arms Company in 1903 and the gun was placed on the market in early 1904 as the Stevens Model 520. A streamlined version, the Model 620, was introduced in 1927.

Description: Pump-action, concealed hammer, solid-breech, tubular magazine, takedown repeating shotgun.

The following specifications refer to the Model 520:

Gauge:12
Chamber: 2/3.25"
Magazine type and capacity:Tubular. 5 shells
Model styles: Field, Trap and Deluxe
Barrel lengths 26, 28, 30 and 32"
Choke: Full choke, modified choke, and cylinder bore
Weight: 7.5lbs (approximately)
Stock: Field and Deluxe, checkered, semi-pistol grip, rubber butt plate. Trap, checkered, straight grip rubber butt plate.
The Model 520 was discontinued in 1932 though it's likely Stevens was still assembling the model from already fabricated parts and selling it for a few years after manufacturing was stopped.

The Model 620 was designed to eliminate the abrupt angle at the rear of the reciever. The 620 was also specifically manufactured for police and military (riot) in addition to the above named styles. The 620 was discontinued in 1955. Production numbers of either model are unknown. At least they were unknown when this book was written.

Hope this helps. "
 
John, with the info you have provided together with some good info from responses on the Shotgun World forum, I believe that the receiver and buttstock are from a 520 Trap model and that along the way they got separarted from the original ribbed barrel which has been replaced with the current barrel. The only mystery now is the forearm wood. It seems the trap guns had checkered forearms to match the stock and I have not seen evidence of this type forearm on any model. Ain't this fun.
 
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