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GrizzLeeBear
PostPosted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:23 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Jul 2019
Posts: 18
Location: Bay City, MI

Hello! New forum member and 16 gauge (soon to be) owner! I had a 12 ga. Savage Fox B several years ago that was a nice gun but it always felt a bit to heavy/chunky. Traded or sold it for something else and have wanted another sxs since, but something a bit more nimble. I have handled a number of 20 ga. doubles, but they always seemed a little to light and whippy to me.
I came across a 16ga. Stevens 311C at a local gun shop. This gun felt just right. Trim enough to be easily carried for a long day of grouse hunting, but with enough weight to swing smooth and shoot some sporting clays and skeet without beating you up. From what have read, the 16 ga. 311 is right about 7 pounds.
The good: 28" barrels, lever is well to the right, action locks up tight, no cracks or gouges in the wood.
The bad: some light freckling of rust that should clean up easily with some fine bronze wool and oil, plain (beech?) stock desperately needs what little of the original varnish remains stripped and refinished.
I know the humble 311 doesn't get much praise and are on the heavy side, but I have thought for a long time it would be nice to have a 16 ga. sxs.
The best part: got it for $200. Should be a nice project when I pick it up. The wife and I were kind of pressed for time getting to an appointment and I decided to stop by the shop that was on the way so I could "just look around". Didn't have time to do all the paperwork so I just put it on layaway.
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skeettx
PostPosted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:27 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Hello GrizzLeeBear

Pleased to have you here on your first posting Smile

Mike

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T-Bird
PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:49 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Sep 2015
Posts: 177
Location: Alabama

Welcome! I've got a 311D in 16 ga that my dad got for me in 1969. I used it all the way through high school and college and still have it. Killed squirrels, rabbits, quail, my 1st deer, ducks, crows,woodcock, doves. It is M/F but since it was my only gun, it got used for everything Smile. Shot clays with it last year- felt like an old friend.
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T-Bone
PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:48 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 31 May 2009
Posts: 153
Location: Orofino, Idaho

Welcome!

Try Flitz Metal Polish to remove the rust and it wouldn't harm the blueing.

Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen does wonders to old stocks; if you don't plan to re-finish it right away.

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I have more 16ga. shotguns than I need, but fewer than I want...At present: DeHaan S2, Remington M31L, Remington Wingmaster 870.
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John Singer
PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:45 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 398
Location: Rochester, MN

You describe the gun as having a beech wood stock.

I have found such stocks (like those on the Remington 870 Express) do not take stain well.

They are great candidates for dyeing. Rit brand dyes mixed with ethyl alcohol applied to the bare wood work real well.

For a walnut like finish, I mixed cocoa brown with wine red. I tested it on scrap wood until it looked right.

The possibilities are endless and you can dye a stock almost any color you want.

Once dyed, I applied several thin coats of Tru-oil. The finish is more durable and repairable than the original.


Last edited by John Singer on Sat Aug 17, 2019 6:21 am; edited 1 time in total

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GrizzLeeBear
PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 6:12 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Jul 2019
Posts: 18
Location: Bay City, MI

Thanks for the tips guys! The rit die sounds like a great idea. Do you apply it with a brush or wipe on with a rag?
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John Singer
PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 6:20 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Sep 2014
Posts: 398
Location: Rochester, MN

GrizzLeeBear wrote:
Thanks for the tips guys! The rit die sounds like a great idea. Do you apply it with a brush or wipe on with a rag?


Wear gloves. Apply with a rag. Wipe off the excess.

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John Singer
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Bret
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:57 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Dec 2017
Posts: 87
Location: Northern Utah

GrizzLeeBear

I recently acquired a 311c in 16 myself for about the same money. The steel on mine is perfect however the butt stock was cracked. I bought all new wood (walnut) for about $130 I'm in under $350 and the gun is like new. It was a fun project fitting the new wood. I dont shoot it very well but I like the gun. Is yours Mod/full?

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Bret



https://bretwonnacott.com/
A Millionaire's Dream - a novel
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GrizzLeeBear
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:32 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Jul 2019
Posts: 18
Location: Bay City, MI

Yes its supposed to be M/F. It will probably be a couple weeks before I get it out of layaway to actually measure it. I will probably get it opened up to IC/M since I will mostly use if for sporting clay, skeet and grouse hunting.
I won't mind loading a few spreader loads for the M choke on skeet and close clays targets. If I leave it M/F I would have to shoot a lot of spreaders.
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Bret
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:49 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Dec 2017
Posts: 87
Location: Northern Utah

Very good. I've shot a pattern board with mine. I'm leaving it choked as is. It will be a good open county bird gun. Good luck!!!

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Bret



https://bretwonnacott.com/
A Millionaire's Dream - a novel
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wahoo
PostPosted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:07 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 345

Welcome Griz,

I have a 311 12ga, and it certainly leens towards the clunky side, wish it was the 16ga version. How is the drop on the stock of yours? I find that if I’m shooting something with more than 2.5” drop at the heel, I have trouble.

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1929 Thomas Bland 16ga SxS 28"
1947 Browning A5 16ga 28"
1948 BRNO 16ga SxS 27.5"
1949 Stevens 530 16ga SxS 28"
1950 Stevens 311A 12ga SxS 30"
1952 BRNO 12ga SxS 28.25"
1963 Superposed O/U 12ga 27"
1968 V Bernardelli SxS 12ga 28"
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GrizzLeeBear
PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:13 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Jul 2019
Posts: 18
Location: Bay City, MI

wahoo, thanks for the welcome. The gun is still in layaway. Probably a few weeks before I get it to do any measuring.
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Bret
PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 5:55 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Dec 2017
Posts: 87
Location: Northern Utah

I haven't measured mine.

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Bret



https://bretwonnacott.com/
A Millionaire's Dream - a novel
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GrizzLeeBear
PostPosted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 6:11 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Jul 2019
Posts: 18
Location: Bay City, MI

Update: finally got the 311c out of layaway on Sunday. The light freckling of rust wasn't that bad after all. Cleaned up easily with some CLP and light rubbing with some fine steel wool. Was mostly confined to about the rear third of the right side of the right barrel and the front half of the bottom of the frame. Pretty close to the balance point of the gun so I'm guessing that its from oil from the hand of a previous owner while being carried. Also, some in and around the trigger guard. The rest of the metal just needed a good cleaning to get old solidified oil and gunk out of the nooks an crannies. Lever is well to the right of center.
As I said earlier, the wood needs refinished, especially the buttstock, about 75% of the original finish is gone. But it's solid with no cracks or gouges and I am actually surprised there are really no dents or dings in the wood, given the state of the finish. Should be an easy refinish. Since hunting season is already upon us I think I will get it out to the club for some sporting clays and skeet and then some hunting and save the refinishing for a winter project.
Wahoo, best I can measure it has about 2.75" drop at the heel and 1 5/8" drop at the comb. Length of pull is 14 1/4" to front trigger and 13 1/4" to the rear.
Also, best I can measure with a dial caliper, chokes measure +/- .650 and .640, so right at mod and full.
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Ohio Wirehair
PostPosted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 8:49 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jul 2016
Posts: 546
Location: Ohio

John Singer wrote:
You describe the gun as having a beech wood stock.

I have found such stocks (like those on the Remington 870 Express) do not take stain well.

They are great candidates for dyeing. Rit brand dyes mixed with ethyl alcohol applied to the bare wood work real well.

For a walnut like finish, I mixed cocoa brown with wine red. I tested it on scrap wood until it looked right.

The possibilities are endless and you can dye a stock almost any color you want.

Once dyed, I applied several thin coats of Tru-oil. The finish is more durable and repairable than the original.
Minwax Jaco Bean stain does a fantastic job on beech. Very hard to tell from walnut when done.
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