One of those deals......

[Destry L. Hoffard]

You ever had something you always kinda wanted but never wanted to pay real money for? One of mine was always a vintage .410 double barrel, though I have absolutely no use for one. Walked into an estate sale a few days ago and there laid a nice early Stevens 311 in .410 for $150 so I took it home. Some pepper rust on the metal and the wood needs a little love but otherwise solid and clean. Double real ivory beads on it, I thought that was unusual.

I've got about 20 boxes of .410 shells in various loadings laying around. I might have to try to shoot some skeet with it just for a laugh. I doubt I ever take it to the field for anything other than backyard blackbird shooting, but for that price it wasn't too painful. Hell I see these hillbilly gunshow sellers put $500 on guns like this. No clue if they actually sell them or not.....


DLH

[Rick Losey]

the 311 is a solid action - in a 410 it ought to last forever

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I've got three, the other two are family guns. I've had more trouble with Parkers than I ever had with those and that's for sure.

DLH

[Jeff Kuss]

Destry,
Yes, I have seen them sell for that price and more!
Jeff

[wayne goerres]

Don't you have some more of those black squirrel you can use it on.

[Steve Havener]

Destry it ought to make a darned fine bushy tail and rabbit gun if you are into shooting furry creatures with a shotgun.

[charlie cleveland]

destrey i bought a 311 410 stevens about 10 years ago and gave 650 for it and thought i was getting a good deal..i think the next time i want some kind of gun i m gona call you and let you find one for me..i think you have bought thebuy of the year and these little 410 s will kill a squirl away up yonder...charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I dunno, I've never thought a .410 much good past 25 yards even on something sitting still. I've got no faith in them, even with the 3 inch shells.

DLH

[Russ Jackson]

I know this can start quite a controversy but I always liked the 410 Destry ,I use the Parker 410 for Wood Cock and Game Preserve Pheasant over Pointing Dogs and it'll kill them plenty DEAD ! But ,I really enjoy Wood Cock hunting with a 410 ! You did real good on this little gun ,they mostly fetch at least $450.00 or better these days ! Congrats !

[Steve Havener]

I dunno, I've never thought a .410 much good past 25 yards even on something sitting still. I've got no faith in them, even with the 3 inch shells.

DLH

Back when I was younger, quicker and not plagued by the ills associated with old age when I started getting sloppy shooting quail with my 20 gauge Model 12 I would pick up my old Savage 220 single shot and after a trip or two to the field I was back on with the 20. The 410 caused me to concentrate more and choose my shots more wisely. My shots were limited to 30 yards which is only about 5 yards less than my normal comfort zone so I wasn't handicapping myself much on range. I don't know if would help me today but it sure wouldn't hurt to try.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

It's all about faith in the gun, and the loads you're using. I can just remember a few occasions when I tried using a Model 42 Winchester I used to own on squirrels and even blackbirds, I couldn't seem to kill a thing with it. When I did get a squirrel on the group they were almost always a cripple that had to be finished off. That being said, if a man takes his time and has faith in the gun, I'm sure they'll do the job.

[Bill Murphy]

Tight choked .410s should always be checked for point of impact. When I would shoot a 20 to 25 yard preserve pheasant with my modified and full L.C. Smith .410 with 3" #7 1/2 or #6, it was almost embarrassing to see the carnage. There isn't anything wrong with a tight choked .410 with 3" shells if it shoots to point of aim and the shooter knows what end the shot comes out.

[Bill Murphy]

Tight choked .410s should always be checked for point of impact. When I would shoot a 20 to 25 yard preserve pheasant with my modified and full L.C. Smith .410 with 3" #7 1/2 or #6, it was almost embarrassing to see the carnage. There isn't anything wrong with a tight choked .410 with 3" shells if it shoots to point of aim and the shooter knows what end the shot comes out. By the way, I don't do that any more.

[Tom Hawkins]

Great find on that one. I had the same ideas about getting a 410 as you Destry. I few years back we were at a small gun show and saw a 311. The guy wanted $550 for it. My friend picked it up and swung it. He said something isn't right. The barrels were bent. He asked me what I thought had caused it. I told him it was most likely a tree. Bill is on the money about point of aim especially on the later 410's.

[Justin Julian]

As a kid on the East coast I hunted rabbits (with Beagles) almost exclusively with an Ithaca NID .410. Its a very unforgiving gauge (caliber, actually), but if you do your part at reasonable ranges, it will topple the game. I killed a truck load of running rabbits with it over the years, almost as many squirrels, and even managed to knock a grouse or two out of the air as well.

[Bill Murphy]

I confess that, among my rusty Parkers, there is a Montgomery Wards Stevens .410, which is not a bad gun at all. I was surprised to find that the Red Head pad on my .410 was factory equipment.

[wayne goerres]

Ok Now the truth comes out. I am sure you will find more than one or two scattered through out the membership.

[Mark Landskov]

I am guilty! My everyday grouse gun is a DeHaan SgRS in .410. My hands, arms and right shoulder are soup sandwiches, so a 5-1/2 pound double is a joy to carry all day. I have other SxSs for nostalgia hunts!

[Eric Grims]

I have some nice 410s but my retail store gun is a Hi Standard K 410 mint shape.It's a nice little shooter in a skeet grade. A friend at the range suggested that you might not want to bother patterning a 410 then you won't worry about it. They are fun to shoot in close on the sporting clay course and at plantation pheasant once I get a couple in the bag with the Parkers.

[George Lang]

My first shotgun was a Winchester model 42 .410 ga given to me by my Dad. Used it on ducks(3" # 6's) and killed my first black duck with it and many rabbits(over beagles) and squirrels, till I was informed by others it wasn't a good "killer". So next Christmas Dad gave me a Stevens 311 20 gauge(2 3/4" only). Better, I guess, but I still used the .410 over dekes or on small game. I kept the "big guy for pass shooting and Brant & Geese. Wish I still had the Win 42, but I don't, but my Grandson still uses the 311 for just about anything.

[Bill Murphy]

Eric, champion Philadelphia NSSA skeet shooter, Harry Stilwell , shot Hi Standard pumps to win many championships when everyone else was shooting Model 12s.

[will evans]

That sounds like a steal on a 311 .410, for certain. I own one .410 double - a Hunter Arms made for Sears, Ranger 104.3 Precision Grade. I think Hunter Arms sent @ 221 of those to Sears. I've taken a few squirrels with it.

[Phil Yearout]

I'll 'fess up; here's my Stevens 311; action is stamped 5100, twin ivory beads as Destry mentioned. There was a trade or two involved in the acquisition so I'm not exactly sure how much I've got in it, but I'm confident more than $150; nice find! I've never shot it on anything but pasture clays; it broke 'em...

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w109/prairieschooner/Hunting/Picture010.jpg

[charlie cleveland]

the 5100 model is older than the 311 model..i like the way stevens is stamped on your gun its hard to find a 410 in a 5100 series gun....charlie

[Harry Collins]

I have some "little skeeters" as I recall made by Stevens. 12/.410 & 20/.410. I made some long and short kills on dove with the 12/.410 in a full & full hammered GH. Surprised hell out of both Papa and me.

[Bill Holcombe]

Nice find Destry! Not a big stevens person myself, but I do know a particular gun store that has 2 stevens 12 gauges for $850 a piece. Yeah they have been there a while.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Yeah, that's pretty sporty on Stevens 12 gauge unless it's one of the early graded guns or something. My guess is they'll own them a long long time.....

Phil that's a great one! Wish mine looked that good! And I wish it was marked Stevens instead of Ranger.....

DLH

[Bill Holcombe]

They are both Savage/Stevens so not early guns. But the owner will swear up and down they are just as rare as a fox or a parker. Course, he also has a Savage Fox he has marked and priced as a Fox.

[Mills Morrison]

I guess I should consider myself fortunate that 410s are the most expensive Parker gauge. I don't have a use for them either. On the other hand, my wife is deadly on quail with her Marlin/LC Smith 410

[John Marscher]

They sure are deadly on marshhens. Quite handy in the lowcounty

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/marscherj1/marshhen_zpsd012071c.jpg (http://s609.photobucket.com/user/marscherj1/media/marshhen_zpsd012071c.jpg.html)

[James Brown]

I agree.