One of those deals......
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.

410
 

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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/w...Picture010.jpg

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...psd012071c.jpg

I agree.