Old gun, new project.

A

Amos Iron Wolf

Joined
Mar 7, 2006
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While picking up a Marlin .44 mag lever gun I had in layaway, I noticed this old side by side shotgun sticking up among all the other stuff on the inbound rack where thing wait to be priced and put out. Naturally, I had one of the guys hand it to me. It was a patina'd old Stevens (not Savage) 311 in 12 gauge. It came up and fit me well, locks tight, and the bores are in great shape. The stock is cracked in a few places and has a chunk missing near the top tang. The fore end has a crack too. I immediately think, "Hey, I bet I can get this for a good price and make a project out of it!" The gunsmith checked Numerich Arms online and they have both stock and fore end. That's one option. Anyway, I asked Dave, the owner how much. He told me $125. It is now in layaway. I now have to first decide if I want to get a used, original stock and leave it with the patina, or make an act of love out of it and carefully hand polish the barrels (the stock is color casehardened), do a good cold blue on them, and get a nice bit of wood from Richard's or the like for it.

Once that decision is made and the project underway, I will of course have to match a proper knife to it. If I leave it in an old soldier state, then I'm thinking maybe a vintage stockman to match. Well, I actually have that pre-USA Case Barlow that I got from a friend on here. That would also go real well with it. But, then I wouldn't have a good excuse to go knife hunting.

If I give it a makeover with upscaled wood though, then what to match it with. Hmmm.

LOL, I was as happy, maybe happier even, to stumble on that old gun as a lot of those other guys are to be getting their latest black rifle. Grant you, there were a few nice looking AR's there and the soldier in me is still attracted, but the old country boy in me is talking louder these days.

Just for fun, I'd like to hear what you fellers think. Give it some honor and make it a pretty little keeper gun or restock with original, or original style wood and keep it looking vintage? And in both cases, what would be your choice in pairing up a good slippie with it?
 
Amos, I remember reading an article about the gun that really won the west. It was'nt a Colt single action. It was'nt even a Winchester lever action. It was the shotgun. Every homesteader going west with the wagon trains out of St. Joseph was carrying one, as well as every Stage coach guard, and store keeper, and saloon barkeep.

With a side by side shotty theres only one knife you can go with- The soddie!:)
 
LOL, I think I read that same article and they weren't kidding. Colts, Winchesters, all those things cost a bit of money that most folks then didn't have to spend on a gun.

;) I've been carrying my smallest Brown Mule this past week as my EDC.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
LOL, I think I read that same article and they weren't kidding. Colts, Winchesters, all those things cost a bit of money that most folks then didn't have to spend on a gun.

;) I've been carrying my smallest Brown Mule this past week as my EDC.
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Amos, Amos, Amos. With a side by side you know you need a big brown mule!
 
What is this, International Let's Post About Guns in the Wrong Forum Day? :)

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Sounds like a worthy project, Amos;
I'd restock it with original style wood, and put some matching wood on a CV sodbuster! I wouldn't rehandle a Case barlow though, unless it was seriously in need. Case handles have their own strong tradition! 'course I'm predjudiced;) !
Another knife that matches the era is a teardrop jack! Ebony, with a fancy shield!
 
C A, this is about things that go with knives!! Sorta like your truck there!! (Is there a forum for that truck?? Ha Ha!)
 
Yeah, this is about matching the traditional knife to the old gun. :D

Hmm, a teardrop jack. Then again, I already have a couple of nice Harness Jacks that are based on old knives. That Farmers Jack might be just the companion. Especially after some natural patina develops.

I already have a set of Brown Mule soddies in carbon steel. I even found the little KC37 I'd lost and already replaced. Ya know you're in trouble when you keep finding plenty of knives you have already that would fit the project.

I'm looking forward to hearing what others would put with it.
 
Actually it depends on what you are going to use the scattergun for. I am thinking' bird hunting.. But what kind of bird hunting. Could it be Dove & Quayle??.. No, I know it will be Ducks! Its got to be Ducks!..
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Cheese & Quackers! Oh wait, that's what ya have while sitting around the potbelly stove at the old store after the hunt. :D

Nice AW series there. And appropriate that it doesn't have the choke wrench. ;)

Seems funny talking about knives in the Gear & Gadgets folder doesn't it.

I'm thinking more towards the do all farm gun. If the replacement wood doesn't look too out of place I think I'll leave the patina on the metal. I guess I'll have to consider the time and place to pick the appropriate knife. I suppose 1930s to sometime in the early 1950s as an appropriate era.

So what slip joint patterns and makers would be found most often across the country in the pockets of rural Americans of the time? For that matter what were affect did region have on the patterns and makers being carried?

Guess we have to factor in that the Stevens 311 (and the various labels it was sold under) was for the guy who wanted a double, but to whom A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith and upward were not an option. The fellow with the Stevens would have been able to scrape enough together to get the extra barrel, so may have been able to be a little, but not a lot, more selective in his choice of pocket knife. Still he would have been the type that had a shotgun and a pocket knife.

A days hunt would have probably been a mixed bag, bunnies, squirrel, upland birds, and depending on where he was, maybe jump shooting a duck or two. Although, duck hunting wouldn't be a primary usage. I would say this country fellow liked to hunt and worked extra hard on his place to make a few extra days for hunting.

Work would consist of all the various homestead chores. I guess this mythical fellow would be more farmer than rancher (more in tune with my formative years). So what would we find in his pocket for a knife?

Now for my purposes, the old workhorse will probably bust some clay here and there. I may even feel compelled to actually take it afield come the next dove season if I can wangle an invite from a fellow I know. Any other hunting here is a pricey lease or day hunt kind of thing.
 
This is the kind of thread that drives moderators nuts. :eek: It started off talking almost entirely about guns, then I moved it, and immediately you guys start talking about knives. It's almost as if you were just having a discussion without even thinking about what forum it should go in ... LOL!
 
Cougar Allen said:
This is the kind of thread that drives moderators nuts. :eek: It started off talking almost entirely about guns, then I moved it, and immediately you guys start talking about knives. It's almost as if you were just having a discussion without even thinking about what forum it should go in ... LOL!
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Yeah Couger, we tend to do that over on the traditional forum. Old traditional pocket knives tend to go hand in hand with old break open shotguns and memories of long ago quail hunts. We can't help it we're old farts. We ramble!:D

We ask a little patience from the mods, sometimes we take a bit to work around to the jist of the matter.
 
Heheh, yeah, sometimes we just sorta go around the barn to kick the cat as they say.

Well, the old workhorse is home. Traded off some more modern stuff and came back with the Stevens SXS and that long barreled, octagon, EMF Hartford, 92 Winchester repro in .357Mag/38 Spl I've been hungerin after. That long barrel just hangs so much better than the short one. Dumped the .44 stuff to keep it simple. I did pick up a used, but modern type .22lr auto pistol for plinking. But now, I've got my New Vaquro sixgun and a 92 in the same caliber. I figure the old side by side should round things out. I'll work on matching just the right fixed blade to rifle/sixgun combo later.

Now that I've done the preamble. I've found two knives in my collection that I think will fit well with the shotgun. One is a Boker large stockman, 605 in carbon steel. The blade etch on the clip blade says King Kutter. It was one of those little nifties that Charlie tossed in a box he was sending my way. It's got some patina and the sheepsfoot has seen a tiny bit of odd sharpening. It has rounded bolsters and just looks period. I can't scan an image in currently as my scanner is disconnected for now.

The other knife is also a Boker. This one is a Barlow with the Tree Brand and tree on the bolsters. It's also carbon steel and is the one that was in a box that got wet, so the bolsters and springs have a little aging to them. It still walks and talks well with half-stops. I'm leaning a little more towards the stockman though. And, I have my Brown Mules if I want to go for the settler approach. That's the problem with having all these knives around. You can actually find what your looking for in the box sometimes. Just don't tell the wife.

Now to put in a little OT to pay for new wood on the Stevens and get this project underway.
 
tyr_shadowblade said:
Are you gonna cut the barrels down to 18.5" and turn it into a Coach Gun?
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Nope. Wanted to keep it usable for it's intended uses. There are plenty of coach guns out there already so no need to knock down the full ones that are left. I've already got riot barreled, Mossberg 500 for social work.

The project may get scrapped. After getting it home and going over it more closely and in brighter light, I think it may have some issues that may render it unsafe to fire, or to fire for very long. I'll take it back to the shop later this week and go over it with their gunsmith. If I have any issues with anything I get there they're very good about returning it for a full refund. If the Steven proves a bust it will be a disappointment, but better that than the alternative.

Who knows, maybe a nice Fox will come in in 16 gauge with plenty of life left in it, but used enough to make it a sweet deal. Then I get to start the matching all over again.

We will have to see how things turn out later this week.
 
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