Found an old Stevens 520A at the Louisville gun show a few months ago. My son noticed the guy walking around with it and he only wanted $100 so I gladly gave him that. It had a long barrel with the adjustable choke and a cracked loose buttock with no butt plate. Very worn with a great old patina.
I looked all over for a heatshield. There was one at the show for $800, so that was right out. Bid on a few on EBay and Gunbroker but they were closing over $400. Finally one seller had several so I made a $350 offer he accepted. It was a reproduction but original ones are so spicy, I just didn’t care. Cut the barrel down with a pipe cutter to the right length and good to go there.
I then started looking for a bayonet but those were not common and going for over $200. I started wondering if any other bayonets would fit or could be modified. I had a few long ones I had picked up at a local military swap meet and it turns out that one of them was an original British 1913 made by Remington that ended up being repurposed for US use after we entered WWI.
The bayonet fit perfectly and was aged to perfection like everything else on the gun. The grips were pretty chewed up so I found a set on eBay for $30. Nice original ones that matched the old and worn look.
I hit the heatshield with some vinegar and steel wool, smacked it around, dragged it through some gravel and within a few hours, it looked as vintage as everything else. I removed the cracked stock, replacement ones for the 520A are not too common so I spread it apart and injected good wood glue in and clamped it. It was still loose fitting so I sprayed the shotgun’s back end with oil and bedded the stock to it with epoxy. Once that set up for a few days, smacked it around and put some weight on it, it stayed nice and tight.
I am waiting on a rear sling mount (1928 Thompson M1A1) a repo leather sling and repo butt plate to finish out the project. I will beat up and age the sling when it arrives and it should be complete. I've wanted to do this since I picked up a Stevens 620 in really nice condition. I shortened the barrel to 18 inches before researching trench guns and realized it was too short for the heat shield bayonet lug. So I've been looking for just the barrel half since it is a take down, but no luck there. When my son spotted the 520 at the show, he started this project. It has been fun.
I looked all over for a heatshield. There was one at the show for $800, so that was right out. Bid on a few on EBay and Gunbroker but they were closing over $400. Finally one seller had several so I made a $350 offer he accepted. It was a reproduction but original ones are so spicy, I just didn’t care. Cut the barrel down with a pipe cutter to the right length and good to go there.
I then started looking for a bayonet but those were not common and going for over $200. I started wondering if any other bayonets would fit or could be modified. I had a few long ones I had picked up at a local military swap meet and it turns out that one of them was an original British 1913 made by Remington that ended up being repurposed for US use after we entered WWI.
The bayonet fit perfectly and was aged to perfection like everything else on the gun. The grips were pretty chewed up so I found a set on eBay for $30. Nice original ones that matched the old and worn look.
I hit the heatshield with some vinegar and steel wool, smacked it around, dragged it through some gravel and within a few hours, it looked as vintage as everything else. I removed the cracked stock, replacement ones for the 520A are not too common so I spread it apart and injected good wood glue in and clamped it. It was still loose fitting so I sprayed the shotgun’s back end with oil and bedded the stock to it with epoxy. Once that set up for a few days, smacked it around and put some weight on it, it stayed nice and tight.
I am waiting on a rear sling mount (1928 Thompson M1A1) a repo leather sling and repo butt plate to finish out the project. I will beat up and age the sling when it arrives and it should be complete. I've wanted to do this since I picked up a Stevens 620 in really nice condition. I shortened the barrel to 18 inches before researching trench guns and realized it was too short for the heat shield bayonet lug. So I've been looking for just the barrel half since it is a take down, but no luck there. When my son spotted the 520 at the show, he started this project. It has been fun.
