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Thread: Ranger 20 gauge pump action shotgun

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Ranger 20 gauge pump action shotgun

    I recently inhereted a Ranger 20 Gauge pump action shot gun. I pretty sure its a Sears House brand made by Stevens (520A) with the double hump receiver. The action will not open with the release. This was my grandfathers shotgun he hunted with Its a good clean shotgun and actually feels pretty good in the hand. Its a very early model with the safety in the trigger guard ahead of the trigger sort of garand or M1A style. I know how to take it down, It is a takedown by turning the magazine tube out. But the action has t be open for this. A disassembly diagram or parts break down would be helpful. I want to fix it and would also like any ideas on getting the action to open So I can get it apart to see what I need. It looks like Stevens 520 parts will work in it from what I have researched so far. ANy and all information is welcomned

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    Have you tried dry firing it?

    I had one of the Stevens 520's in 12 ga with a 32" barrel, made for an awful long gun. As I remember, it was kind of iffy using the action release to open.

    Robert

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    If you can't get the action open, better do that dry firing in a safe place/direction. 50% / 50% acetone / ATF. Soak a bunch of it, then tryb to open.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    The ranger I think was a winchester, may be wrong but get safe, close action amd pull trigger just to make sure there's no live round in the barrel. Take the barrel off and the slide action as well. My guess is the extractor has come off the pin in the rear of the receiver or pin broke.
    "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
    Leonard Ravenhill

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

    leebuilder's Avatar
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    Can you drop or remove the trigger group. You should be able to get a look in there an see what the hold up is.
    Some times pulling the mag follower out helps too.
    be well
    When you read the fine print you get an education
    when you ignore the fine print you get experience

  6. #6
    Boolit Master MyFlatline's Avatar
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    Does it look like this?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I have one in 12 ga. pass down to me from my father. 30" barrel, full choke.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    or this ?
    Click image for larger version. 

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    "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
    Leonard Ravenhill

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It is the one in MyFlatlines post #6. It appears to be an early one with the safety inside the trigger guard in front of the trigger. The safety looks like half a trigger in front of the trigger. It pushes forward to fire. Sharps Brochardts had the same style behind the trigger. From my research in the 20s Sears and Montgomery ward both sold this model under the Ranger name. This was my Grandfathers shotgun and its got nice wood and checkering on it. It feels good in the hand. It does have a 30" barrel and full choke so its going to be really tight since full choke then was with a wad stack and no wad fingers around the shot charge. Blueing is in nice shape no rust or pitting a fine old shotgun that deserves some tender care.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master MyFlatline's Avatar
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    They are good shooters, My Dad shot his so much that the shells would fall out of the tube. I had that fixed for him back in 80', he gave it to me after that. I have since passed i on to my nephew, as I have no blood children. He wants to hunt with it some. It is one of the ones, that if you hold the trigger, it will fire everytime you close the breach.

    Enjoy and treasure the memories.

  10. #10
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    Try pushing Forward on the slide handle, then back. 1897 Winchesters are like that. Recoil takes care of it when firing the gun so it's not noticed. The Stevens 520 is also a JMB invention, so try that.

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub
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    You can normally find a schematic on gunpartscorp.com. If you suspect something is broken or jammed in the action, don't pull the trigger unless you can be certain there is no shell in the chamber. You can get creative in not flagging your hand with the muzzle, but insert a 30 inch rod in the muzzle. If it bottoms out on the bolt (metallic click) and/or is more or less flush with the muzzle, you are probaly good to dry fire and attempt to cycle it.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Make sure the chamber is empty,,,place a dowel or cleaning rod carefully down the bore and mark the muzzle edge on it.
    The withdraw it and lay it along side the bbl and see where the end inside the breech lays.
    The face of the breech block (empty chamber) is about 1/4" forward of the ejection port.
    If the chamber is loaded, the end of the dowel/cleaning rod will lay a bit less than 2 1/2" forward of the edge of the ejection port.

    The slide release simply drops a bar inside that is blocking the rear of the breech slide. The breech block is attached to that breech slide.

    If the spring that powers the bar is iffy, or the bar is stuck in the lock position behind the breech slide,,you won't be able to retract the breech bolt.

    Try the already mentioned trick of pulling the pump handle forward a bit as you hold the slide latch in and see if the bolt lock bar will drop out of the way.

    You may have a shell,,empty or loaded,,jammed in the chamber that the bolt is locked onto by way of the extractors (2 of them). and you can't pull the bolt back because of that. The slide lock bar may be dropping out of the way just fine, but the bolt is latched onto a stuck shell case and can't pull free.

    IF THE CHAMBER IS EMPTY,,you can try dry firing and see if it will drop the locking bar as it is supposed to.
    **Some of the early mfg 520's were made with a 'hang fire safety',,so using this technique to drop the slide lock won't work on those particular guns . They are designed to make you use the slide release in the event of dud round or a dry fire**
    (Not a lot of those around, and not easily spotted unless you know what to look for. Up inside next to the trigger on the left side of the recv'r is the counter weight that works with recoil to unlock the bar.)

    Failing that,,I'd disassemble the gun. The butt stock comes off with the tang screw removal.
    Take the lower rear frame cross screw out and the cross pin at mid frame holding the trigger group in place.
    Pull the trigger group down and out of the gun,
    The slide latch is free to fall from the trigger group so don't loose that.

    At that point the action should open for you as the slide locking bar is removed from the frame,,being part of the trigger group.

    Open the action unscrew the TD ring all the way and pull the bbl assembly down the small amt it will allow at that point.
    Then pull the pump handle back forward. That should have disengaged the bolt from the pump slide andleft the bolt in the rear position in the frame. Pull the loose pump and slide rod all the way forward to clear the frame. Then pull the bbl and mag assembly down and off the frame.

    Remove the carrier by rotating it upwards , releasing spring pressure, then pull it sideways off of it's pivot pin.
    The bolt and bolt slide come out the front of the frame after removing the large head screw on the front side of the frame.

    it's a pretty simple gun,,the early ones are a lot of flat springs ,,the trigger group looks a lot like Brownings A5.
    The later versions used more coilsprings.

  13. #13
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    A few of them served in the miltary also in riot gun form.

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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
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