Stevens 311A Failure to fire

[40-82 hiker]

I Have a Stevens 311A I grew up with back in the 60s, and shot many squirrels, rabbits, and some quail with it. But, it had a nasty habit of a FTF on occasion (light firing pin strike). I'd like to see if I can fix that and I think I saw something about this problem on CB some time ago. My Dad bought this used at the time for $10, so we had little complaints at the time, and little money to get the problem fixed.

I took the butt stock off and can determine:

1) The firing pins move very freely in their channels.
2) The firing pin retainer screws appear to be turned in all of the way. I did not pull the hammers back to be able to get a screwdriver on them to determine this for a certainty as of yet, as I only just now checked this out. I can do this once I figure out how to hold the hammers back and still be able to get a screwdriver in to the retainer screws.

The problem was only ever rather intermittent, with both factory loads and reloads. But, it was aggravating. I'd like to fix this if possible, but not sure what I am in for. Any ideas on what the possibilities are assuming my cursory examination so far is correct about the fully seated retainer screws? And difficulty?

Thanks.

[Walks]

I have a 311R, The "Riot Gun" from the last year of production.
Used it a lot for Cowboy Shooting, Win AA's and Rem STS. in the mid 1990's I started to get misfires from the Right barrel only, figured out it was with Win AA only. New made WIN AA only, hulls from the the early 1990's and before gave NO misfires. Measured the rims on the new hulls, they were one to two thousand thinner the older produced hulls or REM STS. Just enough to matter to that sloppily made gun.

Use only REM STS now. Not a misfire since.

[Petrol & Powder]

I have a 311 and the firing pin protrusion is barely adequate. I don't think it is a design flaw but rather exactly what Walks points to, it doesn't take much to create a problem with that platform. A slightly loose action, a thinner rim on the shell, maybe a deep seated primer?

Those Savage/Stevens double barrels were made to be strong and inexpensive workhorses, but they aren't very refined. When they get a little wear on them, they show their age.

The hinge pins will wear and the chambers are probably not the tightest they could be. I would recommend you sit down and take a good overall look at the gun.

[Blanket]

Pull the firing pin retaining screws out and take a few thousands off the head

[pietro]

.

Even though the FP's are moving freely, did you also manually press each forward to check the protrusion ?

If there's inadequate or no protrusion from the breech face, the problem could be (A) broken/worn FP tip. or (B) built up crud at the front of the FP channel that's retarding full FP protrusion.

Any crud can be removed via either using a cleaner blaster through the FP hole(s) in the breech face, or removing the FP's to clean the channel.

If the FP's have to be removed, I would suggest replacing them at the same time (Numrich should have FP's)

.

[40-82 hiker]

Okay, to this point in time, as a response to all:

1) The action is very tight. No side play that I can discern. There is still a certain stiffness, but I will examine this issue very closely. I have a very old Remington double barrel, and that one has a loose action, though it is not shootable for other reasons.

2) I worked the firing pins forward many times, and they moved back into their reward position VERY easily. I will clean the channels out meticulously when I have the firing pins out in case there is gunk preventing their full forward movement.

3) Both firing pins seem to protrude the same amount, but I cannot quantify this amount. They both look rounded on the end, but I cannot say as to whether they are worn or not. Replacing the firing pins would be a rather user friendly modification, but I need to figure out how to hold the hammers back to get a screwdriver in while I take out the retainer screws.

4) I WILL take off some of the retainer screw heads while I have them out. They do look rather massive, and there does not appear to be much protrusion of the firing pins beyond the screw heads, though there certainly is some. I was kind of surprised there is so little.

5) I did notice the right-side sear assembly is somewhat different from the left-side, in that it sits outboard of the bottom tang somewhat, whereas the left-side sear assembly is flush with the side of the tang. ?? There is an asymmetry. ?? Also, the right side hammer seems to have less clearance between its outboard side and the side of the action than the left side, but I cannot see ANY evidence that there has been any contact. Period. There also does not seem to be any play that would allow such.

5) Is there a possibility that the cocking yoke (don't know the correct term) could be in the way of the hammer on occasion? The very tip of the right "fork" seems to have a little less clearance with the hammer than the left side, but again, I can see no evidence of previous contact, BUT, this issue does not seem that it would be as obvious if it was the case.

6) I will measure the rim cuts and post that measurement. I really would not know if it is good or not.

I rather like the idea of accumulating tolerances.

So, any ideas on how I hold the hammers back AND get a screw driver to the firing pin retainer screws?

Thank you for all responses. If any other ideas, please let me hear them. I will post more info as I get it.

Bob

[40-82 hiker]

A rather early add-on:

The photo of the firing pin on the Numrich Arms website shows a more pronounced "point" compared to the more rounded ends on the firing pins in my 311A. If that photo is correct, here is one difference, but still not a quantifiable difference at this point in time.

[Mk42gunner]

Before you go adjusting the firing pin protrusion, do some research as to just what it should be for a shotgun. I don't remember off the top of my head.

Yes on a sloppily assembled or worn gun, parts might interfere enough to cause a slow firing pin resulting in the occasional misfire.

As an aside, I have an old WWII bringback German 16 guage that has never misfired, but the left firing pin tip is broken. Still retained, but completely free of the firing pin body. I'll make a new FP one of these days.

Robert

[Drm50]

I have messed with 311s and the Fox on same action. Easiest way to work on innards is to take it clear apart.