About a year ago I bought an old Columbia single-shot of GB for just over 30, as a project. Though advertised as a 12-ga, turns out it was a 16, with a 24” barrel and a skeet choke. I’ll have to find the “as received” photo, but the stock was cracked in multiple places, the action stiff from rust (think it may have been in either a flood or out in a barn much of its life), the wood was mud-brown, and the hinge pin had been replaced with an actual hex-nut and bolt, leaving the barrel very loose. What’s worse, it had obviously been fired repeatedly in that condition, as the bolt threads were smooth/smashed in the parts that contacted the receiver and barrel.
After stripping, patching, bedding and refinishing the stock, I discovered it actually had a rather nice grain pattern. I ordered some #7 taper pins, and gently pounded one in, then cut off and filed the edges, and voila, the lockup is tight now. Also discovered that being a pre-‘29, it has 2-9/16” chambers, so I’ve had to roll my own shells after chopping the hulls to 2-1/2”. Getting it in good shape again, I spent $5 on taper pins, plus the part of the AcraGlas gel components I already had on hand.
Yesterday, I finally got to take it to the trap field (along with the first-time outing of my Stevens 520). Hit 16/35 (only had 35 shells loaded for it), so I still have some adjusting to get used to it (shot 32/40 with the Stevens). Of course, it’s only my second time to a trap field, so I have some adjusting to do anyway. Fortunately, the guy I shared the field with was also there only his second time, and he had a 20-ga CZ SxS, so we appreciated that we each were learning the sport still.
As a side note: anyone with a Stevens 520 have any tips for loading the tube? The geometry of the lifter and loading area are just...awkward...
Also, would a skeet choke be open enough to put slugs through?
Left and center: Columbia (ca. 1906?) Stevens (1939)
Better shot of the Columbia stock: