Stevens 520-30 choke

[nhetzer]

I recently acquired a Stevens 520-30 riot gun for a bargain price. It's all matching and correct EXCEPT.... that someone installed a polychoke on the end at some point in it's life. Is there any way to get this off without cutting the barrel? How were they put on? I don't see any threads so I am thinking it was basically sweated on maybe? I don't know anything about these chokes and I foolishly believed that it would be "no problem" to get it off. Yeah. One of those "Oh, come on, how hard could it possibly be?" So now I appeal to the masses as to what I should do. I hate to cut the barrel and ruin the historical integrity. I would almost rather have the barrel refinished if I can get it off so the finish will match. Tough call. Advice?

Information

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[breakeyp]

I have seen a few riot shotguns fitted with variable choke devices set up by Army unit funds. They had access to the riot guns, paid for the chokes and issued them to members for local hunting. Depending on location, some units had .22 target pistols, shotguns and commercial hunting rifles.

About 1971, I bought three Hi Standard .22 target pistols from an adjacent infantry unit's fund in the Panama Canal Zone. They were also selling Model 12 Winchester riotguns with variable chokes if I remember correctly but was outbid.

Of course unless you have paperwork, there is no way to prove that your gun came from a unit fund. For what it's worth. p.

[nhetzer]

Hmmmm.... that's food for thought. I've seen police departments selling them off in the same configuration. I know that they usually get military surplus and thought it was strange that they all had the same choke on them. That explains a lot. Either way, I got this one for about $170 so I really don't have room to complain either way. Thanks for the info!

[Aye KAY]

I had a Remington Model 10-R with all the military markings that had a poly choke on it.

[Chuckindenver]

aftermarket chokes of the day, were installed many ways,,fine threads{most common} silver solder, brazing, and epoxy.
i have removed and recut many a riot and trench gun.. only a couple was i lucky enough to have a epoxied choke..it still had the original hole for the factory bead under it.
most have to be cut back at least 1/2 an inch, and a new bead installed.

[jeep]

A martial marked 520 with correct markings will bring 1700-2400 dollars today. Lots of these guns were sold surplus and bubba would polychoke them for hunting and chop them up and make turkey card shotguns out of them. In the 1950,s and 1960 many were bubba-rized. Collecter guns junked and the same with surplus boltguns. The last 520 roit I sold I got $1750.00 for it. And it was a police trade in.

[nhetzer]

Wow. $1750 for a Stevens riot? Where do you live? I have two 520-30s and a 620. None of which I paid more than $350 for. I paid $220 for my matching, beautifully conditioned 620 riot less than a year ago. Yeah, that was a find but they're out there!
I live in southern Ohio and we have a plethora of gun shows around here, one every weekend. So my opportunities to find deals I guess are a little better than someone who lives in an area that only gets one show every couple of months. I've seen comlpete Stevens trench guns go for that kind of money. Sure I've seen them higher at the bigger shows and of course condition is everything.

[Chuckindenver]

i was thinking kinda the same thing myself...id sell every Savage military shotgun i have, show me the money...heck last time i checked, i had 10 or so Riots, trainers, and a couple trench guns..

[nhetzer]

Wow Chuck, your collection is a biiiiiiiit more extensive than mine! I'm but a lowly beginner of a collector and only have a few shotguns. I have the above mentioned Stevens and I just picked up a Model 11 trainer. Only one trench in my collection and it's a parts gun with the wrong heat shield on it. Not worth much to a true collector but it has a home in my gun cabinet. Someday I'll sell a kidney or something and set out to find my Winchester Model 97. Until then I'll keep scouring for the gun show finds!

[Chuckindenver]

what iv learned about buying and collecting US marked shotguns, trainers are like kittens, if you have a couple..sooner or later, they mulitply everytime you open the door,
trench guns, are a gem...in owned and traded a few...