Stevens 620 Trench gun Pics!

CleverName · Mar 3, 2013

I found a beautiful Stevens 620 12 gauge at a local pawn shop for $149 out the door. From its serial number and date code, I believe it was made in the early 60s. It has an 18.5" barrel and the bore is pristine. I am trying to decide if I should leave it alone, or make it into a loose Trench Gun clone. Anyone know if the Winchester 1897 heat shield will fit a Stevens? WIll the 1897 heat shield fit an 18.5" barrel?

Awmish · Mar 3, 2013

It may. But if memory serves right the original trench gun had a 20" barrel. Although that may be wrong. I would look up as much info on the 97 as possible. I have a buddy that is building a M97 trench gun, I will ask him to verify. Looks like a nice Stevens by the way. If a trench gun doesn't work out you could make a riot gun with it.

Sgt Nambu · Mar 3, 2013

Personally, I like it a lot just as she sits!

mattg521 · Mar 3, 2013

Sgt Nambu said:
Personally, I like it a lot just as she sits!

This.

Awmish · Mar 4, 2013

Have you two ever seen what a 1917 bayonet looks like? It makes the M7 look like a tooth pick. A shotgun with a 1917 bayonet is B.A.

CleverName · Mar 4, 2013

I did a little more research and youre right. The original trench gun is 20" and theres to room to spare in front of the mag tube, so Im thinking the 1897 heat shield/ bayo lug wont fit. Too bad, I would have loved to mount that big a** bayonet! Im leaning towards leaving it as is now, except it has no sling mounts. All my long guns must have slings! Im going to track down a rear 1903 Springfield mount for the stock, but Im having trouble finding the front sling mount. It looks like there is a barrel band sling mount but I cant locate one. ANy ideas?

Awmish · Mar 4, 2013

If you can't find the front barrel band at Numrich, Sarco, or at a Collector's West show, or anywhere else for that matter. I'd drill the barrel support (if it is as solid as it looks) and run a sling ring through there. But that's just me.

Awmish · Mar 4, 2013

The other option is to find a machinist or machine shop that will fab one up. But if you go that far you may as well go all the way and have them fab up a custom bayonet and bayonet mount. Or Buy the hundred dollar trench gun repro heat shield and mount and customize that to work.

Blitzkrieg · Mar 4, 2013

Great find, even as is

The M1 Garand was sometimes issued with a bayonet near as BA as the '17

ch139 · Mar 7, 2013

East Taylor LLC was making reproduction bayonet mounts for the Stevens 520/620, but they show as out of stock right now (also for the Winchester and Ithaca). I have one of their mounts + heat shield for an Ithaca and the reproduction is really first-rate. Good stuff.

As mentioned though, believe your barrel is too short for the bayonet mount and heat shield, but that doesn't mean you couldn't find another 520, 620 M37 or Winchester 12 or 97 to make into a Trench Gun. Your gun there is pretty cool just the way it is. What is the choke marking on the barrel from the factory?

This is kinda a cool 97 Winchester Trench Gun build: Building an M1897 Trench Gun - M14 Forum

CleverName · Mar 9, 2013

Thanks everybody for the responses. The barrel is marked as a cyl. choke. I fired a hundred rounds through it last weekend. It cycled like a dream, but I did have 2 light primer strikes. This was after a good cleaning. I attribute this to the hammer spring being old and tired, so I ordered a whole new spring set. I also ordered a new hammer and hammer pin (it has some side to side wobble and the hammer is pretty worn), some new screws to replaced some beat up ones, a reproduction hard plastic butt plate (someone had installed a pachmyer, I want this gun to be as close to original as possible, plus I would like to shorten the LOP). I also ordered a front barrel band with sling loop and a rear sling swivel for a Thompson SMG. The Thompson sling swivel is a beautifully machined piece. Im going to inlet the stock and install the rear sling mount so it sits flush.
I was also surprised to discover that I could fit 6 rounds of Winchester birdshot in the tube with plenty of room to spare, for a total of seven shots!

ch139 · Mar 11, 2013

CleverName said:
...The barrel is marked as a cyl. choke...

Wonder if it might be a factory Riot/Police gun?

CleverName · Mar 17, 2013

ch139 said:
Wonder if it might be a factory Riot/Police gun?

Not sure. It has checkered wood and no U.S. markings, so I dont think it was ever military. I thought it was marked as cyl. but after looking again at the marking, I realized it is a proof mark or something, so now Im thinking this may be a cut-down. This would make me feel better about modifying it. Im thinking of parkerizing it and locating a non checkered stock set to make a Vietnam era combat shotgun clone. Anyone know where to find the stocks?

TwinStick · Mar 20, 2013

Personally, I would refurb the wood, but leave the rest alone. Great find though!

oldgrappler · Mar 20, 2013

Here is pic of my 620 riot gun and 520-30 trench gun clone. Both have 20" barrels. I used a Thompson sling swivel on the butt and a used barrel band from here: Savage Shotgun Parts, Stevens Shotgun Parts,Springfield Shotgun Parts, Original Obsolete Stevens Shotgun Parts. Stevens Autsomatic Shotgun Parts, Stevens Pump Shotgun Parts, Stevens Single Barrel Shoptgun Parts, Stevens Shotgun Barrels, Stevens Doubl It came with a narrow swivel - I replaced that with surplus 1903 front swivel from Numrich as I recall.

jbett98 · Mar 20, 2013

The original trench guns had a thicker diameter barrel. They had two half radius cuts under the barrel for the shield/bayo lug screws.
If you try mounting an original shield you will weaken the barrel. The repros have clamps instead.

oldgrappler · Mar 20, 2013

The repro shield I used on my 520-30 has three bolts that clamp the shield on - I had to file a radius cut on the underside of the barrel for each of them to fit. That shield is locked on there.

CleverName · Mar 23, 2013

oldgrappler said:
Here is pic of my 620 riot gun and 520-30 trench gun clone. Both have 20" barrels. I used a Thompson sling swivel on the butt and a used barrel band from here: Savage Shotgun Parts, Stevens Shotgun Parts,Springfield Shotgun Parts, Original Obsolete Stevens Shotgun Parts. Stevens Autsomatic Shotgun Parts, Stevens Pump Shotgun Parts, Stevens Single Barrel Shoptgun Parts, Stevens Shotgun Barrels, Stevens Doubl It came with a narrow swivel - I replaced that with surplus 1903 front swivel from Numrich as I recall.

Very nice! Ive installed a thompson rear swivel also, and a front barrel band from Numrich. I used a front swivel from an AR-15 (actually doesnt look bad!) and have installed a Garand sling. ALso have changes out most the springs and the hammer. Im going to leave it as is for a while and just shoot the snot out of it.