Savage / Stevens 350 Pump Security

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New from Savage, under the Stevens brand name, is the Stevens 350 budget home defense pump action shotgun.

Stevens 350 Pump Security (top, bottom)
Specifications
Caliber 12 gauge
Capacity 5+1
Finish Blued
Barrel 18.25″
Overall Length 38.25″
Weight 7.6 lbs
MSRP (Price) $241 (front bead sight), $282 (rear ghost ring, front post sight)
Stevens 350 Pump Security with sights

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  • Richard K

    About 7 years ago, I bought a dirt cheap defense shotgun. It was made by Shandong !st Machine Works- China. Imported by CAI Georgia, VT. I was simply designated as YL12-1J4. Mine looks EXACTLY like the picture of the Pump Security with sights. Interesting!

  • AB

    Simple, bonehead resistant, nice price.
    Ya can’t go wrong. Sure, people will complain that there is no tacti-cool ammo rack on the tail or the fore-end, and it doesn’t come with rails, but do you really need those for home defense?

    The only improvement I’d suggest is a flashlight mount, but you can rig one of those up using plumbing parts easily.

  • Matt Groom

    It’s an Ithaca model 37! Are they being made by the new Ithaca or are they being imported?

  • UraniumHead

    That looks suspiciously like an Ithaca 37. Judging by the price I would assume that these are a rebranded Chinese knockoff of the Ithaca.

  • KBCraig

    That’s some serious drop on that stock.

  • 4Cammer

    Any idea where these are made? Model 37 copy? BPS copy?

    I am guessing at that cost it is from China or maybe Turkey?

    • Billy

      Its made by savage arms so i highly doubt its a knock off

  • Les

    It looks like the stock has more drop than usual, which is a good thing.

    I find that older shotguns have more drop than modern ones, and fit me better.

  • http://www.thefirearmblog.com Steve

    It does look like a Model 37. I did not have a lot of time to spend at the Savage booth.

    I would say either Chinese or Turkish manufacture. I would lean towards China.

  • Carl

    Looks way too long for use inside a residence if you ask me.
    I’d probably remove the sights as well so people won’t waste time aiming at the intended ranges.
    And make it semi-auto and we’re done!

  • J. Locke

    I thought we weren’t allowed to import Chinese made firearm? I was always under the impression that’s why I can’t get things like an M1A clone.

  • http://ericb-thinkingoutloud.blogspot.com EricB

    stick with a remington 870. I’ve used three different Ithaca m37s just for hunting and since they eat and s**t from the same hole, they are forever jamming up. I’d REALLY hate that if some zombie was coming after me and my clan.

  • Griffin

    I’ll stick with mossberg….

  • Cactus Jack Poltroon

    EricB – you’ve had Ithaca 37s jam? Really? I’ve been shooting 37′s for going on 40 years now and I have NEVER had a jam with an Ithaca. I’ve had Browning BPS’s get so filthy they jam up tighter than the hinges of hell. The most common jam I’ve encountered is not quite getting that shell shoved far enough into the magazine on a Remington 870. Pops back out and jams up the lifter. That’s why there’s a slot in the lifter on an 870, gives you someplace to stick a screwdriver to push the shell back into the magazine. If such a thing happened with an Ithaca, the round would fall on the ground.

    But I’ve never had that happen. Of course, my newest 37 was made in 1959. I’m down to 4 of them at present.

  • http://ericb-thinkingoutloud.blogspot.com EricB

    Cactus Jack- You’re lucky. I’ve got my dad’s-bought new in the fifties, the other three from the seventies. Love to carry them ’cause they’re so light, but when that extractor doesn’t grab the empty, the lifter puts the live round up against the previous shell. Ain’t easy to straighten out that mess. It’s happened enough that I wouldn’t trust my life to it. The one 20ga. that I had seemed ok, but I only shot that for one season, and never competed with it at trap.

  • Cactus Jack Poltroon

    Eric – Sounds like the gun needed a good cleaning. They aren’t that hard to get apart, and they only have about 20 or so internal parts (John Browning design), and more importantly, they aren’t that hard to get back together.

    You’re right, they are light. And with all that stock drop, letting off a good studly 12-ga pheasant load gives you a good smack on the cheekbone. Lets you know you’re alive.

  • Joe

    These are being made by Norinco. They are Norinco YL12-1J4. look them up on marstar. I have one. I like it.

  • Matt Groom

    I thought Clinton passed an executive order banning the import guns from China?

    • http://www.thefirearmblog.com Steve

      Matt, I thought so also. I don’t quite follow the import rules. I think certain factories (aka. companies, although they are all owned by the govt) are banned. I could be wrong on this.

      Does anyone know the executive order than banned Chinese guns?

  • Joe

    Yes you are right. I dont know how they are doing it. The way I found out was I was looking for parts to trick my gun out and I found alot of sites talking about the Stevens shotgun was the norinco. I think there is a loop hole some where. or they are being shipped to somewhere else with no markings saying who made them. You know. like what Bruce Lee said, (If I cant go threw the front door I will go threw the Side door).

    And I think that Sports International. Is a company from china. They own Browning, RCBS. (dont quote me).

    Hell if Savage thinks they are good enough to carry. Im glad I got mine.

  • weeeell doggies

    I Bought a Brolin arms MOD YL12 in the early 90′s, it was made in China By Sfm co. It looks a lot like the stevens 350 except Brolin arms has a wood stock and a bead sight .I’ve only shot 50 rounds thru it. Never had a FTF. I think if you use it only for home defense and not wear it out on the range it should run fine. good price.

  • anthony

    I recently bought a 12 gauge from a friend of mine that said yl12-ij4.After doing research i found out it is a chinese norinco whick is a copy of the ithaca 37.For those of you asking about clintons chinese ban he did in fact put a ban on them but it only stopped them from importing not from continuing circulation.And there are always companies that are going to copy the u.s made originals and import them through subsidiary companies not directly linked to china.

  • MauMau

    I just bought one for Home/Camper defense. Figured if someone breaks into the camper they only get a cheap gun from me vs all the others out there that are $100+ more
    Being a lefty I have owned Ithaca 37′s my whole life this gun looks and feels as close as it gets to the ithaca, short the engraving on the sides and the finish being flat black vs blued.
    They fit just the same as the Ithaca 37 , the high looking drop is just the picture.
    YES, They are made in China for Stevens
    Figured I go shoot the heck out of it for a month or two to see if the Chinese metal or parts will break, if so Warranty is 1 year

  • spencer

    i just bought one of these to day, it does have a good bit of drop in the stock.i have the 18 in barrell. and it kicks like a mule, and i think its is because of the amount of drop, its more like a rifle stock not a shot gun, but its a good deal, i got mine on say pain $220 for it. rear ghost ring adn front post are great. also mine is a 4+1 capacity. also these guns are made by stevens, a division of savage. my gun says it was made in westfeild mass. usa. but a most of us now u can get copies of anything from anywear. just look at mausers.but good utilitarian gun, stck change would have been nice, but very effective. tight pattern.

  • RON

    I JUST PURCHASED THE MODEL 350 STEVENS PUMP ON JULY 1, 2010 AT DUNHAMS SPORTING GOODS FOR AROUND $200.00
    I AM VERY PLEASED. THE COMES UP LIKE IT BELONGS TO YOU. I LOVE THE FIBEROPTIC GHOST RINGS SIGHTS. YES, ITS A IMITATION OF THE ITHACA MODEL 37, HOWEVER IN MY OPINION THE MODEL 37 ITHACA WAS THE ROLLS ROYCE OF PUMP SHOT GUNS. THIS STEVENS IS A GREAT GUN BUT ITS NOT IN THE LEAGUE OF THE ORIGINAL MODEL 37.
    I SHOT THE GUN WITH 00 BUCK SHOT. NICE TIGHT PATTERNS. THE BIRD SHOT PATTERNS ALSO FORMED WELL. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.
    I AM MORE THAN PLEASED WITH THE 350 STEVENS PUMP. TWO MINOR FAULTS. 1. ITS A LITTLE BIT HEAVY BUT THAT IS A PLUS WITH RECOIL IF YOUR SHOOTING 3 INCH MAGNUMS. 2. THE TRIGER IS A LITTLE CRUNCHY BUT PUTTING SOME ROUNDS THROUGH IT SHOULD SMOOTHEN IT OUT.
    THE 350 STEVENS PUMP IS THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK OUT THERE IN PUMP SHOT GUNS.
    YOU WILL LOVE IT.

  • Ham_Sandwich

    Does anyone know if the parts for these shotguns are interchangeable with the Ithaca 37? – Specifically the stock? I’m looking to put an aftermarket stock on a Stevens 350 but can’t find ones made specifically for the stevens, only for Ithicas.

  • Mark C

    I just bought one of the Stevens Model 350 Field/Security combos and took it out for a spin. Shot fine, when it shot. I noticed a problem that the first round tended to not fire. Checked the ejected shells and no firepin marks what so ever.

    I thought hmmm,,what the heck? So, a buddy of mine who is GM ranked shooter and 3-gun competitor, gave it a go. Guess what – first shell failed to fire.

    A third person tried also. Same results, except he ran through 3 shells with no fires.

    Finally, we figured it out. When you are applying some rearwards pressure on the forearm grip to help snug that bugger into your shoulder, it causes the bolt to slightly disgengage enough so that the firing pin doesn’t hit the primer.

    Not good and puts it into the “Unreliable” category for me in regards to a home defense gun. I want the the thing to go bang when I need it to. Having to apply rearward pressure with your stock hand and forward pressure with your hand on the forearm grip seems counter productive to me and not very reliable.

    Has anybody else experienced this problem?

  • RON

    I PURCHASED A 350 STEVENS 12 GAGE. I LOVE THE GHOST RING SIGHTS. IVE SHOT THE GUN AND IT SHOOTS LIKE A DREAM. ITS A CLONE OF THE ETHICA 37 WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BEST PUMP SHOT GUNS EVER MADE. I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS 350 STEVENS TO ANY ONE. BUY IT YOU WONT BE SORRY.

  • jack

    My gun dealer told me shotguns don’t fall under the executive order. The Chinese are taking advantage of the loophole.

  • http://[email protected] adam

    i just bought the stevens 350 and although it has the rubberized grips its not very good quality. The coating is paper thin and was rubbed through to the plastic in several spots. I wasn’t expecting Hough quality for the price of the gun but i hope the rest of the gun is better. Also since it is so new I cant find any specific grips or know if any other shotgun could fit on it.

  • John Smith

    I like the heading of your Blog regarding “no politics”. I get so tired of sanctimonious individuals spewing political venom, intolerance, and hate on many other gun blogs instead of just engaging in intelligent
    discussions of firearms. Anyway, I just saw the Savage 350 self defense 12 gauge with the ghost ring site setup for $279 at dicks sporting goods. It seems well finished and to have a decent action. I have it on hold and will likely buy it, but would like to know if others have experienced the same issue as the gentleman who had the lifter and extractor issue. I plan on actually shooting it from time to time (maybe 25 to 50 shells in one session) to keep sharp and become familiar with its firing characteristics. I’d like it to go bang every time I fire it! Thx

  • Matt Ott

    My girlfriend just bought the Stevens 350 and we spent the weekend abusing it. She’s very happy with its construction, weight, functionality and price. She bought it without knowing anything about the brand, but was pleased to find out that it’s backed by Savage’s warranty as their customer service is great.

    The big selling point for my GF was the bottom eject, as she’s a lefty and most shotguns toss every other shell into her face.

    I’d say it’s a great budget shotgun, BUT, be sure you know what you’re getting before buying it.

    The positives – We put 200 rounds through it without a single misfire or jam. The feed & eject system is smooth and sturdy. The stock and foregrip coating seem to be holding up just fine. For us taller folks the stock’s drop-down made it really comfortable. It handled everything from 7 1/2 skeet loads to turkey and buckshot with very little recoil. My GF has tender shoulders and she fired 60+ rounds in short order with no pain or stiffness.

    The negatives (won’t effect 90% of users) – Not ideal for turkey hunting (main reason for us purchasing it) as alternate chokes may be impossible to find. For left handed shooters, the safety becomes a hassle as it is often clicked “ON” when squeezing the trigger, get this switched around asap. 5+1 capacity is great for American users interested in home defense, but it’s highly illegal here (2+1 capacity to be legal) so we’ve got to put our own plug in.

    If you’re looking for a sturdy, budget shotgun that looks great and fires well… I think this is a good buy.

    I haven’t fired a shotgun in close to 6 years, and I picked this thing up and nailed 44 of 50 skeets. It felt natural to me and I’ll probably be borrowing it more than my GF would like.

    • Killby

      The Winchester chokes fit in these guns just fine. I am using a Undertaker extra full turkey choke with no problems what so ever.

  • http://Savage/Stevens350PumpSecurity JD

    Thanks for all the good info guys. I just saw this gun in a Cabela’s flier ($219.99 with the ghost ring sights) and googled it to see the reviews. I always liked the M37 and immediately recognized this gun. Since it’s marketed as “Savage” I wasn’t sure of it’s origins. If it’s a Norinco I think I’ll try to find something else that fits my needs made domestically (USA).
    If it’s Chinese I’m guessing it’s metric, and that would be a big turn off for me as far as parts interchangeability.
    I’m curious if it has the “Slam Fire” capability as found on the original Browning design? That’s where if you hold the trigger in as you pump it fires as soon as it goes into battery. Nice feature in my opinion.

  • Joe M

    Just picked one of these up at Dunham’s for $189. Not bad at all. The kick isn’t bad for me (5 10, about 180 lbs), but a friend of mine of smaller stature got knocked around by it a couple times.

    It feels solidly manufacured. We only put 25 shells or so through it, but it felt solid and we had no problems with loading/jamming or with it not going boom when we hit the trigger like above.

    For the price I’m a satisfied customer. Now to find a good 20 gauge for the girl….

    • http://none RT Cooper

      RE: A 20g. Go to Walmart Sporting Goods Dept and check their stocking list for H&R “Pardner Pump Protector Pump Action Shotguns”. Available in 12 & 20 g @ $179. + Tx & Fone call. Looks like they’re all made in the same village in China. Not a bottom ejection re M-37, but a solid gun.

  • awrealtor

    I purchased the Stevens 350 tactical last month. While practicing loading it, It jammed on me. I had to take the barrel off to remove the shells and once I did that, the loading pin jammed. I had to send it back to the manufacture to be repaired. Once I got it back, it was okay. Like the ghost ring sights. It’s a decent shotgun for the price. I would recommend it for home defense. I will shoot it from time to time to make sure I have a feel for it and to give it some work. I will probably shoot 25 to 50 shells a year. I would like to hear other comments about this gun.

  • greenejn

    Where is the serial number on the Stevens 350 pump shotgun?

    Thanks

  • pumper760

    Hey guys i just bought a stevens 350 12 G its a damn great gun! put a few slugs threw a alder who needs chainsaw’s now days.. just curious if you guys had any issues with the trigger being intensley hard to pull..as soon as i tried it out i brought it back to the huntin store and they had no idea why it was like that..just wondering if im not the only one out there scratchin my head about this,

  • awrealtor

    @pumper760, If you haven’t gotten your answer yet, the serial number is located on the bottom of the gun just above the shell loader. Hope this helps you.

  • awrealtor

    Sorry pumper760, I sent my comment to the wrong person. My comment was meant for greenejn. The serial number is located on the bottom of the gun right above the shell loader. I hope this helps.

  • Smedley

    Pumper, I picked up a Stevens 350 a couple of weeks ago. I went up to the State Game Lands Public Shooting range to test fire it. The place was mobbed (Deer hunting opening day is upon us here), I didn’t feel like waiting around to test it so I left to try again another time. “Intensely Hard” trigger pull is a subjective term. Mine lets off at just under a 10lb. pull on a trigger guage. Hardly varmint rifle material, but I think I can live with it on a home defense shotgun. I suppose I could fiddle around with a honing stone and snipping a few coils off springs and such to achieve a better trigger pull but I’m not gonna. I’d rather have a stiff pull plus a big boom if I ever need to go down that road. I completely detail stripped the 350 the day after I got it. It’s just about 100% Ithaca 37 with one major exception, that being the dual slide bars. Dual slide bars being attached to the bolt slide piece via dual opposing spring loaded plungers. A bit different than the 37 but not hard to figure out during disassembly.
    I did remove the guts from a high brass round and popped a primer just to test ignition. The primer did POP! If you ever do “POP” just a primer to test ignition be advised that minus resistance up front, the primer tends to blow back out of it’s pocket in the shell. Makes ejection hard sometimes but it’s not indicative of a defect. I hope to take it back to the range soon to give a better review, maybe I post a video link or something. I read so many negative reviews on this gun, from what I’ve seen so far I’m glad I took them with a grain of salt.

  • Matt Ott

    My girlfriend experienced the stiff trigger problem, but that’s because she was firing it left-handed – as I explained in an earlier post – and every time she tried to squeeze the trigger, the safety pin started to slide over, making the trigger difficult to pull.

    I never felt it was stiff at all. No worse than any of the old mossbergs and remingtons i’ve fired anyways.

    We’ve now fired nearly 500 rounds out of it and haven’t had an issue at all. Had a couple eject hang ups, but that’s only because we didn’t slide the pump back fully.

  • Smedley

    Took my Stevens 350 up to our local indoor range today. Slugs are the only shotgun round permitted so that’s what I used to function/fire test with. 15 rounds of standard 12 gauge 2 3/4″, and 5 rounds of reduced recoil 2 3/4″ were used. 20 rounds is not enough to offer a definitive 5 star rating but it satisfied me that this gun is a valid contender in the “Home Defense” shotgun category. I started out only intending to make sure it worked, but I was pleased to find out I couldn’t miss a standard 25 yd. pistol target at 20 yd’s. I never attempted to adjust the Ghost Rings sights as this shotgun will be loaded exclusively with some form of Buck-Shot or another. Recoil was not that bad for me, but I only fired 20 rd’s, so I’ll leave that conclusion up to the individual user. Bottom line for me? It looks like the Stevens 350 will fill the role for which I intended it for “Home Defense.”
    I’m pleased with it.

  • Lkins80

    Has anyone used the 18″ barrel with slugs for deer hunting? Dick’s Sporting Goods is telling us that we can but in reading reviews we haven’t found any information confirming that.

  • ROB

    Well i’m afraid I have really got myself into a mess. I got the stevens 350 model. And I have a double feed. Ive tried a couple things to try and get it out, but I really dont want to mess with it to much without some help. Its different from any shotgun ive ever handled before because the shells eject out of the bottom. Any advice would be great and thank you.

  • awrealtor

    @Rob, I experienced the same problem when I first got my 350 pump action. I ended up taking the barrel off to remove the double feed, but it created a problem with the loading pin and I had to send it back to the manufacturer. They fixed it at no charge. When I got it back my local gunsmith told me that that happen because of the way I pumped it. He told me when I pump it, that I have to make sure that I really pump it because if I half do it, then I will get that double feed, which is also called a death jam. I took that advice and I haven’t had any problems since. I hope this information helps you.

  • ROB

    @awrealtor
    I would agree with your gunsmith 100%. I gave it a weak pump and sure enough I found myself with three hours of frustration. I did however manage to get the shells out. Now I wouldnt recommend this, as I am sure you all would agree, but I had to use a k-bar to pry up the extractor. The k-bar being the only thing strong enough to move it up enough for the shell to slide down. Maybe this will help in the future for someone in the same situation. Thanks guys.

  • Matt

    Anyone else getting fail to extract issues with this gun? I have this issue when firing cheap shells (Winchester Universal bulk pack 2 3/4″) and sometimes when firing Winchester Super X Buchshot 2 3/4″. The fired shell remains in the chamber. The action seems hard to work as well. Is this a break in thing? I’ve fired about 80 rounds through it so far.

    350 pump 18.25″ barrel – ghost ring sights

  • AL

    The Choate vers 2 pistol grip stock fits w/ some dremel work to the inside where some of the action goes into it, like the bolt? The forend works too if you dremel ALOT for the other action bar (RT). Love this shotgun. Hate the trigger, may try to get a trigger shoe.

  • Tom

    The Norinco YL12 series were sold in Canada a few years ago. They were total junk. Very rough, untuned actions, constant jams and failures of every kind. Most were returned to the company that sold them. A gent I know who is the Ithaca guru said they couldn’t be fixed even using Ithaca parts.
    An Ithaca was precision made and timed using factory jigs etc., the Chinese just put a bunch of junk together that looked similar.

    The stocks fit Ithaca, at least the one I tried did. The bolt that holds the stock on is metric, if you need a different length you get one from a fastener place. So, I’d take it that the threads are all metric. I doubt that any parts really swap over to an Ithaca even though they look similar.

    Now, if Stevens is selling them, hopefully these have been improved quite a bit…although reading a few of the comments with people having issues, I have to wonder.

    I can find used Ithaca M37′s at gun shows for like $150 and up…why bother with one of these?

    Why not support the new Ithaca Gun Company in Ohio and keep your business in North America? The Chinese are trying to put them out of business yet again.

    No, they don’t slamfire.

    http://www.ithacagun.com/

  • 350 owner

    matt, sounds like maybe a lemon. send it in for a warranty fix. all 350s ive handled are smoother than base 870s.. so u may have a burr in there somewhere

  • Matt

    ^^^ Thanks! I’ll send it in for warranty repair. I might return it if my retailer lets me do so (highly unlikely). I’ll keep everyone posted on what happens, as when I was looking to purchase this firearm, there were very few reviews posted. I’ll try to help others in their decision to purchase this firearm.

  • Cody

    I got the Steven’s 350 field/home defense combo and i have shot slugs, buck shots and bird shots out of it. I am extremely pleased with this gun. I went skeet shooting earlier today and hit about 97% of them. You cant beat this kind of deal! If your thinking about buying one, DO IT! also i love how it ejects from the bottom. No miss fires or problems at all.

  • http://www.meales.com.au/ meales

    That is a very nice shotgun, for some reason I still prefer pistol.

    • http://None Charles

      Duh, how about one of each??

  • William

    I purchased one a couple of months ago. Overall, I think its an okay gun. I did have the issue with it double feeding. I had to use a small screw driver to release the shell and then they both came out. Paid $275 at Dick’s Sporting goods. Kinda wish I spent a little more and got a mossburg, but its decent for a first shotgun.

  • William

    Also, I forgot to add that I found it quite difficult to add a sling to this gun. The swivel on the end of the gun is very close to the release for the barrel making it difficult to attach the sling.

  • Randy

    Does anyone know if any of the extended magazines for either 870′s or Mossberg 500′s will work with this gun?

  • William

    I’m not even sure you can add an extended magazine due to the release for the barrel being on the end of the magazine. But i’m not an expert.

  • AL

    There is no mag tube extension that would work for this weapon. It would require a different extended mag tube and a new barrel probably from Ithaca if the mag tube is the same thread into the receiver (unless pinned I am not sure about that). Or a gunsmith could remove the bbl attachment move it closer to the muzzle w/ the right length mag tube. More work and cost on a relatively low priced weapon. The best you could do to it currently is to get a better mag tube spring (Wolff) and mag follower (Choate). Attach some shell holders to the stock or receiver (two flat sides Le & Rt, recommend velcro on receiver and velcro backed shellholder) and practice some quick reloads.

  • AL

    Saw a combo model at a Big5 store; it was going for $269. It has the long 26″ vent rib & 18″ plain security bbl. But I am pretty sure that it has a longer mag tube than the security one I have w/ the GRS. The forearm does not look like the one above, fully forward there is a space between the muzzle end of the plastic forearm and the edge of the bbl attachment, about the length of a 2 3/4″ shell (so can easily attach a mag tube picatinny rail for a light!) so it may be 5+1 b/c mine is only 4+1 capacity

  • David Lyon

    If money is not an issue, what is the best pump
    12 g shot gun I can buy? Banelli? or other?

    • ryan

      either a mossberg 500 or the remington 87o both very reliable and proven for many years

    • http://thefirearmblog.com Bill from Boomhower, Texas

      David, you didn’t mention the intended use, but any older vintage 870 Wingmaster, Ithica 37, or Winchester model 12, or model 42 if you prefer .410ga. would be very, very reliable, and handle like nothing you could buy currently offered new today in a pump shotgun. just my personal experience and opinion. Browning’s BPS pump shotgun is supposed to be of very good quality, and highly thought of, however I have no experience with this gun. hope this helps.

  • Justin

    Hey guys, I have the savage arms 350 security pump. I have been looking for the blackhawk collapsible stock for this shotgun. Can anyone tell me where I can find a collapsible stock for the savage arms 350 security pump? Thanks in advance!

  • EH

    I purchased a 350 over a month ago. It handles good and has a good pattern, but I have a problem with it “short cycling” on the first two rounds. The action will go back enough to drop the empy, but not far enough to pick up and load the next round. It does this with both light and heavy loads, buck shot and turkey loads. I am using new ammo, mostly Winchester and Federal. Any ideas?

  • MEATFIST

    Just to add one more thing.. I don’t know or have done the research on it yet, but some of you if you’re serious about this shotgun might wanna call Savage and or research a reliable info source review on the shotgun.. As I understand from the one I checked out, it was a contracted US based manufacturer for Savage; most if not all assembled parts’r manufactured overseas.. If Savage wanna cut corners, word will surely spread.. At least if they’re gonna go import, for fucks sake at least have that shit assembled here for better quality control….. That’s all I got, It’s late, Hope this helps you readers!

  • EH

    Gun malfunctioned again last week. Took it back to the dealer without clearing and had the on-site gunsmith look at it again. He said that it was a timing issue and needed to go back to Savage. He also said that that is not the first one to have this problem. Will probably trade after repair since a defensive firearm that is not reliable is of no use.

  • russell

    I bought this shotgun a few weeks ago…since then i have taken it to the range and put everything from a lite game load..double O buck…some crazy fast turkey load from Winchester..and police issue slugs from the gun show..ran everything with no issues what so ever…for under $200 I plan on buying a couple more..anyone complaining about it either doesn’t know how to handle a shotgun and cryin’ about how it doesn’t feed/eject..or..boo freakin’ whoo..it’s made in China…My question is…What isn’t made in China?….go buy one ..you will not be disappointed.

    • http://thefirearmblog.com Bill from Boomhower, Texas

      This message is for Russell, who posted way back on June 18th, 2011. Basically, I feel the same way you do about the Chinese thing. it may not be that new owners are inept, but that the new guns may have metal shavings along with cosmoline that left un cleaned before initial use, could cause them undue problems with their new purchase. Just a consideration. also, I’ve been reading that the 350 likes to be cycled in a firm, positive manor, quickly, which may make sense because of inershia and physics of a bottom feed/bottom eject gun. I guess the point of my post is that I bought the 350 Security w/18.5″bbl, ghost ring, 5 plus 1, etc. on August 25th this year, and actually have not had a chance to fire it yet. I wanted the Norinco 982, [think Rem 870] but at the time all the stores were sold out.[OBAMA has had an epic year promoting gun sales] I love 870s, and will have one yet, but Academy had these for $197.00, and I thought; Why not both? The 870 is a pack horse for every option you can hang on it, and I knew the Stevens would have to do like it comes. I’m ok with that, it is almost perfect the way it comes, for my purposes. I would like to find the TacStar 6 shot shell holder that is apparently now discontinued,and a ring or mount for a single point sling, and some sort of compact laser that would permit un-obtrusive scabbard use. My question to you Russell is, now that you’ve had yours for a while, do you still feel the same about it? Have you had any issues? If you ever see my response to this old posting of yours, or for anyone else who’d like to share with me personally, please e-mail me at; [email protected]. I’m glad I stumbled onto this thread, and would like to know of more like it purtaining to this gun. Thanks to all.

  • Matt

    ^^ Just because it’s made in China is absolutely no reason that the product shouldn’t perform the most basic functions it was designed to do. Period. Could I have bought a better quality firearm made in USA? Probably. However, my comment above still stands.

    This is in regards to my other post on Dec 22/10:

    “Anyone else getting fail to extract issues with this gun? I have this issue when firing cheap shells (edited June 30, 2011 -actually ALL shells) (Winchester Universal bulk pack 2 3/4″) and sometimes when firing Winchester Super X Buckshot 2 3/4″. The fired shell remains in the chamber. The action seems hard to work as well. Is this a break in thing? I’ve fired about 80 rounds through it so far.

    350 pump 18.25″ barrel – ghost ring sights”

    While I won’t have the opportunity to shoot the gun until this week-end, I did have it repaired. The spring on the extractor was bent (likely from the factory). I had that replaced at a cost of $56 (Gunsmith). I still suspect it to have a tight chamber but we shall see this week-end.

    Wish me luck!
    Hope I don’t shoot my eye out ;)

    Matt

  • Tom

    I’m not terribly surprised by a new shooter being shocked to discover that if you pull back on the forend the action moves and that the gun won’t fire with the bolt out of battery — I AM however surprised at the claim that an experienced 3-gun shooter had the same problem.

  • Ty

    I got mine today and it is well made. Took it to the range and put a couple of boxes of shells through it. No jams. Mine has the ghost ring sights.

    $217 and change out the door at Academy Sporting Goods!
    A damn good value!

    I have a Remington 1187 Police model sem-auto and a
    Winchester Model 1897 pump (made in 1916) but I wanted a
    decent modern pump gun.

    At that price, it was irresistable!

  • Nolan

    Just purchased the Stevens 350 and love it. I had an old Ithicia years ago and always wanted another bottom eject. The gun is solid and performs well with heavy loads. However, this gun does not like short brass and will not eject short brass without a struggle.

  • Dave R

    Gentleman, I just purchased a Stevens 350 combo (18″ & 26″ Barrels rear ghost sights and front post sight on the 18,” front bead sight on the 26″), from Dick’s Sporting Goods for $269.00. My reason for buying this gun seems to be the same as most of you for home defense. This is a crazy unpredictable world we live in and God forbid anyone of us should have to use it to defend our home. That said does anyone know if there is a tactual stock or laser sight available for this gun? What loads do you recommend and does anyone have any experience with using reloads? By the way, I think collectively the comments on this post are great and very helpful.

  • jack

    just looked at one at academy sports.prefer the 3rd one pictured with no sights.one less thing to get snagged. want one with pistol grip.is there one available?the one at academy was stamped made at a machine works(forgot name)U.S.A. for stevens.$200.

  • Jim Sr.

    Here are answers to several questions about the 350 model:
    http://dominionoutdoors.ca/2011/02/04/stevens350-review/

    So take good care of that finish.

  • Matt

    Hi guys,

    Further to my first review and subsequent update, I am still having issues with this gun. Even after the gunsmithing service above, the gun still fails to eject spent shells ~75% of the time. This is with various shot sizes of birdshot, buckshot, and slugs.

    Further more, and even more shocking, is that my stock is coming apart from the receiver. It appears that the recoil of the shells is causing the stock to twist and deform (!).

    So that brings the problems to three things so Far:

    1. Spring for the extractor was damaged
    2. The stock is coming apart due to the recoil
    3. The firearm fails to eject 75% of shells, with a variety of loads

    Keep in mind, I’ve only fired less than 250 rounds through this gun.

    You can see what I’m talking about with problem #2 with these pics:

    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/img0043nm.jpg/
    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/img0044jl.jpg/
    http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/img0045rx.jpg/

    Buyer beware! I’m hoping to get a refund from Savage.

    • Mike

      Matt, I wonder if the drop of the stock and its fit to your shoulder has something to do with the damage you are seeing.I’d just send it to Savage for a new stock.

  • kyrie

    i wonted to know can i put a pistol grip on my stevens 350 pump security shotgun

  • Nick

    I bought a Stevens 350 and took it to the range. I was a bit apprehensive but when I fired the first shot it was right on target. Round after round the gun worked smoothly and I was glad that all the BS about the gun being cheap or poor quality was false. The 350 shoots just as good as a Remington 870 which I have or Mossberg 500. I also shot 1oz. Rifled Slug, 3 Plated 00 Buck and demolished the targets. Its a great gun.

  • Nick

    Another recommendation is to buy your 350 from a reputable dealer. The damaged stock mentioned by Matt does not look original. It looks more like an imitation of the Stevens 350. Mine is solid, and I shot it alot, all kinds of rounds (no jamming) wish I could post a pic but don’t know how. The only other thing I could imagine is that if Matt’s gun is original then someone may have messed with it prior to being sold. The gun has factory warranty.

  • Matt

    To the above poster:

    I believe the stock is original, as I bought it in a sealed unopened box from a reputable dealer. Also, I’m in Canada so the stock MAY be different due to different legislation affecting firearm lengths.

    Anyways, I still haven’t had time to deal with Stevens about this yet. I’ll keep everyone posted though for the (very) few who may care.

    Matt

  • Jim B

    I purchased a Stevens model 350 for $279 at Dick’s Sporting goods. It came with an 18.5 inch barrel and a 28 inch barrel. I had arrived at the store with the intention of buying a Mossberg 500 8 + 1 persuader, but just as I was about to start the paperwork I noticed this little guy. I am a huge fan of Savage and have always appreciated their mid priced, no nonsense approach. I knew nothing about this shotgun but I took a chance, and I’m very happy I did.

    I took my new baby home and began my usual cleaning/familiarization routine. I quickly realized that something was amiss. I was unable to get rounds to cycle from the magazine to the chamber. I found no mention online of related problems, but I did stumble across an Ithaca model 37 manual here:

    http://stevespages.com/pdf/ithaca_3787.pdf

    I can personally attest to the fact that this shotgun is an exact copy of the venerable 37 with one difference, the 350 has two action bars rather than the 37′s one. This strikes me as the only improvement anyone could make to this fine design.

    In the end, it turns out that my shotgun was assembled without properly securing the carrier to the receiver. Once I sorted that out, I lubed it her up and reassembled. Once that was accomplished, the rounds practically rocketed into place!

    Yesterday I finally got out to the range and put 50 rounds of birdshot through her. Everything worked perfectly. (it is, after all based on a Browning design…)

    Fit and finish are what you would expect for a Chinese made firearm, workable but not pretty. Since this was intended to be an HD weapon, I think the uglier the better. Functionally, this Shotgun is superb. I had zero problems with feeding and spent shells were ejected to the front. The sights are adjustable Ghost rings and the angle/drop of the stock causes the shotgun to be ready to go when brought to your shoulder. The trigger is VERY heavy, but it breaks nicely. All in all, this would a great firearm for inexpensive home defense.

    • Chad

      Newbie question.
      How do you load 5+1?
      I can only fit 1 in the barrel and 4 in the mag tube?
      What am I doing wrong?

      • ace

        Unscrew the nut at the end of the magazine, turn the barrel, take off the cap, take out the spring and plug. Put the spring back in and cap back on, move the barrel into place and continue to tighten nut. And your golden.

  • jesse

    OK so i just bought a Stevens 350 Pump Field/Security Combo it came with a modified choke and I’m looking for a full choke but i don’t know what kind to get. Do anyone know what chokes will work in my gun? I’ve looked everywhere but nothing. Please help!

  • AL

    somewhere on this site someone posted that Winchester chokes fit the Savage 350.

    • Bill

      According to the owners manual the barrel will accept WinChoke tubes

  • Bill

    I got the Savage/Stevens 350 yesterday. Thankfully I read some of ya’lls comments and was prepared before I shot it. Trigger sucks and sometimes the shells had to be forced a little into the chamber. I fed everything from low brass, high brass, buckshot, 3 inch turkey magnum, and slugs from good to cheap stuff thru it. I have only put 70-80 rounds thru it. So far no jams, misfires or double load. Shot pattern is low to the right but slugs are dead on thru factory mod choke tube. Bought a Carlson turkey choke tube and pattern was still low right but not bad. I haven’t tried the short barrel yet. For the money I give it a thumbs up. Browning Invector, Mossberg 500, and most Winchester chokes will fit this gun. Hope this helps.

  • Jason

    Hey all. I own a stevens 350 shotgun with ghost ring sights and want to see if anyone of you guys or gals that have the field barrel, (28 inch) are intrested in selling. I`m looking for the 28 inch barrel only. If so, please contact me with your price and barrel condition either by e-mail or my cell. Thanks so much. Jason.
    [email protected]
    580-512-5603

    • AL

      Jason you may want to call Savage for parts. Make sure you let them know which mag capacity you have (there are two models out there, different underlug spacing). You would have to remove your rear ghost ring sights if you want to use the longer ribbed barrel.

  • WDfrmTN

    Got one for my youngest son and wife.
    Two boxes of shells through it so far with no problems.

    • Nick

      You do not have to remove the ghost ring to use the 28˝ barrel. The additional height of the vent rib plus the additional length make the ghost ring work just fine with either barrel. Obiously you need to sight it in after you switch barrels. The combo that comes with both barrels has the ghost ring.

  • Ted

    It seems with all products a certain percent of defective ones manage to slip out the factory door. Thats just the way it is, especially with products like guns that have a fair share of moving parts. Most of the time it is something simple. It is frustrating when it happens, but it always will to a degree.

  • shawn

    I bought one of the model350 shotguns with both barrels and have shot the short barrel with many boxes of shells and I LOVE IT!!!! Can’t complain about it at all compared to the wore out junker I got rid of. Will be buying another one someday.

    • Al

      Good for you. I have the 1 less capacity ghost ring sight model. I want to buy the one you have and replace the stocks with wood. I ran mine dry the other day. It didn’t like it so added some oil and it was back and running great.

  • Roger Corley

    I know this is all about the 350, but I bought the 320. I preferred the standard shotgun grip to the pistol grip. Do any of the issues listed apply to the 320?

  • Randy

    I bought my 250 last year. Yesterday was the first time I had a chance to shoot the thing – what an awful gun to shoot. I’ve shot my share of 870′s and 500′s (even other Stevens and savages) but this thing is horrible. The only thing I can figure is the way the stock slopes (not somewhat inline like 870′s or 500′s) that that causes less energy to be dissipated through the stock like other shotguns so it pushes that energy not only back but back and down as well. I will figure a way to put a pistol grip on it and use it for breaching and put my 500 back in service as my primary.

  • Ron S

    I bought my Stevens 350 with the 18″ barrel last fall. I’ve been out with it a handful of times and I continue to have the gun jamb often. Its not ejecting the spent shells. Any ideas on how to fix?

    • AL

      That is a different model than the 350, you may have more help on another more model specific thread/blog. Does the rectangular cutout have a sling bar? like many old wood military buttstocks?

      • http://deleted AL

        Sorry Ron S I meant to reply to Ed P. you may need to oil it and make sure you run the pump forcefully. Make sure the ejector/bolt is free from debris. Did you clean and re oil it after you bought it?

    • http://FirearmBlog Jay

      I have the Stevens 350 with the ghost ring sites, which is different from the 320 in that it does not have the pistol grip. I have not had any problems with FTE only with FTL. That went away after I took apart the mag tube and lubricated it.

      As for your problem, is your FTE on the 1st or last round? What are you shooting when you get the FTE…2.75″, 3″ Magnum, reloads, low recoil LE, rifled slugs, 00, 0, 1, 4, or bird shot?

      Are you loading it with one in the pipe and then a filling the mag tube?

      Is the FTE intermittent like 1 every, every other, every 3rd, every 5th or every 15th shell?

      If you haven’t already, I would first attempt to identify what it is NOT by doing the following:

      1. clean, lubricate, cycle with pump and without shells
      2. check operation of mag tube to make sure it runs smoothly and no obstacles…lube tube with Remington teflon spray and wipe clean
      3. using both 2.75″ and 3″ shells and progressively work through loads of 1, 2, 3 and 4 shells, cycle with pump action only…do not fire
      4. cycle 4-5 shells through it with the pump action only to make sure that it is working smoothly

      After you have done the above, then do some live fire testing. Buy 3 or 4 different types of shells (00, 1 or 4, 7 as a min) from different shell manufacturer’s and run 4 through for each type and manufacturer then mix them up alternating different types and manufacturers to see if the problem persists.

      If the problem is still there, then it is not the ammo and not the mag tube feed and what remains is the answer…mechanical failure of the extraction cycle and you should return it to Savage/Steven’s for warranty repair or replacement.

      JH
      Boron, CA

  • Ed P.

    i recently purchased a Stevens 320 Pump shotgun (its a tactical with pitol grip and butt design) my question is what is the whole in the butt for ? (goes clear through and is rectangle) and was wondering if this is where the sling might go through and if so which sling will fit it , it has a sling holeder all ready on tube where you unscrew it to disasemble it. please can anyone help ?

    • http://deleted AL

      A two point sling would work, on the buttstock you would run the strap through the cutout and then attach a metal triglide; run it through it so it is trapped on the other side.

    • http://thefirearmblog.com Bill from Boomhower, Texas

      Yes Ed, if you haven’t already been advised, the 320 is supposed to be a Winchester 1300 clone, for whatever it’s worth to you, possibly trying to procure dis-assembly instructions, aftermarket accessories, Smithing tips or tecniques, etc. I have no experience with the 1300, but I did buy one of the 350s about a month ago, which is the Ithica model 37 clone. That’s the model the guys here are talking about. I’ve only fired 2 rnds, but Ireally like this one a lot. Hope you are happy with yours as well. Now, I want to get a Norinco 982, the Remington 870 clone. Good luck with yours. Most feed/eject problems you may develope, can be rectified by field stripping,and thoroughly cleaning the cosmoline initially, minor sanding/buffing bearing surfaces of the action, and firing a lot of ammo, which over time will loosen and smooth the action. in lieu of that, purchase half a dozen Snap-Caps. Spend many evenings when you can’t spend money on gas, ammo, and the time involved, watching TV, whiledry-firing, reloading, and doing it some more. If you don’t piss-off the wife first, you’ll wind up breaking-in your weapon so that it’ll smooth up really nice for you. A lot of the stuff complained about here in these threads, can be overcome by these methods. Happy trails Ed.

  • Don G.

    I bought mine with an 18″ snout for $200. It is a great buy, but you do have to clean and lube before you go to the range. Keep it lubricated. If you have any problems, contact Savage. They have always been very helpful with the few problems I’ve had over the years.

  • Dennis Brown

    The Stevens 350 Security performs well. The recoil is moderate and user friendly. Ghost ring sights were dead on accurate at about 20 yards, with 00 buck shot and rifled slugs. I only have one complaint. The packing oil is very thick and heavy, causing the slide in the reward position to stick somewhat. My wife had difficulty racking the slide like this. I disassembled the shotgun, against the advise of the owners manual, and cleaned the heavy oil off, oiling it with a lighter gun oil. My advise is to have someone with a lot of experience like a gunsmith, take it apart and clean it up. There is a trick to putting it back together, that took me a while, but I finally did it.

    • jammer

      Hello,

      I just recently bought a Stevens 320. Overall, ran about 80 rounds and smooth as silk. But I do have an issue I am hoping someone can shed some light on. This is my first shotgun, but I have plenty of other guns.

      issue one: Owners manual indicated shotgun’s safety can be worked BEFORE cycling. That is, the shotgun allows you to depress safety to right and thus engaging safety before you rack the firearm. Mine only allows safety to be engaged AFTER you at least pull forearm back to open bolt. Rifle safeties generally cannot be depressed until action cycled, but is this normal for shotgun?

      issue two: slide stop. I can rack the shotgun so forearm comes back to open bolt BEFORE engaging the slide stop. Most shotguns require you to engage slide stop to allow forearm retraction right? The owner’s manual seems to indicate you CAN pump the shotgun WITHOUT engaging slide stop first, and only need to engage it if forearm is “locked” forward. What do you guys think?

  • johny lunchmeat

    I’m trying to find a collapsible stock that will fit a brolin arms 12gauge pump. Any suggestions ???????

  • Hytecredneck

    I bought the Savage Model 350 Security and made the mistake of shooting it without going through it and cleaning out the heavy assembly grease. It jammed repeatedly and at one point I wanted to wrap it around a nearby tree.
    So this morning I disassembled it and found some issues that I should share. The bolt and slide assembly had some burs that I filed away and took some 2000 grit sand paper to the surfaces that rub against each other. These surfaces are easy to spot due to the wear marks. I polished them to a mirror like finish. Removed all the heavy grease from the factory, cleaned out the mag-tube and polished the follower as it had burs as well. Lightly oiled it and put it back together. It now feeds and ejects flawlessly and the action is super smooth. This is a low budget shot gun made in China and I should have known better than to fire it without checking their craftsmanship..I use that term loosely. Many of the larger internal parts are in need of some fine tuning and polishing. Like I said these surfaces are where metal rides across other metal, where they slide in the channels inside the receiver, etc. This gun has a few tricky steps in getting it back together properly. Here are a couple of youtube videos showing step by step breakdown and reassembly.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5oSp5UWrrQ
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5laT_vb3cQY

    I have found that this gun does not like cheap low brass loads. I hope this helps you guys that are having feeding and ejecting issues.

  • Ross

    In New Zealand, I’ve recently bought a Norinco YL12-IJ2 and it looks identical internally to the Stevens 350 on the teardown videos etc – maybe they both come out of the same factory in China?

    I too have had trouble with the shotgun failing to feed from the magazine onto the lifter. I have worked out that with my shotgun, if I apply forwards pressure to the foregrip when firing, that the action remains in battery and that when I subsequently pump the foregrip, that the magazine correctly feeds a fresh round out onto the lifter.
    However, when I apply rearwards pressure to the foregrip when firing (pulling the shotgun back into my shoulder with both hands), the action comes out of battery and when I pump the foregrip as far back as it will go the magazine fails to release a fresh round as it is hung up on the forwards magazine shell catch. (when the action is locked up, the bolt carrier is supposed to release the forward shell catch so that the rim of the shell can move backwards until it reaches the rear shell catch).

    I figure that what is happening is that when I fire it, the shells stay in the same place (inertia) whilst the shotgun recoils (in relative terms, the shells move up the tube magazine away from the receiver), and by the time the magazine spring pushes the shells back towards the receiver, the bolt carrier has moved far enough backwards that the front shell catch has re-engaged, preventing a shell from reaching the rear shell catch (which is tripped when the bolt carrier gets to the rear of the receiver and the lifter is down ready to receive a fresh shell).

    Any ideas about how to fix this? it feels really weird pushing forwards on the foregrip whilst pulling back at the same time with my trigger hand.

  • Jon

    Ok guys, just got mine home and gave it the “dry run”. When I load 4 or more rounds in the tube, it double feeds and jams it up. Not very impressive for a home defense type shotgun. Anybody have this problem and know of any fixes? I’ve never even fired it. Also, I’d like to point out that I’ve owned many, many shotguns in my life. Haha. It’s not a user-inept issue I swear!

    • Anthony

      I had the same problem when I first got mine. My gun dealer calls it a death jam. I had to take the barrel off to release it, but be careful, I ended up damaging my loading pin. My gun dealer sent it back and they repaired it for free. It works fine now, but I eventually upgraded and only shoot the 350 on occasion. Good Luck!

  • Joe

    It happened to me too when i first got my 350 but then i realized if i pump it with force when the gun is level it never happens it only does it when you dont pump the gun like you mean it

  • Joe

    I too had the problem of double feeds when i first got it and didnt understand its quirks after that i researched online and found out that when you pump the gun with force it doesnt happen and for awhile now ive been trying to get another double feed and it doesnt happen when the gun is level and you pump it with force its like limpwristing a pistol when you hold it right it doesnt ever happen.