Savage 320 20 Youth Field Grade Gauge Review

The Winchester Model 1300 was arguably the most underrated pump-action shotgun of its twenty-four hour period. Durable, affordable and reliable, it functioned most smoothly under recoil.

Unfortunately this tendency perhaps impaired its popularity, every bit consumers who merely worked the action in a gun shop failed to appreciate its slickness. The 1300 ceased production in 2006, joining the temporary demise of the Model 70 burglarize and others. However, with its patent now expired, Savage Arms has revived the classic design with the Stevens 320 shotgun.

"The 320 is essentially a reproduction of the old Winchester, and we think it's a really good copy," says Pecker Dermody, manager of marketing for Roughshod Artillery. "We kept the features and materials very similar, considering we believe the design has been pretty much proven over the years."

Mechanically speaking, the 320 sports few departures from the last 1300s made. The centre of the action is a iv-lug, rotating bolt head that achieves sturdy lockup when slid frontwards to meet the barrel extension. The fore-end utilizes dual activity bars to prevent binding, and the slide release is located on the left side of the receiver just behind the trigger guard.

Even its 133/4-inch length of pull is identical to the 1300's in the terminal year of product. In t-shirt weather, that'southward an inch curt for my preference, but the 320 fit quite well with my heavy duck parka and didn't snag when mounting. Such was the case when a presumably lost drake bufflehead rocketed over my decoys amidst a small Pennsylvania creek. I snapped the 320 into position, but in my hurried excitement I thumbed for the wrong safety location. The 320'south cross-bolt safety lies forrard of the trigger baby-sit, an platonic place, equally it allows both safety and trigger to be operated with i backward motility of the index finger. It'south fast, ergonomic and uncomplicated—except in the hands of a bumbling outdoor writer. All I could do was swing the barrel ahead of the bufflehead and say "blindside" as it went off in search of more advisable habitat. A pair of mallards was shortly less fortunate.

The 320 swings fairly well, despite being besides butt-heavy for my taste. With a residuum signal about a quarter inch forward of the barrel extension, noticeably more than weight is placed in the fore-end hand. Plenty prefer such forwards heft, but to me it fosters a sense of unwieldiness.

Aesthetically the 320 is like to its Winchester ancestor, salvage the ambitious, direct-line grooves on the fore-end and grip. The texturing provides solid purchase and, I suspect, is easier to industry—if non less attractive—than the 1300'due south checkering.

Similar the Winchester, the 320's action may be hands underestimated. When cycled without the assistance of recoil, it feels a tad clunky, namely considering resistance varies as the action is opened. With the added inertia of recoil, however, the gun runs pretty darn smoothly. Make no mistake, this is non the slickest activeness on the market place, but it'southward satisfactory.
That's especially truthful when considering its rather remarkable price indicate of about $250—more than than $100 less than the last Winchester 1300s offered and well below about comparable pump-actions. How is Stevens keeping the cost and then low? Dermody cites proprietary manufacturing techniques, only unlike the 1300—which was made in New Haven, Conn.—the 320 is produced in a newly constructed factory in a remote region of China. In other words, where labor comes cheaper.

"When you start talking about the prices we hit with Stevens, importing is really the key to pulling it off," Dermody explains. "We haven't still figured out how to hitting those targets domestically with a production like that."

Materials may also play a role in shaving costs. The 320's hollow, composite stock is accompanied by a rather hard, basic rubber recoil pad. When you shoot 3-inch magnums, you know information technology. This is a no-frills shotgun, but the price reflects that.

I am otherwise impressed with the 320's construction. The simple pump-action arrangement is composed of robust parts that I'm convinced will agree up to rigorous use. I've thus far hunted with information technology in sleet, snow and freezing cold without a hiccup. Fit is better than most price-signal guns, and the matte-black end is well applied.

The best value available in the 320 line is hands the Field Grade/Security Combo. For an extra $30, you lot go the standard 28-inch field-class barrel with ventilated rib, plus an eighteen.5-inch, stock-still-cylinder butt. By simply swapping barrels after your bird hunt, you have an acceptable home-defense or fifty-fifty close-range predator setup.

Range testing revealed a point-of-aim bear upon and squeamish, compatible patterns with a variety of loads. With a modified asphyxiate, pheasant loads including Federal Premium Prairie Tempest (23/4-inch, 11/iv-ounce No. 5) and Winchester Super Pheasant (23/4-inch, 13/8-ounce No. v) averaged 55 percent patterns in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards. Duck loads including Federal Premium Black Cloud (3-inch, xi/four-ounce No. ii) and Winchester BlindSide (3-inch, 11/4-ounce No. ii) were slightly tighter, budgeted sixty percent.

In curt, I'one thousand more than satisfied with how the Stevens 320 shoots, and I'1000 left with a pleasant opinion of it overall. It's well-made, its action is based on 1 of my favorite designs, and its cost is pretty tough to beat.

Technical Specifications:

Type:pump-action shotgun
Estimate/Sleeping accommodation: 1 2/3"
Capacity: 5+1 (2¾" shells)
Barrel: 28"; vent rib, threaded for WinChoke tubes
Sights: brass front dewdrop
Safety: cantankerous-bolt
Trigger: 6.7-lb. pull weight
Stock: black constructed; LOP 13 3/4"; drop at heel two one/2"; driblet at comb 1¾"
Metal Stop: matte blackness
Overall Length:48.75"
Weight: vii.45 lbs.
Accessories: modified choke tube
MSRP: $251

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Source: https://www.americanhunter.org/content/hardware-stevens-320-field-grade/

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