Pump shotguns are perhaps the backbone of the shotgun market.They offer reliable function for an affordable price while still taking on nearly every duty a shotgun might be charged with. Today we are taking a look at one of these affordable options, we will be reviewing the Savage Stevens 320 Field Combo. A combination shotgun that comes with both a 28-inch hunting barrel and an 18.5-inch security barrel.

The Stevens 320 action is a rotating-bolt pump-action, the bolt-carrier changes the linear motion of the pump into a rotating action where the bolt engages the breech of the barrel. The gun is fed from a tubular magazine that holds 5-rounds when the plug is removed.

While the 28-inch barrel has the traditional rib with a sight-bead at the front, the shorter 18.5-inch barrel has just a simple bead. The aluminum alloy receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting a sight rail to allow additional sight options.

Controlling the operation of the Stevens 320 is done using the pump, trigger, safety, and an action release located on the trigger-guard. There are sling-mounting studs on the front and back of the shotgun for those who intend on packing it very far. The synthetic furniture of the 320 is impervious to bad weather for those who thirst for the torture of waterfowling.

Stevens 320 Background

Savage has been around for quite some time in the American firearms market. The Stevens name comes from the late 19th century manufacturer that was later purchased by Savage. After the end of the Great War, Savage and Stevens continued making firearms as independent brands. In more recent times like the current century, Savage brought back the Stevens name, releasing several models branded so. It appears to at least the author that the Stevens name is being used to delineate between American made Savage products and foreign built Stevens models.  

The Stevens model 320 copies much of the design from the very popular Winchester model 1300 shotgun. Using the same rotating bolt design and other features of the iconic Winchester whose demise came a short few years before the Stevens 320 was released. I remember those dark times when Winchester died …

For now, the Stevens 320 shotguns are manufactured in China, and imported to the US by Savage for sale here. It’s a long way from Shandong Province to Westfield Massachusetts, but the popularity of this shotgun would suggest they are doing a good job there.

Stevens 320 Features

1 Synthetic Stock

Black matte synthetic stock

2 Rotary Bolt

Dual slide-bars and rotary bolt

3 Sights

Bead sights

4 Interchangeable barrels

Includes two interchangeable barrels: 28″ and an 18.5″

5 Magazine

Bottom-loading tube magazine, five-plus-one capacity

6 Sling

Dual Sling studs front and rear

Stevens 320: Pros and Cons

I have been pretty happy with my purchase of this gun so far. I’ve already mentioned it shoots well, and hasn’t malfunctioned a single time yet. It is affordable for even the most economically challenged amongst us, and it comes with some great features like the extra barrel, and drilled receiver. 

Honestly the only thing I could count against this little shotgun is its foreign manufacture. I don’t like sending money overseas, especially to China. But it’s become very hard not to these days as our own manufacturing industry decays.

Stevens 320 Review

I bought this gun for one of my boys, his curiosity for duck hunting and shooting in general made this an easy choice. After pulling the gun from the box, he excitedly put it together. It did take us a second to avoid getting the barrel and bolt locked together before fully assembled, but we figured it out. 

It took very little coaxing to get the boys out of the house to give the gun a good workout. We loaded a case of ammunition and a few boxes of clays before heading into the mountains. Over the course of several hours, the boys, my brother and myself gave the Stevens 320 a good thrashing. Using both barrels to get the whole combo experience. 

Shootability

Growing up, my little brother had a Winchester model 1300. So being a close copy the Stevens 320 was very familiar to me, which made it easy to run well. The light weight of the 320 made it easy and quick to throw left and right chasing targets. 

The longer 28-inch barrel is ideal for going after airborne targets like clays and birds. Its flat rib and bead make sighting after targets easy. The Modified choke that comes included with the gun was pretty middle of the road, which I’d expect if you are only going to include one. 

After we swapped the barrels out for the 18.5-inch Security barrel, the gun became even faster to swing, and get on targets. It was a little more sporting to go after clays with no rib under the bead, but we still had some success. The short barrel was fantastic for dumping heavy loads into close targets, It would be a great asset for bump in the night operations.

Reliability

We shot nearly half-a-case of ammo through the 320 that first trip. And we’ve shot easily another half through it since. Not once during our testing did the Stevens not function as expected. The simplicity of the pump-action manifests over and over, using a variety of ammunition of both 1-oz and various 1-⅛-oz loads. 

Ergonomics

As a bargain priced shotgun, I wasn’t expecting world class ergos. I was expecting something that most anyone could make work. And that is exactly what we experienced, between half a dozen shooters. Both my brother and I (six-footers) felt quite comfortable manipulating the 320, and the younger boys did too. Even our 12-year-old had no problem running the gun. The grip angle is comfortable and thin enough for most hands, and the foregrip is long enough that shooters of nearly any wingspan can operate it properly.

The other controls were also easy to accommodate, even for my son who happens to be wrong-handed. 

Accuracy

Shot patterns from shotguns are pretty self-explanatory. You need only try a variety of ammo until you get the pattern you desire. The only thing I would have preferred with this gun is if it had come with a choke selection instead of only one. That might make it easier to adjust the pattern for a specific purpose. 

Value

Having shot this gun quite a bit, and having spent my own money on it, I feel it is an outstanding value. If you look in the right places this gun can currently be had for as little as $220, which is a downright steal for a good gun that will likely last this kid a lifetime. I wasn’t surprised that there were a few edges that weren’t perfect, and some tool marks here and there. But it’s hard to believe they can even make money on a gun at that price until you consider it’s made in China.

Preferred Ammunition

We shot a bunch of Winchester Super Target 1-⅛ oz loads as well as Remington Gun Club 1-⅛ oz loads. We also shot some Fiocchi Field Dynamics 1 oz loads, all of which worked perfectly.

Accessories

I would happily put a scope rail on this gun if I was going to use it for turkeys or something like that. For that I would add this EGW scope rail to mount either sights or a red dot like the Holosun 507 Comp with its ring reticle.

The sling studs make it stupid easy to attach a sling, so I would go with something like this VISM Bandolier sling. It would attach easily with its included swivels. You could also add a magazine extension like this one from Choate.

Last Words

Perhaps the best way to evaluate a gun is whether you feel your money was well spent. And I for sure feel that way, and I perhaps might do it again just to have another one of these while they are so cheap.

Important Links And Manuals For Your Stevens 320

Looking for more info on the Stevens 320? Check out this video below on cleaning and maintenance for your Stevens 320: