Stevens is Savage Arms’ line of affordable, reliable shotguns. In fact, we currently their 555 over/under in for testing and review (look for that soon). Today, though, comes word of a new addition to the line: the Stevens 301 Single Shot break action shotguns. They come in 12, 20 and .410 gauges and include a couple of compact models that are great for teaching the kids to shoot. Here’s their press release:

SUFFIELD, Connecticut – July 7, 2017 – Stevens by Savage Arms is pleased to offer practical hunters more performance from the trusted single-shot, break-action shotgun platform with the rugged and reliable new Stevens 301. Shipments of these firearms are currently being delivered to dealers.

The Stevens 301 features a crisp, reliable break action and rugged, modern synthetic stock that withstands even brutal abuse afield. It is available in .410, as well as 12- and 20-gauge models.

Features & Benefits
• Single-shot shotgun
• Break action
• Standard and compact models available
• Rugged synthetic stock

Part No. / Description / MSRP
22557 / 301 Single Shot, 12-gauge, 26-inch barrel / $173
22558 / 301 Single Shot, 20-gauge, 26-inch barrel / $173
22559 / 301 Single Shot Compact, 20-gauge, 22-inch barrel / $173
19201 / 301 Single Shot, .410, 26-inch barrel / $173
19202 / 301 Single Shot Compact, .410, 22-inch barrel / $173

Stevens by Savage Arms is a brand of Vista Outdoor Inc., an outdoor sports and recreation company. To learn more about Savage Arms, visit www.savagearms.com.

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29 COMMENTS

    • Even with a 22″ barrel the single shot Stevens will still have a shorter OAL than a Remington or Mossburg with an 18″ tactical barrel. Since the end of the barrel is essentially at the end of the buttstock the single shot action is always going to have at least a 4″ shorter OAL than the competing repeaters which have the action assembly between the rear of the barrel and the buttstock. For sporting use this allows you to have a short, light, handy shotgun with a longer barrel for better patterns. All that said I would love to see someone make a single shot shotgun with an 18″ slug or smoothbore barrel. That would make a great gun for hound hunting bears in the thickets… or they could just repeal the NFA so that I can cut my current slug barrel down to 14″ like a free American!

    • Single shot and double barrel guns tend to have a shorter OAL than pump and semi-autos of the same barrel length. There’s no action taking up space.

      Savage doesn’t have OALs listed, but a single shot with a 22″ barrel should have about the same length as a pump gun with an 18″ barrel.

  2. My first gun was a Savage 20 ga. single shot, for Christmas, probably around 1967 or ’68. Still in fine working order.

  3. It’s a youth model. I’m sure the stock is a bit shorter too. No specs on their webpage yet.

  4. Break action single shot rifles next. Break action single shot rifles next. Break action single shot rifles next.Break action single shot rifles next. BREAK ACTION SINGLE SHOT RIFLES NEXT!

    Please make this happen.

    • A single shot 7.62×39 at the ~200 USD mark would be neat companion to 22 rifle. Cheap ammo, but has actual recoil and is enough for a humane kill on a lot of animals.

  5. Amused that there is a market for these in the era of cheap pumps. That said, the survivalists on youtube are probably gonna eat this up. I will say my buddy had an H&R 20ga and it was awesome.

  7. I don’t know that there is much demand for a single shot shotgun. Here in the sticks, almost everyone I know has a single shot shotgun or two in the house that has been in the family for decades and was used by several generations. They seem to last forever and even though they were carried a lot, they weren’t shot much because you only got one chance to hit the deer, squirrel, rabbit, etc. you were shooting at. I don’t know of anyone that has bought a single shot in years. I just recently sold my last 2 single shotguns because I knew they would just sit in my gun cabinet and never be shot since I have a couple of pumps.

    • China. The guns at the NRA show had “MFG. By Sun City Machinery Co., LTD. P. R. C.” on the side.

  10. With the exception of a youth model .410 I’m not sure a youth model single shot is a good beginners gun. I have a youth model pump 20 and a youth model single shot 20.

    I’ll bet that single shot 20 doesn’t weigh a full 5 pounds. Its recoil is stiff with light loads and brutal with heavy loads.

    I think the place for a youth model 20 bore, regardless of action type is as a long term survival weapon for a real shtf scenario. If you had to take to the “road” a light, compact shotgun would be the thing for filling the camp pot and it could serve as self defense.

  11. Got to wonder how much street price will be. Maverick 88 Security sits just above it and is a pretty big upgrade to single shot.

  12. Wow, what goes around comes around. In 1967 or so, i purchased a similar looking shotgun made by J.Stevens Arms & Tool Co. Chicopee Falls, Ma for $25.00 at a bait shack in Woonsocket, RI. To purchase the gun, all i needed was a hunting license and i was out the door. It was my first shotgun and i had to hide it from my parents. It’s still a sweet shooting shotgun with a crisp trigger pull.

  13. Bought a Stevens tactical 12 gauge pump brand new in the box for 200 bucks actually has a nice trigger and works just fine.

  14. The main reason these are single shots is because it’s too painful to shoot a second round. Regardless of the brand (Savage/Stevens, H&R/NEF, etc.) anything larger than a .410 has a nasty, sharp recoil and is unsuitable for children.

    • I think anyone who cannot withstand a second shot because of the “nasty, sharp recoil” of a shotgun should choose something else with little or no recoil. A 22 caliber rifle might be a better choice for them.

      • I ask honestly, if you’ve shot a lightweight single shot before? A five pound shotgun with a rock hard but pad isn’t too fun to shoot.

        • Yes I have but as Clint Eastwood said “A man’s gotta know his limitations”. If he or she chooses a single shot because they aren’t able to comfortably shoot a 2nd shot, they need to shoot something other than a shotgun.

      • You should have read the second sentence, especially the last word thereof, before commenting.

        • I read it but I don’t think children should shoot shotguns until they are old enough to responsibly handle them and withstand their recoil. My grandson just turned 15 and has shot a 12 gauge single shot since he turned 14. He does fine with it and loves shooting the gun his grandfather has had for decades.

    • My sons were shooting 12 gauge shotguns at age 8 and .300 Winchester Magnum at the ripe old age of 10. I didn’t force them; they regularly asked to shoot heavy caliber shotguns and rifles. I guess it’s all just what a person is used to shooting.

  15. The gun dealers around here want anywhere from 175 to 250 $ for used single shot shotguns. Most of them are in fair condition with scratches on the wood, and rust in the barrels. I got a new Savage 301, 20 gauge for 165. $ total price. Yeah, I would have bought a new AMERICAN MADE single shot, but see if You can find one !….So as long as my gun functions fine and can stand normal field use, I don’t care if it was made in P.R.C.

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