Please help ID J. Stevens Pistol

[jerry b]

This pistol was from my mother's estate when she passed on. If some one could ID and give an Approximate value I would appreciate it.

On the barrel: J. Stevens A&T Co. Chicopee Falls Mass USA 25 30989
The barrel is 6 inches long and has rifling
The bore measures .249 inches, I assume it is 25 caliber
from what I can find it is from the period of 1880-1916
thanks Jerry

 

[Jim Watson]

Looks like a Stevens Offhand Target No 35 as made from 1907-1916, Flayderman 5H-012.
About 35,000 built. I won't guess a dollar value, but it is probably not high due to deteriorated condition and unavailable caliber.

 

[starkadder]

What you have is a J. Stevens pocket pistol, they were manufactured from 1864-1886 and approximately 15,000 were produced. They were made in two calibers, .22 rf and .30 rf (yours is either a very dirty .30 or an eroded .22) from what I can find the .30 cal is actually .285 inches so my money would be that it is just very dirty due to the black powder used in the rounds, also the barrel length is 3.5"(as measured from muzzle to chamber).
Stevens also produced two other models, Vest Pocket Model with a 2.75" barrel (1864-1876) and the Gem Pocket Model with a 3" barrel (1872-1890).
As far as value I see them every once in a while and one in nice condition will sell for $250-$350, some fans of these guns also invoke the fact that there is some evidence that they may have been carried at the end of the Civil War as a coat pistol, but no hard evidence has ever been produced. Hope this helps.


This is this! It's not something else, it's this!

Don't pull it if you don't plan to use it, and don't use it if you don't plan to kill!

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[starkadder]

Sorry, I should have put my glasses on duhhhh, Jim is right on.