Stevens Favorite .22

[Marcus]

Ever since I was a kid my Dad has been saying he wanted a Stevens Favorite falling block .22. He`s not a real avid shooter but every time we`d go into a gunshop together he`d have to handle one. I dunno why he never bought one for himself but I`ve kept my eye out for them at gunshows and such. It always seemed they were either old,wornout,had pocket gunish sights and were expensive (for what they were) or they were new ones that had lousy fit and finish,wood with no figure at all and cap gun looking MIM parts. Well just in time for Pop`s birthday I came across one with pretty hardwood furniture,glossy deep bluing,a butter smooth action,nice trigger and it had been professionally fitted with Williams adj. sights. I didn`t have the money but I bought it for him anyway. Now what I`d like to figure out is how old it is. It has a glossy blue finish on the entire rifle including the lever and hammer. Flat butt plate. Very slim furniture and a full round barrel that looks to be quite a bit heavier than the new ones (sorta semi bull barrel). Any ideas as to it`s vintage or where I could find out? Marcus

 

[Marcus]

No ideas?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It's hard to say -- it sounds like a refinished rifle.

The Williams adjustable sight is not period -- more in keeping with an early rifle would be a Marble (or other maker) tang sight.

At a guess, I would say this is a later version, since most Stevens had half-octagon barrels, not full round.

 

[Jim K]

There was a commemorative model put out in 1971, but it had an octagon barrel. The originals were made from 1894 to 1935, in a number of versions, with both round and octagon barrels.

I believe yours is refinished, since AFAIK the originals had blued barrels but the receivers, breech blocks and levers were color case hardened.

Jim

 

[Khornet]

Stevens Favorite

Great little rifle. Bought one for my firstborn.

Half-octagon barrel, simple sights, but often with drilled/tapped upper tang for a tang sight a-la Marbles, etc. Takedown screw usually had a D-ring through it. Serial number is on the lower tang, under the lever.

Even the 1970s commemoratives weren't as nicely fitted as the originals, but still nice. Newer ones look lousy.

Unusual to find an original buttplate with company name. Check for it. Very unusual to see nice bluing: all the ones I've seen were brown. Probably a refinish, but so what? A fun little rifle, made in heaven for grandpa to teach your kids to shoot with. Enjoy.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Jim. I so happen to have one of those with the Octagon barrel. It has a medallion in the stock and gold plating on some parts. Mine is NIB.

 

[Marcus]

Thanks guys. No name on the buttplate. No D ring in the takedown screw either. I`m sure the sights were a recent add on,they look much newer than the rest of the gun. Closer inspection of the reciever shows signs of being buffed before bluing,the edges are rounded a bit. That would explain how glossy it is I guess. It`s a pretty little thing though even if it`s not original. Marcus

 

[Penman]

I bought one in "72, IIRC. There were two models offered, one with a ruond barrel and "hardwood" stock, and a delux version with a case hardened received, octagonal barrel, and walnut stock. No medallion. I think they called it the model 74? Tended to break firing pins.