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Went to a garage sale this weekend and there was a boys rifle marked Stevens Favorite, but I recognized it as different. It was a small frame Stevens side plate model in .25 rf and it was in pretty solid shape (wrong screw missing a screw etc.. The only reference I could find was in DE Hass's book on single shots, any info appreciated, thanks. I still can't post pics!!!
Hope it came home with you! We can wait a bit on the pictures.
Presently in my hot little hands
You did good! Now hopefully someone will come along with more info, I have no experience with them, but always eyes open to pick one up.
I wish ammo was still available for them. Got a rifle in it from Dad and found a mostly full box in his stuff, but won't shoot it.
If you want more power out of a rim fire than a .22 LR now, you get the .22 WMR or .17 HMR, both of which are too destructive on edible small game. Always seemed to me like the .25 rimfire was a lot better idea.
Now everything has to be MORE powerful/faster or it won't sell. I would love to see 32 rimfire readily available, 25 too. A slick 4 lb rifle with good proportions in a quiet small game round would be welcome. Remember a while back when Savage made the Favorite ?
You and I think alike. I am a fan of the whole Rook Rifle concept and have plans to build one up on a Savage 219 eventually. A .32 S&W Long would be cool, but have been thinking a .25-20 would be good too.Quote:
Originally Posted by rking22
I have a Stevens 94 in 28ga, nice light little single shot, shoots where I look too. I have an old rusted barrel of one as well, it might become a "feather weight" 38special.... another project, another rountuit to find :)
Then need a nice canvas and leather case for the 2 barrel set and, a new mold, and
A side plate Favorite is rare as frog fur. Even in .25 it's a SERIOUS collector's gun. Do NOT mess with it on any excuse! Pictures ASAP of course, please.
Noone really knows how many were made or when. Some claim 1889 to 1893. Judging by how rare they are now, there weren't many. Best reference is Grant's "Boys' Single Shot Rifles", which has been out of print for decades and often goes for $100+ on evilBay. DeHaas didn't know much, and it shows in his writeup. You should post your find on the ASSRA forum: http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl Thereare a couple of members there who have been collecting Stevens longer than I have, and know more.
I repeat, DO NOT FOOL WITH THAT GUN. You will destroy its' collector value. If you must have a Favorite to mess with, I'll trade you 2 for 1.
It is possible, but a lot of work, to make .25 RF ammo from .17 WSM. I've done it, but the brass is so much thicker that the Favorite's puny hammer-blow will not fire it.
If you find a .32 RF Favorite with a good barrel, the components are available on Gunbroker to make the correct .32 Colt RF ammo, using .22 caliber "acorn" blanks as the primer. My load is a 299153 bullet and 1.8 grains of Bullseye.
It is not too hard to convert a 1915 Favorite to centerfire, but I caution against reaming the chamber for the .32 S&W Long. Better to leave it alone, and again using brass and bullets from that same Gunbroker seller, recreate the .32 Long Colt CF, and load it to subsonic pressure. Converting earlier Favorites is harder to do, because the breechblock is narrower.
A Hopkins and Allen 932 converts easily to centerfire, just make a longer link. It is quite strong enough for the .32 S&W Long factory ammo, which IMHO the Favorite is not. Only problem is that the conversion keeps the extractor from getting much travel, so strong fingernails or a boy scout knife are often needed.
The Stevens Model 101 (44 Shot) can be fitted with a .32 barrel taken from a 1915 Favorite fairly easily, and is also strong enough for the S&W Long.
.22 Magnum should never be considered for any boys' rifle. The slip-fit takedown systems they all use is much too weak.
I thought it had some value when I bought it, but didn't think the depth on Stevens collecting was appreciable, but never explored it. I'm not a serious collector, more of a gatherer, especially if they are inexpensive I usually pick up pieces like this to reverse engineer them, and have a collection of single shots that are "home made", these I shoot, the oldies deserve a rest, thanks to all. BT
Don't be so sure it is NOT a Stevens "Favorite".Quote:
Originally Posted by Billthomas
The Earliest version of the 'favorite Was a side plate design. of about 1886-1888 that was built up to around 1894-1896.
Check the Widners's website for more info and some replacement parts.
Also Muzzleloader Builder Supply may have some screws and other usable parts.
The Side Plate 'Favorite' is relatively rare to survive so you made a 'Good Catch' in my humble opinion.
As to ammo to use in it, there are some ways.
A Powder Actuated Tool ('Nail gun') (PTL) load of Grade 1 or Grade 2 is adequate to send a 50 or 60 Grain bullet downrange safely. .22 Cal. PTL can be used with a drilled out .25ACP case and Breech seated Bullets to shoot your rifle if a gunsmith inspects it and finds it free of dangerous defects.
Bullets of 35 grain, and about 50 grain are available form Hunter's Supply as .257" diameter Cast lead 'air gun' bullets which can be sized down to .251"-.252" diameter your Stevens most likely will prefer as the .25 Stevens RF shares the Bore And Groove dimensions of the .25ACP CF cartridge. Note that .25ACP also shares similar Muzzle Velocity out of a 16"-18" inch barrel and slightly slower out of a 20"-22" barrel.
If you want better hunting performance, you might try the NOE Bullet Molds for the Ranch Dog TL255-50-RF or TL255-65-RF Bullets tha tare designed to size down to what will fit almost all Stevens 'Favorite' or 'Ideal' .25 Stevens RF bore and Groove dimensions that were Stevens Built.
The Original .25 Stevens RF cartridges were loaded with inside lube 67 grain Lead Bullets over about 10 to 11 grains of Black Powder to yield about 1000fps to 1100fps muzzle Velocity. Later Smokeless Powder loads dropped The MV to about 940fps-960fps perhaps out of abundant caution for the earliest made firearms tha tstill existed in high numbers then. Most all Rimfire Ammo manufacture was halted during WW2 and not restarted after it was over.
Chev. William
I also have a Stevens what to do gun. I picked up a real nice 25 Favorite with a good bore 80% blue and some case still showing on the receiver with 1 full box and a partial box of ammo. Now what to do, first I thought it would make into a nice 22 and it will but the bore is good and as nice as it is and marked 25 Favorite I hate to mess with it. I have $250 wrapped up in the gun and the ammo and I may just have to post it in Swapping and Selling. I sure would like a nice shooting Favorite to go with my Marksman but this one is too nice to change???
In your case you can make a second barrel out of a cast-off Marlin 60 .22 barrel. I have bought good Model 60 barrels off Gunbroker for as little as $50. Needs a lathe and a reamer of course. The firing pin usually requires no alteration.Quote:
Originally Posted by KCSO
Yeah! That's the ticket a two barrel set! I'll have to check the barrel pile.
My dad, who grew shooting jack rabbits in western KS for food during the depression and dust storm days, said "The .25 was a better killer than the .22." That might have been slightly biased on the ammo used. He told once of their family gathering coins for a box of .22 short black powder as they were cheaper than smokeless. The coins were put into the mail box with a note, and the next day the ammo was there. I've experienced hard times, but not near that hard. Dad said his mom would grind the jack rabbits and mix with onions. He didn't comment on how they tasted. Probably pretty good. The rifle is still in the family. A single shot Hamilton he got by selling White Cloverine Salve.
you might try gad custom cartridges. not sure if they would have them. but if anyone would it would be them.
I've made a 1915 Favorite with two breecblock/lever/link assemblies, one the original .32 Long rimfire, the other .32 Long Colt centerfire. Same barrel, of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by KCSO
Stevens used to tout the easily-swappable barrels and breechblock/lever assemblies as a selling point for the Model 44. Same rifle could be .32-40 for deer or bear, but in ten minutes convert it to .22 LR for squirrel or rabbits. Only tool needed was a screwdriver.