Thought I'd make a post to see if I can gather some information on suppliers, etc.
I have a 1915 Stevens Favorite that I'm sure my grandfather bought new - it was kept around the lumberyard my family owned for taking care of critters when needed and it was always there - then in 1956, the lumberyard burned - pretty much a total loss but some things were pulled out in time to save. The Favorite suffered a charred buttstock - bottom portion of the buttstock by the buttplate which for the most part survived - at least you could read the "Favorite" on it but pretty much useless. Dad brought it hoe when I was a kid and made a new buttstock for it out of a piece of walnut - not a professional job as I was maybe 11 or 12 art the time - but it worked O.K. I got it cleaned up enough to shoot it - no real head damage/water damage to the rifle but the rifle had been propped up in a stud spacing in the millwork shop area where the wall began to burn at the bottom on the other side where the covering was center match pattern 116 siding. Long story short - I re-blueed it when I was a kid with some awful paste blueing of the time.
I took some tree rats and bunnies with it using 22 shorts when I was a kid and first started hunting - had some misfires so I made a new firing pin by turning a section of a steel "spike nail" in the drill press - of course it wasn't hardened but it worked O.K.
Fast forward - the rifle has been kicking around for over 50 years now - never had the heart to let it go as it was my grandfather's as well as my Dad's rifle. The bore isn't bad - has some light pitting but the riling is petty decent. I'd like to take it with me to AZ for the winter and restore it so it is as presentable as possible - not worried about the value of it as it's strictly "sentimental". In looking at it - I need:
new buttplate / screws
new buttstock
new firing pin
new rear sight - the original was replaced at some point.
I know I'm looking at some $$ for the parts needed - the bore, IIRC is fairly decent but if need be, I'd have it relined.
The barrel is round full length and the foreshock is pretty good so I'd like to keep that on it and try and "match" the finish on a new buttstock.
So . . . on flabbay, I see some original buttstocks sometimes as well as "replacement" new buttstocks that are pretty much formed except for final fitting. see "new" firing pins and I see "reproduction" Favorite buttplates. All appear as if they would work for my purposes but am wondering if there are any suppliers out there who offer such things at better prices? Would also be looking for a appropriate rear sight but only see originals once in a while.
I'm looking at stripping off the blueing on the metal and reblueing everything. My goal is not to have a "collector's piece" as there is no way it will be one - but I'd like to take it look as good as I can. My goal is to be able to shoot it once in a while with some low velocity 22s just for the fun of it and at some point, it will be passed on to a long fellow I kew who will appreciate the history of it and cherish it. Dad's been gone for 25 years and I'm wanting to get this little job done and be able to put it up on the wall to enjoy it until it's tie to pass it along.
Anybody on here play around with fixing up the old Favorites who could steer me in the right direction of where to possibly find suppliers of parts, etc.?The action is fully functional but I may want to put in anew extractor as well - I haven't looked at it in a long time and don't remember how good the rim portion of the extractor is.
Thanks for any information - greatly appreciated.
Jim