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Thread: Want to restore a Stevens 1915 Favorite

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Want to restore a Stevens 1915 Favorite

    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

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    Nueces's Avatar
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    I also search the bay for Favorite parts and it appears to be a good source, though I suspect that a good few of the sellers are parting out rifles. I congratulate you on taking this project on. It'll surely mean a lot to you when you get it done and will serve to reverse the part out process of others.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    If you get on gunbroker and go down through the menu, there is a section called gun parts kits. I got an entire gun, minus the receiver, to repair an old stevens favorite. It's hit or miss what is available. Good luck.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Favorites are a favorite of mine. Done several of 'em, including converting one to centerfire. The '94 models are said to be prettier, but the 1915 is considerably stronger.

    Do NOT buy used parts off Gunbroker or evilBay or worst of all Numrich. You will almost always get used parts that are no better than what you've got already. Voice of experience speaking.

    Wisners has new-made parts. http://www.wisnersinc.com/part-catelog/

    Also Jack First. https://jack-first-gun-parts.myshopi...gle-shot-rifle

    How tightly does it breech up when the lever is closed on an empty chamber? The lever should "snap" closed. If it's loose, it will need the link pins replaced with oversize pins. I can give you chapter and verse on how to do this if you shoot me a P/M.

    There is also a company who makes replica buttplates, too, but I've mislaid the URL.

    A used buttstock would be OK, but make sure you're buying one from a 1915 model. The stock from an 1894 model won't fit right. The 1915 frame is wider.
    Last edited by uscra112; 09-06-2019 at 01:05 AM.
    Cognitive Dissident

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post
    Favorites are a favorite of mine. Done several of 'em, including converting one to centerfire. The '94 models are said to be prettier, but the 1915 is considerably stronger.

    Do NOT buy used parts off Gunbroker or evilBay or worst of all Numrich. You will almost always get used parts that are no better than what you've got already. Voice of experience speaking.

    Wisners has new-made parts. http://www.wisnersinc.com/part-catelog/

    Also Jack First. https://jack-first-gun-parts.myshopi...gle-shot-rifle

    How tightly does it breech up when the lever is closed on an empty chamber? The lever should "snap" closed. If it's loose, it will need the link pins replaced with oversize pins. I can give you chapter and verse on how to do this if you shoot me a P/M.

    There is also a company who makes replica buttplates, too, but I've mislaid the URL.

    A used buttstock would be OK, but make sure you're buying one from a 1915 model. The stock from an 1894 model won't fit right. The 1915 frame is wider.
    Very helpful information. Thanks for posting.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Thanks very much fellas for the information - it's greatly appreciated.

    The action, when closed on an empty chamber, seems to "snap" into place - so to speak so I doubt the link pins will need to be replaced.

    In reality, I'm guessing that this rifle had very few rounds through it as it was just used once in a while in its early years as gun for killing varmints that were around the lumberyard. I'm guessing it spent more time leaning up than ever being shot. After the fire in 1956 - it sat in a back room of the new lumberyard that my folks built until the early '60s when Dad let me take have it.

    As much as I hate to have to not use the original buttstock,the scorching of it by the fire is such that I can't graft on a new piece and have it ever look right - a job that I wouldn't be afraid to undertake as I have extensive background in building and repairing muzzleloaders as well as having owned my own cabin/millwork/custom woodworking shop. If I could find a piece of "old" black walnut that was similar in grain patter, I would attempt it but my supply of hardwoods is long gone and unless I find a stock of similar age and grain that i would get a section out of to perform it, it will never look right.

    I appreciate the links to the parts - I would rather use new parts if necessary than to have to use something that is already worn from a "parts rifle". At one time, I had a small collection of other Stevens rifles but sold the all. I even had a Hamilton .22 rifle at one time - wish I had kept that one. The Stevens I had were not Favorites but other models - Crackshot, Maynard, etc. The warning on the '94 stock is well heeded. I have seen several of them listed as for the 1915 Model but passed them by as the profile did not look correct - at least to me - and when I questioned the seller, he actually didn't know which one it was for.

    Greatly appreciate the info and help and suggestions. I'm looking forward to getting the rifle fixed up and will try and post pictures along the way as I go when I get started.

    Although I don't want to "convert" this particular rifle - it's food for thought If I should happen to run across a good candidate. Curious to know what you have converted them to and just what alterations you've had to make to them. I'm not well versed on how strong a 1915 action is but could see how one chambered in a 32 S & W short would be fun if it were possible. Would love to hear what conversions have been made to any of them and how well it has worked out.

    Thanks again!

    Jim

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    I've just recently become very leery of using the Favorite for .32 S&W ammunition. First of all the .32 rimfire chamber is for the "long" version of the rimfire cartridge, but more importantly Larry Gibson just posted some pressure test data for commercial .32 S&W ammo, and some of it tested at 17,000 psi. That's way too much for the Favorite action. It won't blow up, but it will "shoot loose" in a hurry.

    My conversion did not ream the chamber out - it uses .32 Long Colt centerfire ammo, which is dimensionally a clone of the .32 Long rimfire. You have to handload it - there is no factory .32 LC left except in collections. The cases have to be formed by swaging down .32 S&W Long. There is a guy who sells ready-made cases on Gunbroker; he also sells the correct heeled bullets. Loading your own guarantees that you won't inadvertently overstress the gun.

    Having preserved my chamber, I can also switch back to rimfire just by swapping the breechblock/link/lever assembly out. (I made up a complete separate assembly.) Stevens actually promoted this dodge for the Favorites' bigger cousin, the Model 44. Some people even ordered multiple barrels, so they could go from .22 rimfire to .25-20 or even the proprietary .32 Ideal centerfires.
    Cognitive Dissident

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Thanks uscra112 - that would be a good reason NOT to use that cartridge. Appreciate the information. The 32 S & W was just a passing thought on my part - and I'll also add that we owe Larry Gibson a world of thanks for the information he provides!

    Thanks for sharing what you do with your 32 - interesting info and appreciate it.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Chev. William's Avatar
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    Another Center Fire Candidate for "Favorite" conversions is to use .25ACP ammo in a .25Stevens (long) RF barrel. The Bore and Groove diameter s are specified the same and the Pmax MAP of .25ACP is only about 1000psi higher than rimfire ammo ( 25,000psi vs 24,000psi).
    In the .25 Stevens (long) RF barrel it will be a 'plinking' round as the Bullet is 'unguided' for most of the chamber length, loosing pressure around the bullet.
    In a 25 Stevens Short barrel, the chamber is shorter and better sized for the .25ACP length.
    Alternative is to load Lead bullets that will 'expand' going through the chamber then squeeze down again at the chamber throat.

    I have a relined Stevens Barrel with a TJ 1:14 twist .25ACP liner that will be chambered in .25ACP custom 'Match Grade' .2795" diameter cylinder Chamber, not the typical Auto pistol tapered chamber.

    Chev. William

    Better is a barrel for .25Stevens Short RF

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check