Stevens Ideal Rifle - What the heck do I have here?

[davep]

Another story that starts with "so I bought this old gun". Auction. I didn't have one like it. I thought it was pretty. Now I own it. So now, I'm trying to figure out what I've got here. The research I've done so far suggests it's a "Stevens Ideal Rifle", falling block (not sure, it's the first one I've had hands on). It isn't perfect, but looks pretty good to me. The flip up sight is loose in the slot, so that needs to be fixed. BUT, the big thing is that I'm not sure what it's chambered for. No markings to that effect. It's for a rimfire cartridge, the micrometer reads 0.350 for the rim, 0.280 just inside the chamber. The inscription reads J. STEVENS A.& T. CO / CHICOPEE FALLS MASS. USA PAT APR 17 94. The serial is 2856.

So can anybody tell me anything about this machine? Cartridge? Value? Best way to secure the sight? Anything else? Thanks!

[davep]

Check the front of the receiver (behind the forend) and see if there are any other numbers. -- No, none that I find.
Is there a number on the bottom of the barrel where the octagon meets the round? -- That's where the 2856 is, what I assume is the sn. No others on the barrel.
Is the extractor at the bottom at 6 o'clock, or at 7 o'clock?(expecting 7 o'clock) -- It is at 7 o'clock.
Barrel numbered to frame? -- The only number that I see is the 2856 on the barrel. I haven't removed any furniture though.
How long is that barrel? -- 28.5" muzzle to action.

Thanks!

[rmatchell]

I cant help you with the caliber but I do agree that you have a very nice looking gun there. I always liked them.

[davep]

Apparently I've gone blind. The matching number is clear on the bottom behind the lever. Sorry about that. If the stock is a replacement, its a good one, it fits tightly, and matches the forearm perfectly. You're also right about the 30".

[davep]

I cant help you with the caliber but I do agree that you have a very nice looking gun there. I always liked them.

Thanks. Been reading on excess650's thought that it's .25 rimfire. That makes a lot of sense, but isn't ideal (no pun intended). From what I can find, those rounds are getting very hard to find, and the cost makes it almost prohibitive to shoot. I may try to find a few I can shoot anyway. It looks like it ought to be a lot of fun.

[davep]

Looking the stock over, something else stands out. The butt plate is black, could be a plastic or phenolic, or maybe even painted wood. I'll need to take a screwdriver to it to be sure. But, it is engraved (or molded) with an antlered deer, and text for Stevens and the factory location, as is stamped on the barrel. The more I look at this thing, the neater I think it is.

[davep]

The furniture appears to be unfinished, or lightly stained. Not sure about the wood, it's lighter than I would expect walnut to be, but maybe. No numbers that I can see on the wood, although I haven't removed anything.

Not sure what you're describing as the L angled flat. The Stevens info is on the top flat side of the octagon, just forward of the receiver.

The bore was dirty, it had obviously been shot and put away uncleaned. No telling when that was. I have no .25 cleaning stuff, but my .22 swabbed it out okay, and it came out fairly shiny, with no pitting that I could see, just nice clean grooves.

I can try to get better pictures if it might help, let me know what you'd like to see. Thanks again!

[ghh3rd]

I was interested, and did a search and found this... same as yours?
http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/for-the-fun-of-it/case-73a-a-youthful-acclimation/stevens-model-25-single-shot-rifle.aspx

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=420721995

[davep]

I was interested, and did a search and found this... same as yours?
http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/for-the-fun-of-it/case-73a-a-youthful-acclimation/stevens-model-25-single-shot-rifle.aspx

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=420721995

Similar, but not quite. This one is octagonal up to the end of the forearm, then round. Different sights, and the block doesn't drop through. The wood on that first one looks pretty similar though.

[Chev. William]

Davep,
IF you are really interested in shooting your find, the nest thing you will need to do is 'Slug' the Barrel and measure the Bore and Groove Diameters. If it is .25 Stevens they will be around .243"-.246" Bore and .250'-.252" Groove diameters. the original 67 grain bullets are NOT presently commercially available but "Carolina Cast Bullets" does have a 50 grain "Ranch dog .25ACP" Lead one that can be purchased sized to .253" and then tumbled lubed. There are two ways to get usable brass that I know of:
1. Buy machined .25 Stevens RF adapter cases from either "Dixie Gun Works" or import them from a European source. these use .22 Caliber "Acorn" style blanks to asct as primer for a small charge fo powder and will take either the above mentioned bullet or a round Lead Ball.
2. Reform .22 Hornet brass to fit. This entails expanding the neck and shoulder to .250" Internal Diameter, Trimming to about 1.125" case length, then full length sizing them in a .25ACP Lee Carbide Sizing Die all the way to the rim, then turning the rim thickness and diameter to fit your Rifle, typically to about .346"-.348" diameter and .048"-.055" thickness.

Next is to decide if you want to make RF Adapters or CF cartridges.

For the RF adapters you drill the reformed hornets primer pocket through with a .223"-.224" drill and then cut a rebate to hold the rim of a .22 RF Blank. The existing case rim should be relieved about .010"-.012" to allow 'crush' of the .22 Blank rim by the firing pin.

For CF cases you are done wiht the forming and case machining, but you will need to get the Breech Block/firing pin converted to hit the CF primer. A good gunsmith should be able to do the change for you if you do not feel competent to do it yourself. WARNING Do NOT use TIG welding on the Breech Block, it will go "Glass Hard" in the area of the weld and no further machining is possible on the surface then. better is to cut the front for a 'bushing' and then rework a firing pin to have an offset tip that will contact the primer near the center rather than the RF rim.

Loads should be light to moderate to match the performance of original .25 Stevens cartridges, about 1000fps to 1150fps, or a little higher for the lighter 50 grain bullet.

Also, if you convert the rifle to CF, it will also chamber .25ACP semi-rimmed cartridges and they will have similar performance to the .25 Stevens originals, about 950fps to 1100fps out of your 30" barrel.

I hope this information is of use to you.

I have a pair of 1894's in with a gunsmith being converted to CF in .25 Stevens Caliber with the work being done as a 'background' project as time is available in order to keep the costs down as I am retired now.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

[Bent Ramrod]

The hard rubber "shotgun" buttplate was a no-extra charge option to the normal crescent metal buttplate featured on most Stevens 44's. Yours appears to have the "D" sight package, minus the Rocky Mountain barrel sight. Not putting the notch in the barrel for this sight cost $1.00 extra.

Somebody may have stripped and refinished your stock. When you take the buttplate off, see if there is a penciled number that matches the rest of the gun. Earlier specimens sometimes had this number, but it was discontinued pretty quickly. Other Stevens markings were similarly catch as catch can sometimes; stamped in the "wrong" places or left off entirely.

The early 44's like yours had a frame which described almost a 90 degree angle corner between the breech end of the barrel and the top of the frame where the block comes up. Later versions had a more gradual, filleted angle. Yours also has the earlier crosspins which screwed in from one side of the frame. Later versions had keyed crosspins that were a little larger in diameter, held by smaller screws on the other side. The ends both had what looked like screw slots, but you had to be careful which side you attacked with your screwdriver. Typically the left side would damage the keyseat if somebody tried to unscrew it. The right side is generally the one that unscrewed.

You should be able to open the action, unscrew the set screw at the bottom of the front of the receiver, and unscrew the barrel by hand. This was Stevens' takedown mechanism.

Look at the top of the inner breechblock when it is opened and see if there is a screw there. This was used to tighten the block as the pins wore to keep the lever from drooping when the breech was closed.

[davep]

That's amazing. I had never thought about a centerfire conversion, that would be pretty effective it seems. I probably won't go that route though, I'm the guy that gets upset when somebody paints over a piece of wood furniture, even if the wood is ugly. Kind of a mental defect on my part. I think I could make the adapters though. It's beyond what I've done, but after re-reading a couple of times, it doesn't sound too bad. I honestly don't think I'll shoot it a lot, but I would like to try it, and I have a tendency to either be finished or get hooked after I shoot a gun. Thanks Chev!

[davep]

You show me more reasons why I have to tear it down and see the whole thing. Don't know why I haven't done it yet, been using the busy excuse. I'm glad I waited though, your pointers on doing it properly may well have saved some scars. I'll be out of pocket for a bit, but I'll have to clear off a bench and get it done after. All of this great knowledge you guys have on these things is making me more and more intrigued! Thanks!

[Chev. William]

These old Single shot Rifles ARE Habit Forming, they are Fun!
Best Regards,
Chev. William