Are there any Stevens Tip-Up experts out there?

[daved63]

I bought an estate several years ago that had hundreds of gun parts, partial receivers, and almost complete guns. I have slowly worked my way through it and have identified most of it. I have even made quite a few shooters out of the pile of parts. I set things aside that I wasn't sure of back then and now I'm going back through those parts. I have four Stevens Tip-Ups of different sizes and configurations. They are mostly bare receivers with very few parts. I thought I would post some pictures and measurements to see if anyone could help identify what they are. I believe the three larger ones might have been shotguns because they have a round notch in the top of the receiver for course sighting. The smallest one one is different, it has a flat top receiver and no upper or lower tang. Here is a picture of all four.

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The next two pictures are of the largest receiver. It measures 1.10" between the walls that the barrel sits in just in front of the breech face. It measures 1.535" wide on the outside across the breech. It is approximately 4.50" long from the rear of the receiver at the firing pin hole to the front edge of the receiver.It has serial number 86 on the inside surface near the end of the lower tang. The lower tang is broken and has a very old rivet holding it on.

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The next two pictures are of one of the medium sized actions, it is the one with the complete unbroken lower tang. It measures 1.10" between the walls that the barrel sits in just in front of the breech face. It measures 1.375" wide on the outside across the breech. It has serial number 2657 on the inside surface near the end of the lower tang. It is approximately 4.20" long from the rear of the receiver at the firing pin hole to the front edge of the receiver.

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The next two pictures are of the other medium sized action. It has the lower tang broken off about half way back and it is missing so I don't have a serial number. It measures 1.080" between the walls that the barrel sits in just in front of the breech face. It measures 1.38" wide on the outside across the breech. It is approximately 4.25" long from the rear of the receiver at the firing pin hole to the front edge of the receiver.

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The last two pictures are of the smallest action. It has no upper or lower tang. There are some numbers on the back of the receiver where the upper tang would be on a normal one. They are so faint I can't make out what they are. The also seems to be very small writing below the numbers but I have tried every magnifier I have and can't tell what they are. It measures 0.882" between the walls that the barrel sits in just in front of the breech face. It measures 1.20" wide on the outside across the breech. It is approximately 4.32" long from the rear of the receiver at the firing pin hole to the front edge of the receiver.

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Any help would be appreciated.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have a couple of the Tipup rifles and a pistol, but don’t know much about the changes in frame sizes. A copy of an early Stevens catalog from Cornell might help.

I would guess that your last one is for either a pistol or a pocket rifle. The smaller frames with tangs might be for Ladies’ Models.

There’s a guy on the ASSRA Forum that goes by the handle “Mr. Tipup,” who, logically, might be up on all the Stevens Tipup minutiae.

[daved63]

I have a couple of the Tipup rifles and a pistol, but don’t know much about the changes in frame sizes. A copy of an early Stevens catalog from Cornell might help.

I would guess that your last one is for either a pistol or a pocket rifle. The smaller frames with tangs might be for Ladies’ Models.

There’s a guy on the ASSRA Forum that goes by the handle “Mr. Tipup,” who, logically, might be up on all the Stevens Tipup minutiae.

Thanks Bent, I'll try a post over there.

[Gewehr-Guy]

I have one shotgun left, and it is like the top frame that you described. Years ago I owned a heavy barrel tip up rifle in .44 rimfire, with a nickel plated brass frame,which someone said they made only a couple hundred of. I don't believe the last frame was for a pistol,because some photos in Flaydermans Guide shows the grip frames cast with the frame, and most had sheath triggers , so I think someone removed the tangs on your frame, maybe to weld onto another gun?

[daved63]

I have one shotgun left, and it is like the top frame that you described. Years ago I owned a heavy barrel tip up rifle in .44 rimfire, with a nickel plated brass frame,which someone said they made only a couple hundred of. I don't believe the last frame was for a pistol,because some photos in Flaydermans Guide shows the grip frames cast with the frame, and most had sheath triggers , so I think someone removed the tangs on your frame, maybe to weld onto another gun?

That's what I thought at first too. However when I examined the rear of the frame it has specific angles that are machined on both sides that are different from the rest of the frames. There are also traces of nickel plating on the surfaces where the tang would have been. It was definitely machined that way and plated without the tangs in place.

[Gewehr-Guy]

That is odd , because there doesn't appear to be any way to attach the stock, or any place to mount a flat mainspring, but on the missing tang?

[John Taylor]

I have a couple frames of different sizes. The largest was a 12 gauge that someone must have fired modern ammo in because it is cracked. These were designed for black powder ammo.