STEVENS MODEL 15 Fans?

Anyone else out there for some reason cannot quit buying these things like the weak one here? I for some reason moth to flame with these things, the simplicity maybe, certainly not the refined look and feel. My little pile has grown over the decades with about all variations covered and with a newly acquired store brand Shapleih's King Nitro introduced to the herd, the black enamel tip version does make me chuckle a little. I threaded the front of two that had rails factory cut and with a can and a Romeo5 they do put a smile on my face. I have one that had the seemingly misfortune of meeting Mr. Squib about 8" down the pipe, shoots okay but-. Staring at it long enough and trying to figure out how I am going to introduce the back end to an old Marlin 60 microgroove just for a let's see maybe one day. The days of picking them up for forty to fifty are long gone but every now and then one strolls by that must be grabbed. The thing I have learned is the entire outside can be a smooth orange matte but due to their age the old lead lubed pills has protected some of the bores nicely. Anyone else with this model addiction?

I like them too and at one point had 6 of them. I love the simplicity of them and they can be quite accurate. Always thought they'd be good for a bugout since so few moving pieces to break.

I hope we're talking about the same thing. My very first rifle, age 12, was a Stevens Mod. 15-A. That was my only firearm until age 14. I learned to shoot with that .22 and the species and amount of small game I harvested would be longer than I care to list here. I was 3 years older than my only brother, and when he reached age 12 my parents gave him one also. The simplicity of the single shot bolt rifle was truly its beauty. You had to learn marksmanship by aiming carefully and squeezing the trigger, and invent ingenious ways of reloading like having a second round between the middle and ring finger of the support hand. The cost of ammo was within the price range of a poor country boy, and one learned to conserve that ammo. I usually shot Shorts, but also Longs and Long rifle ammo as I could afford it. My rifle had a plain walnut colored stock without a butt plate (came that way), while my brother's rifle had a black plastic butt plate and a painted forend tip. In later years I refinished my stock and found it to probably be birch. I kind of liked the lighter color and didn't attempt to stain it. I still have the Stevens some 68 years later after finding it under the Christmas tree, and am proud to say it is still in excellent condition.
My brother still has his also. Highly recommend as any boy's first rifle!
Attachment 301736
Click to enlarge.

DG

Mine is the Savage Springfield Model 120-A version. Screwed on rear sight.

I received mine for Christmas in 1974, I was 10. Along with half a brick of .22 Shorts and a half brick of .22 Long Rifle. I still shoot it every Christmas.

Robert

Since the barrel IS the action on those, rebarreling would be quite an adventure I suspect.
My brother in law has an assortment of "better" .22 rifles- but he grabs his Stevens 15 for squirrel hunting. I had to restake the firing pin on one long ago for a neighbor- that's the only one I've ever had to work on in 50 years of messing with guns.
They are simply good guns.

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Got my Springfield 120-A in 1960? Still have it. Had Lyman receiver sight put on it. Could hit cigarette butts at 50 feet with it.

There are a whole lot "better" 22 bolts living here but I for some reason dig these things. The barrel plan is to cut off a ways out front and bore rear chamber line forward of 15 and step rear of Marlin removing chamber and cutting new with tight reamer (Bentz ?). Still hung on threading or press and cross pin and the extractor angle cut will be post mating. I know, fifty dollar rifle. I do suffer from just cause and just can disease!

Just glue the thing in with high-strength Loctite. Or just install a setscrew like the Favorite and so many other boys' rifles had.

Simple, accurate, inexpensive, almost indestructible. What's not to like.

A model 15 with the barrel rollstamp "Stevens Arms and Tool" would be pre-Savage-era, probably pre WW1. Possible?

A Stevens M15 was my first real rifle.
It has served as first rifle for 4 generations so far.
Dad got it for me in 1950. I was 8 years old.

You've got me on that one, Dale. In 1950 I was age 8. I got mine in 1954 at age 12. :D

DG

Dad said he paid $33 something for mine and my brother's. Consecutive serial numbers no less. The next year we got H&R .410's, $44 each at Walmart.

Robert