I have 8 old ones, one NIB 71 Stevens Favorite comemerative & a NIB 72, Great little guns. You can have yours relined for about $100.

 

Where can you get a barrel relined for $100??

 

The earliest solid frame (from the even earlier side-plate model) had a square corner at the front of the breech block where the vertical from the barrel breech drops down to the almost horizontal running back (hope that makes sense). They put a radius into it, as is good machining practice, but I have no idea just when. I think it came relatively soon as I only recall having seen one like that, which became mine for a while.

 

The Side Plates are stamped Aug 11 1885 with 90 degree receiver .

Favorites Apr.17,94 radiused the square cut 1895 to 1896 as I have
one Sr.#55,000 (square) and Sr.#77,000 (round).
... skwerl

 

Nice 1894!!!

Nice 1894!!! Does the lever snap closed like a pair of "Vise-Grip" pliers??? That is what a tight action will do. I would highly suggest that you stick to nothing hotter than standard velocity, maybe even nothing but sub-sonic ammo if the lever doesn't snap closed nice and snug. The screws that support the breech block and the lever are 10-30 screws on most 1894's. The 1915 model had the breech block screw upsized to a 12-36 screw although the lever screw stayed a 10-30 screw. If the lever doesn't snap closed there could be too much head space. Inspect the bases of your fired cartridges, but I think you already know this!!!
Enjoy your new-to-you rifle!!!:bthumb: And thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the updated pictures!!!
God Bless, Frank.

 

Nice 1894!!! Does the lever snap closed like a pair of "Vise-Grip" pliers??? That is what a tight action will do. I would highly suggest that you stick to nothing hotter than standard velocity, maybe even nothing but sub-sonic ammo if the lever doesn't snap closed nice and snug. The screws that support the breech block and the lever are 10-30 screws on most 1894's. The 1915 model had the breech block screw upsized to a 12-36 screw although the lever screw stayed a 10-30 screw. If the lever doesn't snap closed there could be too much head space. Inspect the bases of your fired cartridges, but I think you already know this!!!
Enjoy your new-to-you rifle!!!:bthumb: And thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the updated pictures!!!
God Bless, Frank.

Thanks Frank, and fortunately this thing is a Vise-Grip. I stripped it down to see how it works and inspect it part by part and it all seems fine, or at least there weren't any red flags. The ejector timing isn't consistent (maybe that is worn?) but ultimately it always snaps the case out. Feels really nice and smooth after being cleaned and re-lubed.

I have no intentions of shooting anything but CCI SV on paper and subsonic hollowpoints in da woods. No need to shoot anything spicy out of this. Cases didn't look funny when I test fired it, it had an okay firing pin strike (which is probably better now after cleaning) but never misfired.

 

More pics:

 

Beautiful little rifle. I've only seen a few Favorites and they all looked and felt like toys and had stocks that were like 3/4" boards.

 

I think you can tell based on the first pic just how tiny the rifle feels in my hands too.

I think it has a lot of allure in this present condition but I'm also curious how it would look with the metal refinished and restocked. Proper LOP and a 'lil longer fore-end. It would be pretty awesome to go squirrel hunting with a custom single shot.

I'm curious when this one was made. It doesn't have any patent date stamped on the barrel, or at least I haven't found it yet. It has the .20" extractor. Likely a later model?

 

I'm curious when this one was made. It doesn't have any patent date stamped on the barrel, or at least I haven't found it yet. It has the .20" extractor. Likely a later model?

Nice rifle EK! It's impossible to date these exactly but yes, probably post 1900 production. You can confirm that by pulling the buttstock off and seeing which mainspring is intalled. The trigger and firing pin styles also narrow things down a bit. http://www.wisnersinc.com/stevens-favorite-rifles/

Super simple mechanisms compared to newer guns. With a little practice they can be completely disassembled and reassembled in about 10 minutes.

Have fun!

Frank

 

fantastic find - the first one of my first rifles , ive missed it a lot but replaced it , mine is not quite as nice as yours

 

That one's a gem, EK! Treasure it.
I have a bunch of Favorites; one of the things that attracts me to those are the trim lines; just like handling a spring breeze!

It can be hard to find turn of the century guns with good bores... corrosive ammo was not kind to any gun not kept clean. I have a pristine Walnut Hill with a bad bore, and that one hurts my feelings pretty bad.

As for the refinish... that one's too nice. Since these can be had so inexpensively, find a worse one to work your magic. By the way- very nice wood on that one as well.:t

Beautiful little rifle. I've only seen a few Favorites and they all looked and felt like toys and had stocks that were like 3/4" boards.

Ohhhh... a stake through my heart!

 

I have one that had to be relined, barrel looked like a bad dirt road, doubt you'll get much of a reline job for under $200 but these little beauties are worth it at least to me. In the condition yours is in externally I wouldn't refinish it.

After the relining its a very nice shooter and has accounted for several backyard vermin. :bthumb:

 

Couldn't help myself. Still have to checker and finish up the metalwork (I'll rust blue the barrel and will send everything else out for CCH and charcoal bluing) but here it is wearing handmade claro walnut stocks with ebony inserts and a buffalo horn buttplate. The only power tool that touched the stocks is a bandsaw. The stock screws were already cheesed up so I've got a fresh set waiting when its done.

 

Ha, ya just couldn't stand it could ya!!!



Ha, ya just couldn't stand it could ya!!! You had to make things "more better"!!!:bthumb: You will have to keep us updated as to progress as it happens. Be very interested in who CCH's the receiver for you and what it cost. I still have the idea of getting the receiver of one of my Favorites CCH'ed but I wasn't liking the price. That is some awesome stock and metal work there!!!
I see a few very small blemishes on the metal, did you leave them there on purpose??? I like to clean up the worst damage, but I really like leaving some of the scars as those scars were earned. Makes me wish these old rifles could talk, as I am sure they would have some awesome tales to tell. Keep us posted on the progress, please!!!
God Bless, Frank.

 

That is some excellent work young man! And someday it will be a treasure for your son

Frank

 

Thanks- thats the goal! Thinking it may not be a bad rifle to start him out with when he's ready for it too.

Ha, ya just couldn't stand it could ya!!! You had to make things "more better"!!!:bthumb: You will have to keep us updated as to progress as it happens. Be very interested in who CCH's the receiver for you and what it cost. I still have the idea of getting the receiver of one of my Favorites CCH'ed but I wasn't liking the price. That is some awesome stock and metal work there!!!
I see a few very small blemishes on the metal, did you leave them there on purpose??? I like to clean up the worst damage, but I really like leaving some of the scars as those scars were earned. Makes me wish these old rifles could talk, as I am sure they would have some awesome tales to tell. Keep us posted on the progress, please!!!
God Bless, Frank.

I intentionally left some booboos there, I personally don't need it absolutely flawless. Plus to get there I'd need to pretty much wipe the factory stamps out and we don't want that.

Forgot to add I fitted and installed a new ejector, new firing pin, action screws, and I splurged on a Marbles rear tang sight (again, couldn't help myself).

Dirty hands make beautiful things.

Regarding a reline... I could do it myself but when I have friends who are already tooled up and experienced at doing that sort of work and willing to help, I think I'll opt for their expertise. I still want to master rust bluing and metal shaping/prep too (besides the stock work and checkering) but the barrel work is a ways out.

I've got a lot more pics from the making of the stocks but another fun bit is that the stock is made from the last of the "factory second" blanks I bought a decade ago for $30 apiece to use as checkering practice pieces and maybe make stocks from. Well some pretty nice stocks ended up coming out of that pile and this last blank has terrific figure and is the densest claro I've seen, however it had a huge knot right where a bolt action's bolt notch would go. No good. So it gathered dust for years until I needed a blank for this Stevens and realized just chopping the blank in half at the knot and making a two-piece blank was a pretty good plan.

 

I will say it again...

I will say it again, that is some really nice work you are doing on that old rifle!!! And I am loving the pictures of the work as you are progressing through this project. If you decide to have the receiver CCH I would love to hear specifics about who and how much to see if it will fit my wallet!!! The craftsmanship on the stocks looks flawless!!!:bthumb:
God Bless, Frank.

 

:t on the Favorite.

I looked for one for years. They are scarce in this area and the very few I found were basically falling apart and were priced very high so I was never able to get my Favorite. When it was reintroduced I was going to buy one of the new ones until a good friend that had received one for Christmas busted my want bubble with the information that it was not the Favorite of old and to just pass on it. Since he was a long time gun dealer and had never given me bad information I heeded his advise and I have given up my search for old ones.

 

Sorry to jump right in but if any of you have info on these favorite rifles I just picked one up with some strange markings or more like lack of markings. We're there reproduction barrels or receivers for these rifles? Has half octagon barrel with correct looking hardware but it just says "favorite" on the barrel. Not in correct font, well I don't think. Looks newer to me. Any info is grately appreciated! I'll get pics up after work. Thanks!

 

Do a search of this forum for Stevens Favorite and you should get a bunch of hits. Then start reading!!! LOTS of good info in this forum!!! The three links below are some of my projects and will certainly get you started!!! Start you own thread on YOUR rifle if you decide you want to work on it. I will be more than happy to offer as much knowledge as I can to help you along!!!
Zombie rifles... | Rimfire Central Firearm Forum
A little 1915 Stevens Favorite help, please!!! | Rimfire Central Firearm Forum
Stevens 32 RimFire 17Mach2!!! | Rimfire Central Firearm Forum
God Bless, Frank.

 

So, Mr ek-marlin-424, any update on progress??? I want to see what this rifle looks like with the checkering done!!!
God Bless, Frank.

 

Hey Frank , always great to see your projects .

Just came across this thread & saw ek's rifle , I have the brother
to his in .32rf.
The Full Octagon Barrel didn't come out till 1907 , they
have the newer sights & ''Favorite'' atop the receiver.

... skwerl

 

Hey Frank , always great to see your projects .

Just came across this thread & saw ek's rifle , I have the brother
to his in .32rf.
The Full Octagon Barrel didn't come out till 1907 , they
have the newer sights & ''Favorite'' atop the receiver.

... skwerl

What I would love to find is a box of the 32 Rimfire cartridges that you have pictured in your post. Don't have a rifle that could shoot them, but I would like a box of them anyway!!! I would like a box of the 25 Long Rimfire also, just so I can look at them and dream and wonder. I would also like "Rocky and Bullwinkle's" "WABAC Machine". Google that!!!
Skwerl that is a mighty fine looking Favorite you have there!!!
God Bless, Frank

 

When I was young I shot a Stevens .32rf, not sure what model but gave me an appreciation for these. Eventually picked up a Favorite and a Marksman, but guess which is my 'favorite'? Bore looks rough, action is kinda loose, stock isn't original and finish is just good enough to be a wall hanger, but a good shooter, and as reliable as a hammer.

 

In fact I do have update material. First I need to finally send this metal out to have the CCH redone and reblue this barrel but, y'know, shoemaker's kids.

Last year I was awarded a scholarship from the ACGG to attend one of their summer courses and ended up doing a checkering class hosted by Doug Mann. I decided to bring my Favorite along and use it as a project piece during that week. So here it is. I couldn't decide what sort of pattern to lay down, and decided in the moment just to wing it and try to make something original without caring to adhere to any style.

Here's a rare photo of me at the bench. If it looks like I was fried after checkering all day, its because I was.

Bottom and top views.

Now for the fore-end... again, just doing what I felt like.

Months later I've returned to it and cleaned up a few of the curves. Refinished the stock too after I didn't like the color and sheen I originally put on it. Now just fixing up a few booboos around the checkering and the stocks will actually be done soon.

 

That is beautiful work!!! make sure you post the finished stock as I certainly want to see it!!!
God Bless, Frank.

 

Hey ek , a full wrap checkering is cool.
...skwerrl

 

To Frank and Ek,

How long did you make the LOP on the new stocks? They look to be about 14", which would be nice.

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13 5/8" on one and 13 1/2" on the other. Was close enough for me so I didn't worry about that 1/8" variation. Don't know what the LOP is on the one up in the attic, probably close to the two I could easily measure!!! Your turn Ek!!!
God Bless, Frank.

 

Thanks Frank. Sadie's Favorite is only 12' LOP and she needs about 13.5"



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I think mine is in the neighborhood of 13"... want it to be approachable for my boy when he's old enough to shoot squirrels too. I can deal with it being short if thats the tradeoff. Side note I'm building up a Mauser 98 in .308 and its cut at 14.5" because I think he may end up a lot bigger than me too!

Fun development with my project here... turns out the folks at C. Sharps do cyanide CCH on most of their guns and they're pretty dang good at it. So here's what I got back from them.

Yeahhhhh needless to say I'm pleased. Gonna pat myself on the back for once because I don't really consider myself a metalworker but I did do all the prep work there, and not to take any claim whatsoever for the color work but I don't see any flaws based on the work I did and the edges came out nice and crisp. I intentionally left a couple dings in. Now I have more bits to polish a lot of rust bluing to do. More to come.

 

That sure is pretty!