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Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? (Read 4963 times)

Paul_F. Ex Member	Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Dec 7^th, 2007 at 11:20pm	Print Post
	Been looking at various auctions for Stevens 44's (who knows, ONE day I might have money again.... IF I stop buying unimportant stuff instead of focusing on guns!).. One problem I've been having is LOUSY descriptions of the rifles! (hardly uncommon, I know). Other than a Favorite being typically marked "Stevens Favorite" on top of the barrel, are there any "visual clues" that one can look for in "poor" to "fair' quality pictures of a "Old Stevens Rifle, VG shape", to pick out a 44 from a Favorite? I know that USUALLY the take-down screw of the 44 is flush, where USUALLY the Favorite is a prominent knurled nub or ring... Are there any details other than that to look hard at? Paul F.


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JCHannum Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 435 Location: Toledo Joined: Aug 8^th, 2007	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #1 - Dec 8^th, 2007 at 8:24am	Print Post
	If the butt plate is visible, the 44 is crescent steel while the Favorite is flat rubber. The Favorite is thinner vertically through action and the wrist in proportion to the 44, but that is difficult to spot in fuzzy photos with no comparison.

	Jim H.
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creedmoormatch Ex Member	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #2 - Dec 8^th, 2007 at 9:27pm	Print Post
	When you say "auctions" do you mean internet auctions as opposed to live auctions? In any event, the two models of Stevens rifles are two sizes...the Favorite being the smaller action of the two, whereas the Model 44 is larger than the Favorite. As you point out, the Favorite has that word inscribed on the receiver and the Model 44 has that number stamped on the front of the receiver. If you are serious about purchasing the Model 44, I would suggest that you try to acquaint your self with actual copies of each model, either by visiting gun stores or friends who may own these rifles and compare the two for reference purposes.


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marlinguy Ex Member Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater!	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #3 - Dec 8^th, 2007 at 9:59pm	Print Post
	If you can see the takedown screw, the Favorites used a screw with a ring, or a screw with a much larger head. Another way is the often strange serial number ranges found on Favorites. Bu sometimes they fall into numbers that don't look that far off too. Often times Favorites are extremely hard to tell from a 44 when there's nothing next to the gun to scale from in the auction pictures. With their smaller barrels and frames, they are tough to identfy, as the ratio of barrel to frame looks like a typical 44.

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Paul_F. Ex Member	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #4 - Dec 8^th, 2007 at 10:24pm	Print Post
	JCHannum; Hadn't thought of the buttplate, thanks! Creedmoormatch; Correct, internet auctions... only pictures, no ability to touch. I have handled a few of each, but that don't mean I can spot the subtle differences in a photo! As mentioned, the hard part is seeing a size difference when the silly thing is photographed on a white sheet without anything next to it to gage size against! Marlinguy; Thanks! Paul F.


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38_Cal Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2248 Location: Montezuma, Iowa Joined: Apr 27^th, 2005	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #5 - Dec 9^th, 2007 at 2:10am	Print Post
	Ask the seller to measure the width of the receiver. (If they ignore your request, it's usually a sign that you don't really want that rifle!) My daughter's 44 is about 1 1/8" wide, and I know that the Favorite is narrower. David Montezuma, IA

	David Kaiser Montezuma, IA
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moshannon Full Member Offline Posts: 152 Location: SW PA Joined: Aug 8^th, 2006	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #6 - Dec 11^th, 2007 at 12:36pm	Print Post
	The later versions of the 44 also had the breechblock screw and lever screw replaced with a stud with a slot on the left face and a retaining screw on the right face of the reciever. So the Favorites would show a blank screw on the right face and the later model 44's would have a slotted retainer screw head. The earlier 44's would look similar to the Favorites in this respect. M~

	ASSRA & NRA
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NineRing Ex Member	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #7 - Dec 13^th, 2007 at 4:51pm	Print Post
	This was a very interesting seminar, factually! One wonders where these rifles might be listed, just a matter of passing interest, like best locations to browse? NineRing


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2520 Ex Member	Re: Visual clues to tell a Stevens Fav from a 44? Reply #8 - Dec 14^th, 2007 at 8:52am	Print Post
	In print DeHaas Single Shot Actions has most if not all of this info. On the net sources are scarce. There is a historical piece on the different Favorites and to a lesser extent on the 44 actions on the Wisners, Inc site ( (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links); Well worth a look. They manufacture many of those impossible to find elsewhere parts for many types of rifles. Other than that???


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