Just bought a Favorite that is supposed to have a factory checkered stock. It looks right to me. Similar to other factory work that I have seen. None of my reference material shows a picture but it was an option. Have pictures of the Favorite Ladies Model but it is different. Go to Antique Guns.com and search for Stevens. Bluesman agrees with me. Looking for the opinion of some of out other Stevens experts. Anybody have one or actualy seen one?

I followed that rifle with interest.  I was glad to see you bid on it and win.  It looks very good regardless of its originality.  It was executed by a skilled craftsman no matter if it was at the Stevens factory or done later.  It was also done long ago as it shows honest use.  Nice buy!!!
Here is a link to the photos for those of you who want to see it:
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Red

Slumlord,  I can't believe you got that one for $250.  What a steal!  I think it looks really nice.

I have seen some very unusual Stevens rifles that I am sure were factory special orders.  I owned a factory engraved standard Model 44 sporting rifle with fancy wood and checkered stock that were original and numbered to the rifle.  The factory would do almost anything that the buyer was willing to pay for.  That being said, my only question about this Favorite is that although the checkering could be a factory special order job, it was more usual to find this combined with fancier wood than this rifle exhibits.
Cheers, 
acg

Cut or ground where? This is an early gun. You can tell by looking at the action from the side. Early guns had a  srtaight angleon the frame. Later guns had a radius. The early guns had a metal butplate. The later ones had a plastic or baklite butplate. You could very well be correct about the checkering. If it was not done in the factroy, it was done a long time ago. I understand what you say about the plain wood, but the catalogs list a checkerd stock as an option. It does not say anything about delux wood, just checkering. The checkering pattern is consistant with what Stevens used on there uppper end 44's and 44 1/2's. It seems sort of unlikely that a master craftsman of the time would have taken the time to do such a nice job of checkering on such a low priced gun. It is possible for sure though. I keep hoping that somone out there has a factory checkered gun, or has a reference with a picture of one. I have actualy seen a Favorite Ladies Model at a gun show in Louiville Ky a couple of years ago. Checkering is simlar but different and the stock is a pistol grip stock rather than a straight grip stock. I have pictures of the Ladies Model in an early catalog reprint. I will know more when I have the gun in my hands. It may be one of those things that IF it was done after the fact, back in the day by a real craftsman who copied the Stevens pattern, it may not be possible to prove for sure if it is factory or not. It is not like I paid a premium for it. For what I paid, it was a steal either way.

slumlord
There are pictures on Halp's single shot Pbase page of a Ladies model 56 on a 44 1/2 action and also a straight grip Ideal on a 44 1/2  special ordered with checkering and fancy wood.  The straight grip Ideal would give you something to compare to.   
Here are the links:
Lady's model:
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Straight grip Ideal 44 1/2:
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Red

3 comments:
1. #56 Stevens is only made on the 044 1/2
2. In general checkering only done on fancy wood as it held the          checkering well.  That rifle just may have better that just plain wood, look closely.

3. Beware that site: bought a rifle that we supposed to be a .22 and it was a .32 rf and would not take it back. I advised him it was his mistake not mine and he told me he didn't care whose mistake it was.
Bought another from this place and was told it was a centerfire and when I got it was a rimfire .38. Again told me he didn't care. So description doesn't mean anything to him. Twice burned thats enough-deleted his site.
So if you find out that you got something that you didn't want- this guy doesn't do returns. At least not mine anyway.
   Don    rustyrelx

Having owned and sold several "ladies" Stevens rifles to include the 56 and examining the favorite series of them,ie 21,  what I can say is that I personally never saw a 56 in 44 1/2. It was a ladies rifle and supposed to be for a smaller user, thats why its a ladies rifle and 044 1/2. If indeed you have a full size #56 then it is a rarity, and I would encourage a close examination of said rifle. 
Don