You might actually want to try to get in touch with some of bigger collector/dealers of single shots. Gary Quinlan from near Philadelphia and Goergens Gun Shop in Austin, Minn. come to mind. They could definitly help with price points if they have seen others around at the large shows, although they will also want to have a very accurate description of the condition.

shoot and i was going to offer 200.00 in cash now just kidding.  what a find its amazing.

why dont we have a stevens thread so i can find out about my stevens tip-up.  the only way i will be able to figure it out is to send it to david kaiser in ia.

been spending too much on my martini collection as of late after i got over the r/r benchrest rifle plague.

keep gtoing  and thanks i can compete in this game but its interesting.

bob

I'm no expert by any stretch, but I know that there were multiple sizes of both "standard" actions and Francotte actions, that carried the breechblock, extractor and lever on a sub-frame...what I call the "works in a drawer" design.  Just scaling from the rear sight, this appears to be one of the medium standard actions, shaped similarly to the Mk IV or Francotte designs.   

David Kaiser
Montezuma, IA

Converted military actions were an "entry level" target rifle around 1900 /1910. Greener sold them at a slightly lower price than his "Military Miniature" which had the small Francotte type action--probably sourced from BSA. We have several of the conversions in our club, some of which retain the full military appearance and some looking like the "Stevens" rifle referred to above.
The "Stevens" rifle was probably made in Birmingham in my opinion.
I never heard of any rifle being banned for being too accurate. Progress in accuracy always resulted in a line of prospective purchasers waving money.
Fred.

If you decide to sell it and come up with an asking price, I would ask  that you post it here in the for sale section and give us here a shot at buying it. I , for one am intertsted in it, if there is any way possible that I could afford it. This is a gun that I would not mind overextending myself on if it is anywhere in the realm of reason.

I think it is unlikely that the barrel is a replacement, it's hardly likely that anyone would go to the trouble of having a roll die made to replicate the original 'factory' markings.

It's more likely perhaps that a round barrel was standard, as they are size for size cheaper to produce than octagonal or half and half designs. The small bore target rifle market in Britain in the early 1900's was a very competative business and anything that reduced the cost of producing the rifle without effecting its accuracy would be siezed upon by the manufacturer.

I think we have all seen firearms advertised in advance of production that differed somewhat from the original description when it was marketed. Its happened to me.  

The .22 Long Rifle cartridge was well established by the time this rifle was advertised, the advert stated that it was being chambered for a specific .22" LR round by a named manufacturer.  The .22" Long Rifle cartridge was developed by Stevens in 1887 by taking the case from the .22" Long cartridge and fitting the 40 grain bullet from the .22 Extra long cartridge.

Small Bore rifle shooting was really at it's zenith around the end of the first decade of the 20th.C. in Britain and there was a lucrative market for rifle sales. Stevens can't be blamed for wanting to cash in on such a market. Stevens problem was 'how to do it'

The most economical way would be to have the rifle made in Britain in it's entirety.  Get a manufacturer to build the rifles on an existing action, or surplus actions from a production over-run using sights and sight insert holders that were already in mass production and therefore cheaper than any new design.

The clue's are tantalising, almost certainly a Birmingham Gunmaker, but who? BSA, probably, but Webley or Greener are possibilities. Matching the action to one known to be made or imported by one of the Birmingham Gun Makers would be a good starting point.

Harry

As far as the action it looks like any of the small Martini actions used by many of the English makers for the small martini Rook rifles. My guess is that they were made in Belgium and finished in England. Westley Richards made quite a few for the New South Wales  Public Schools. 
Cheers,
Laurie