assuming the wood is original,  would not the number of screw holes in the butt seem to evidence something?   

Seems to me that the rifle at one time had a different buttplate that required more screws or screws in different locations.  not that I could not have been sent back to the factory to have a different BP fitted at some time.
 
I can well imagine that for a really serious offhand shooter, who was hoping to take home some high value prizes, replacing a brass or iron/steel with a AL alloy BP might make a big difference in the "hang" of the rifle and for such a shooter paying big dollars for a high priced alloy BP might make enough of a match points difference to justify the expense of having the factory obtain and refit a custom made BP,    

IN those days some of the factories would install customer specified components if they were willing to pay the price or so I've been told.  Are there not factory rifles made up with "other than factory barrels"?

DW,

The extra holes in the stock are from mounting it in a duplicator. The center hole is from a 60 degree center point and the two holes next to the center have threads from a wood screw but are very clean as in having been used only once. This fits with the "T" shaped duplicator mounts I've seen.

Steven Durren

Mike65 wrote on Dec 18^th, 2013 at 10:46pm:


Poor quality picture, but this is the Stevens H sight on my 44.5. Not used on any Favorites that I've ever seen. It has a knurled barrel in the center to do elevation.
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And my Stevens 49
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marlinguy wrote on Dec 19^th, 2013 at 8:10pm:


That can't be the sight Gary was referring to, if he said he'd only seen 2 of them--he's seen hundreds of this sight, which I call a #104.  (Stevens couldn't seem to stick to one name or number for identifying its sights.)


I believe the one he meant was the one called graduated or vernier peep--adjustable by releasing the eye-cup, no screw.  Staff is attached in the middle of the base, not the forward end.

slumlord wrote Quote:

Is one a No. 104 (H sight), and the other a No. 130 sight?

marlinguy wrote on Dec 20^th, 2013 at 12:05am:


He didn't.  "Gallery" was Ballard terminology, and the one I'm sure he meant wasn't the same sight used on #18 Favorites, called a "Graduated."  Pictures of it in #50, 51 Stevens catalogs--has a base unlike those on any other Stevens tang sight.

Redsetter and Marlinguy,

My research resources are pretty limited but I have been going by my Stevens catalog which is dated Aug. 1, 1900 which is as close in date to the estimated 1896/97 mfg. date as I could get.

I know that Stevens would sell you just about anything in any combination that you could dream up but I don't really see a rear sight like they show on the picture of the Walnut Hill 49 (pg. 77).  In particular I am looking at what appears to be a thumb wheel on the top of the sight to adjust the elevation.   

In this catalog the sights do not carry a specific letter designation but combinations of front and rear sights do (page 71).  My front sight is the "Wind-Gauge Sight with Interchangeable Disc. $3.00" (no level) on pg.91 and according to the groupings on pg. 71 would have been used with the Mid-Range Vernier Peep and been the G sight combination designation.  This does match the rifle description for the 49 as being available but that rear sight does not have the thumb screw as shown in the picture.  The mid-range vernier shown here is labeled as the "New" mid-range and maybe that is the difference.  If someone has a catalog prior to 1900 that may answer the question.

Mike

BP,

I really don't know what the original looks like having never seen one.  I was just going by the illustration in the catalog which at best is not a real good image.  

Quinlan did say that the same vernier sight was used on "some" Winchesters but I have no idea which ones.

I'll be shooting this with a 103 which is fine with me.  It would be interesting to at least see what may have been on it originally.

Mike