I got my "new' Stevens last night. It's a model 47 built on a fat heavy model 44 frame, with DST and pistol grip. Barrel is 30 3/8" no .2. Bore is almost perfect, metal finish is brown patina and wood finish is lost in some places and replaced by oil darkening. 

The rifle has the '47' marked on the frontal face of the receiver. On the barrel it is marked 32 IDEAL, as well as the Usual Stevens and Chicopee Falls address.  There is no indication that this rifle was re-bored or re-chambered. It appears to have left the factory as a .32 Ideal.

the extractor is at 7 o'clock

the metal is is covered by a beautiful brown patina. The tang sight is a Lyman, with long locking staff, the rear sight is a replacement Marbles with flat folding leaf, the front sight is a reproduction Beech's with windage adjustment

rear sight, replacement

forend

I intend to shoot this rifle, for fun. We shoot 2-4" targets placed on the backstop at 205 yards. I will try to do this offhand, the rifle has wonderful balance. The rifle was provided with an Ideal 32359 mold, 80 pieces of brass (half RMC and half the other, always splitting brand), two sets of dies, several hundred 32359 bullets, and a .325 sizing die. 
Also provided were loading notes, with several powders and several bullets, up to 185 grain. Interestingly, the heavy bullets did shoot well with a few powder combinations, but may not be the best idea in a model 44 frame.
The front trigger is waaaay too light when set, the adjustment screw does not seem to do much for it. A wonderful gunsmith from Lamar, MO, will probably fix that, i suspect it's worn or gummed up. 
The front and tang sights are great, but i will probably get an adjustable Merit cup, as i am not exactly the hawk-eye type. 
I don't expect to shoot this rifle more than 300-500 times per year, so i will probably keep the single cavity 32359, which is rare itself, but i don't exclude the possibility of getting a 3 cavity mold from NOE. At times they have 130 grain molds big enough to size down to .323-.325. The rifle seems to shoot the 32359 fine with 4759 and 4198, sized at .325. I shoot this rifle several times while it was in the possession of the previous caretaker. I had no problem hitting 2-3" targets at 200 yards, provided that they were painted white and the light was good.
I will most likely try 10-12 grans 4227 under the 120 grain 32359 bullet, as i have several pounds of it, or 4198, as it is available.
I cleaned the chamber and it appears that the throat is not set up for breech seating, which i am not interested in anyway. 
I will probably order in the future 100 pieces of brass from RMC, that should last me a lifetime.  
I will do nothing to this rifle other than wax, oil, and shoot. I have 2 new CPA's if i get an itch for new barrels in new calibers. 

How much is this rifle worth? How rare is it? What else can you tell me about it? I am open to comments, suggestions, and advice. Thanks.

Frank, it shoots better than i can hold, for now. See comments above.

Very interesting rifle.  What part of the country are you in?  The reason I ask is if you are droppong the rifle off in Lamar you can ask Lee to show you my Stevens 22 he is working on for me.  I live in Armar KS.

Det

Phil, the roll mark is as you describe, i enclose here a photo, but the patent date is obscured by a shadow. It is as you would expect.
The rear sight, folding, is made by Marbles. Probably rare and valuable, but it was a replacement done by the previous owner. Rub marks in the barrel finish behind this sight reveal that the rifle had a long buckhorn with ladder or elevator like most rifles of the time (Winchester or Marlin, for example). 
I am not brave or skilled enough to measure the pin that you ask, but i will take note and perhaps ask Mr. Shaver to check this, as he will take the rifle apart anyway, to clean and to see what is wrong with the trigger. It is scary light and not adjustable.

peterson2520ss wrote on May 3^rd, 2015 at 6:07pm:

I am about 4 hours north of Lamar. If he is so inclined, i would love to see your "baby". 

Nice Rifle. I pickup up one today also. Mine is a 47 on a 44 1/2 action in .25-20. Serial # on mine is about 1000 higher.

Terry

The .32 Ideal is listed in the 1896 catalog, and the accompanying text implies that it was a new one that year. Adrian's rifle is definitely pre-1900. By 1904 the side extractor was long gone. Best info to date (catalogs again) is that the center extractor came in about 1900 or maybe 1901.   

I actually like the side extractor better. Easier to remove and re-install, and the breechblock is solid, maybe even a forging, while the BB for the center extractor is too much hollow, and appears to be a casting.  Also, the side extractor BB is already machined to be compatible with the famous "lugged hammer", while the cast BB isn't.  

The 44 1/2 appeared in the lineup in 1903, and has it's own serial number sequence.  I have not been tracking those.  

It is hard to find a .32 Ideal Stevens. I finally found a 44 1/2 in .32 Ideal after a long search. Not sure what yours is worth.  To me it is worth what you are willing to pay for it. I have never regret paying too much for a rare gun that I wanted badly enough. Mine is a Model 45 with a Stevens Venier tang sight with combination eye cup and Globe front sight. Came with breech loading tool and some bullets but no brass or dies. Pristine bore, nice wood and metal but not what I would call pristine. Paid around $3000 for it which I thought was too much about a year and a half ago.

Thank you all for your replies. I now appreciate even better what i have. The action is very tight, it clicks and clacks when closing and opening. The bore is shiny and clean with strong rifling, the rifle shoots very well. 

What would the original buttplate be for this rifle? I am considering a Schoyen from CPA, in distressed plum brown, as long as i do not have to re-touch the stock.

Thank you all.

This is a picture of the Steven #2 & #3 Schuetzen butt plates.

The #2 was standard on the Model 44/45 (it can directly replace the standard cresent plate) and the #3 was optional on that model so, with the shape of the pictured Model 44/47, it would make since that the #3 would fit that shape. But, I can't say for certain that the #3 plate was standard on the 47. Leon could confirm that though.

Frank

A pic I've found of the buttplate on a somewhat later Model 47:

My catalogs and my survey seem to show that the 47 was just a 45 with pistol-grip stock and loop lever.  Same barrels, same sights.   The standard buttplates look exactly the same. 

I may have solved this with the Stevens catalogs.

1. 1900 cat. options for the 45 & 47 (back page of the 47 info), the sixth option.

2. 1909 cat. Bottom of the page, regarding #3 barrels.

Frank

All, this is very useful information. Thank you.

marlinguy, if you look into reply no 7, i posted a picture of the buttplate. On the left the plate is 1 mm 1.5mm too narrow )wood is wider), visible in pctures.  On the right edge it is perfect. I would not modify the plate, the rifle was someone's valued target rifle and that makes it collectible to me. Considering that this was probably added later, i was just wondering...

slumlord44 wrote on May 6^th, 2015 at 9:57pm:


I love period modifications, but if we do our own today, they aren't period modifications.
If someone doesn't like the period modifications done by the various old masters of the 1800's and early 1900's; feel free to send all those old Pope, Schoyen, Zischang, Niedner, etc. rifles my way!
Maybe if the buttplate disturbs the OP, then set it aside, and get something large enough to cover the wood, and shape it down to fit. Then keep that old period buttplate for the next owner.

Quarter_Bore wrote on May 13^th, 2015 at 9:14am:


Same here! 
I've owned Stevens rifles that I couldn't categorize also. Sometimes Stevens was so accommodating with their options, that the end rifle seems to just defy categorization. You can guess what model Stevens based it on, but no way to know what it is, other than a special order.