Stevens 22 marked 45 under the lever with the long octagonal barrel and single set trigger in the 11xxx range.  Shot it offhand today; very nice.  It appears to be a 44 1/2 receiver with the rounded bolt and bottom screw near the rear, but were there others with the top front screw similar to the 44's?  Any information would be appreciated.  Thanks

Whereas all other makers charged extra for half-octagonal barrels, they were standard on most Stevens rifles, and full-octagonals were optional at about $2 extra. What's the barrel length?  26" was standard for RFs.

That 3-leaf open sight looks a little bizarre on a RF, but you're lucky to have the A5 scope.

patriot wrote on Jan 11^th, 2018 at 8:40am:


Definitely special order--another $2 option.

Opened up a front iris for the long barrel and shot it today.  Holds great, but my finger would need a few sessions to learn the trigger.  Cleaning it tonight I pushed the trigger forward just out of curiosity and heard the click.  Well dah, its a set trigger.  Back to the range tomorrow.  Anyone know if they were factory or custom?  Adjustable inside?  Thanks

Update - found a couple of drawings and a photo of a single set trigger; not certain yet if they are the same.

I've seen two Stevens 44's with single set triggers. They looked factory, and I wondered if someone was making or reworking these. They also worked flawlessly!
What was interesting was both were removable lower tangs like a 44 DST tang.

That rear barrel sight is very seldom seen. Pretty sure they were made by W.F. Sheard. 
The Lyman 103 tang sight is very nice as well as the rare single-set trigger.
I have a Stevens #45 in 22lr on a 44 1/2 action that is similar to the one pictured in that it has a slightly heavier 30" full octagon barrel only mine has no front or rear sight dovetails. It left the factory with a Stevens scope instead.
Mine has double set triggers and does not have the kicking ejector or the extra screw in the side of the action.

Steve   

marlinguy wrote on Jan 13^th, 2018 at 10:36am:


Yes, it is a removable lower tang.

Redsetter wrote on Jan 13^th, 2018 at 8:39am:


Correct.  It appears to control the sear engagement by adjusting the screw contact to the frame.  I've got it soaking in Kroil to see if it will adjust.

sureshot wrote on Jan 13^th, 2018 at 3:54pm:


Yes, the leaf sight is a Sheard.  Any pictures of your rifle?


Thanks everyone for sharing your expertise.

slumlord44 wrote on Jan 14^th, 2018 at 6:05pm:


The leaf sight has "W.F. Sheard" on the front.  I didn't see a name on the tang sight.  I believe it is a Lyman 103.  It has a "P" on the underside which appears to be correct for this rifle.

Thats the sight I have. Verry scarce as  I recall. Good find.

marlinguy wrote on Jan 19^th, 2018 at 11:12am:


Right, and some Stevens catalogs include drawings of both SS & DS lower tangs, which appear to be identical in external dimensions; for which reason I've suspected buttstocks are interchangeable between 44 & 44-1/2 frames.  This should be a conjecture easy to prove or disprove by experiment, but I confess I've always been too lazy to try it.  Has anyone done this?   

marlinguy wrote on Jan 19^th, 2018 at 1:06pm:


If the two straight-grip actions I just measured are typical of all, the difference is pretty minimal:  dimensions top to bottom at rear of frame where it meets buttstock are identical.  Side to side at same point, the 44-1/2 was thicker by the difference of .009".

I have a single-set trigger on my Stevens 044 1/2 Ladies Model.  It works great, I've shot it in several matches.

A 44 stock will go on a 44 1/2 action, but not the other way.  The 44 needs larger interior clearance cuts for its' arched mainspring, unless you have a set-trigger 44 with the separate tang.  I just tried it with some of my loose parts.  In my case the 44 stock will require a bit of scraping in the tang channels...it's a very tight fit.  YMMV.

uscra112 wrote on Feb 17^th, 2018 at 1:04am:


Well, that answers a question I've long wondered about, but from external observation alone, had assumed the contrary; experimentation always beats speculation.

It is on a 44 1/2 action. The screw configuration on the action is the 44 1/2. Evidently some .22LR 44 1/2 actions had an added screw that looks like the 44 action. This one does not - it a Model 45 with a 44 1/2 action.

So tactfully put, Redsetter. You could have said that since you have the rifle don't worry about the screws just open the action and if the breech block extends out the bottom it is a 44 1/2. Now, the questions begging are, was the 22 ejector an option? Or, was not having it an option? Or, is this a centerfire action that has been reworked for a 22?

It's subjective comparisons like that that are a problem. If you want to ignore the breech block extension, how about the top of the down hammer nose being below the action sides?

Redsetter, since my vision and brain are so screwed up, I supplied the photo. You are obviously the expert: what do I have - a 44 or 44 1/2? You didn't bother to say. Thank you for that. Most online auction houses supply limited photos to determine the difference. Besides "counting screws" how do you tell from a small side photo which it is? Relying on the write ups the auction houses supply is about worthless. I don't want to buy a "parts rifle" if the stock won't fit whatever model it is I have.

The point of the "BS" was:
1. Confirm that my too-good-to-pass-up .22 Stevens Model 45 was in fact a 44 1/2 action. It is, thank you.
2. Confirm if a crescent stock from a 44 1/2 or 44 could fit on my Model 45 without undue modification to the Model 45 so it would be legal for BPCR matches. Evidently the just the 44 1/2 stock will swap out, thank you.
3. Gain enough knowledge from experienced Stevens collectors and shooters to identify from poor on-line auction photos a Model 44 1/2 whose stock will work for my rifle instead of a Model 44 whose stock will not fit my rifle. I don't want to waste my money on one that won't fit.  Working on it. 
Thank you all for a very informative thread.   

Fogman wrote on Feb 18^th, 2018 at 11:03pm:



Did you miss my post earlier?   A 44 stock will fit onto a 44 1/2.