frnkeore wrote on Jun 1^st, 2018 at 9:19pm:


Don't think it's nearly that early Frank without his Cleveland address? My early Fecker is marked Cleveland as all early ones were.

westerner wrote on Jun 1^st, 2018 at 11:24pm:


It's always wrong to try to affix regular catalog names or numbers on custom built guns; unless you think it proper to pound square pegs into round holes.

I would say, after it's been examined here, that the rifle should be listed as a custom Stevens rifle (or maybe a 52), not a Model 54. I think for it to be a called a 54, it would need to have the straight grip, with the extra features.

But, the real determining factor, is WHAT is marked on the face of the frame! He doesn't show that.

Frank

frnkeore wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2018 at 12:29pm:


Frank, the Cleveland address would be marked on the tube, not the mounts.  In fact, during the time he worked in Cleveland, he mostly used Stevens & Winchester mounts, or whatever a customer sent him. Not until 1925 did he get his own mounts into production.

westerner wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2018 at 2:15pm:

Joe,

That description seems to contain a lot of the wording one sees contained in many evil-bay type descriptions.   

BP wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2018 at 2:40pm:


Merz was probably skilled in such wording long before ebay was created.

But one thing he doesn't say much about is the evidence that the gun had once belonged to Goyette.   

As Frank already mentioned, a picture of the markings stamped on the face of the frame should be provided.

Looking at the 4th picture that shows the Lyman #47 stem (or possibly Lyman 52A sight if purchased as a complete tang sight), the front tang sight mounting screw slot looks buggered (more so than other screw slots) as if the sight has been on and off a number of times, or switched over from other Stevens rifles.

I just did a Google search on the fellow that owned it. I got this about the very same rifle: RIA, the auction site marketed the gun on 6/12/08 (I don't know how to do links), and at that time it included a shooting box as well as the rifle. There is some info about the owner who worked for Stevens for a very long time. Apparently a fine shooter, he won a bunch of shooting matches and also had a pretty special collection of other guns. 
I wonder what became of the "kit" in the box? Price was lower ten years ago than Merz is asking- open to negotiation? Dunno, but even if he were, it's still outta my range. 
With all the other confusion about the Stevens guns, and on one that's clearly special construction, why the importance of that stamp on the frame that they so carefully hid?