Phil,

Looking at the reprint of the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. catalog (ISBN-1-884849-11-3 is shown on the outside rear cover page), the outside spine shows:
     Cat. #50 1902

On the inside of the rear cover page is found:
     OUR NEW PRODUCTIONS
     We would respectfully call your attention to the following list of goods introduced by us since January 1, 1901, a description of which will be found in this catalog: …

On page 36 is found:
     ... the announcement below of Mr. H. M. Pope, that we have made arrangements to manufacture and sell his celebrated rifle barrels. …
The announcement shown from:
     Office of H. M. Pope
     59 Ashley Street, HARTFORD, CONN.
     April 1, 1901

On page 3 is found:
     On Dec. 3, 1901, another factory of 180,000 feet was added, which increases our floor space to over 10 1/4 acres. On January 1, 1902, we were the largest producers of firearms for sporting purposes in the world.

The Jan 1, 1902 date shown on page 3 is the latest date that appears to be contained in this particular catalog edition, so type-setting and publication of this edition should have occurred sometime after the Jan 1, 1902 date.

All illustrations for the various " Ideal " models are depicted using the 44 action.

The component parts for the Ideal rifles are found on pages 34 and 35, and among the parts listed are:
     2.     Breech Block, old style
     2A.   Breech Block (Central extractor)
     13.   Breech Block Screw, old style
     13C. Breech Block Screw (Central extractor)
     13D. Breech Block Bolt (Central extractor)
     14.   Lever Screw (Side Extractor)
     14A. Lever Screw (Central extractor)
     14B. Lever Bolt (Central extractor)
Other parts that are respective to the side extractor (old style) models, and that are respective to the central extractor models are also shown.

I find no mention (or illustration, or parts listed), for the 44 1/2 action models (or 0-44 1/2 and 56) contained in this particular catalog.

Redsetter wrote on Oct 24^th, 2018 at 6:16pm:

There is NO mention in that catalog that the side extractor had been abandoned.
Have you considered the possibility that both variations of the 44 frame may have been in concurrent stages of assembly, as the older parts including those frames that had already been drilled and tapped for the "old style" side extractor breech block and lever screws were being used up, while the frames that used the central extractor breech block and lever "bolts" were being machined on the production line?

Brilliant! That's the kind of info I've been wishing for, to put down a marker along the serial-number sequence.  Thanks!

Is that #50 an original, or is it something I could get from Cornell?

BP wrote on Oct 24^th, 2018 at 7:06pm:


The machining for the pivot screws wouldn't be an issue.  It's trivial to convert a screw receiver to take the bolts. I've done it. But the milling or broaching in the receiver for the extractor is mutually exclusive.  It would be painfully obvious if you took a side extractor receiver and reworked it for the central.

As I posted, the bolt pivots appear quite a while before the side extractor disappears.

Not a Cornell, because the one Cornell lists as a 50 - 1902 is 142 pages and has the 44 1/2 and 044 1/2. Oddly though it has the same cover as those in that link posted. So is Cornell's the updated 51 from 1903?

oneatatime wrote on Oct 24^th, 2018 at 8:31pm:


Might be.  Cornell's assignment of dates to numbered catalogs is sheer guesswork.

To add fuel to this catalog fire, I have an original Catalog 51, the one with the Frost painting of the hunter and his dog in a cornfield.  It is flat-out as-new with its inserts, thanks to being protected by its mailing envelope.  The catalog is 128 pages, undated, and the envelope's postmark is smudged; however, it does have the interior note that as of Jan. 1, 1902, Stevens is the world's largest producer of sporting arms.

What's relevant to this discussion is that the catalog not only lists parts for both the "old" and "new" style 44 actions but pictures the former.  More relevant is that this catalog describes and pictures the full line of 44-1/2-actioned rifles.

Now BP's R&R reprinted "Catalog # 50 1902"' 128 pages, has no mention of the 44-1/2.  He doesn't mention the cover but the links show it as the one with the woman at the hunting camp who's petting a dog.

Oneatatime's Cornell reprint, also supposedly Catalog # 50 1902 but with 142 pages, does have the 44-1/2 material.

And here's my best guess as to how to resolve this (though I'd like to compare the first two catalogs page-by-page to see how they both end up with 128 pages). The R&R reprint is the true Catalog # 50  from 1902.  Mine is the true # 51, necessitated by the introduction of the 44-1/2 action, and likely printed in 1903.  Cornell's catalog, as oneatatime speculates, is possibly a revised Catalog 51 or perhaps even a # 52 from 1903.  Misdating is too often the case with Cornell; moreover, while Stevens may have reused the earlier cover, as is their wont, Cornall may simply have "borrowed" it because it's "pretty" and shows a woman.

Anybody else else want to chime in?

Bill Lawrence