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CharleHunter
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Stevens Engraving Patterns
Feb 23rd, 2019 at 11:45pm
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Are there any informations sources that show or describe engraving patterns for Stevens 44 1/2s? The rifle action shown in the picture belonged to a famous local shooter and gun retailer. Adelaide refers to the Capital of South Australia where there is a history of German Ring Target Shooting. Note that the rifle is a full re-build as only the action body was found but does appear to be factory nickel plate.
  
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Redsetter
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #1 - Feb 24th, 2019 at 10:19am
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Does not closely resemble engraving illustrations in Stevens catalogs I checked; in fact, the coverage is greater than is shown even on the highest priced models. What's particularly noticeable is the absence of that very strong border on the factory models.  (Not that a special pattern couldn't be ordered from the factory.)

What model no. is marked on the rcvr?
  
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Bill Lawrence
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #2 - Feb 24th, 2019 at 2:42pm
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As Red says, this engraving is more extensive than and bears little resemblance to standard factory patterns.  On the other hand, there are documented special orders that veer considerably away from those standards, including a centralized "name" in all-capitals - i.e., as with so many things back then, you could get what you were willing to pay for.  That being said, it's also just my personal opinion that the work here is a hair less polished than I would have expected, even allowing that on the relatively lower grades the designs were etched more often than cut, suggesting again just to me that Stevens never intended to compete with the likes of the Ulrich family.

Bill Lawrence
  
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frnkeore
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #3 - Feb 24th, 2019 at 3:38pm
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Here is one that is some what similar.

Frank
  

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Redsetter
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #4 - Feb 24th, 2019 at 5:01pm
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frnkeore wrote on Feb 24th, 2019 at 3:38pm:
Here is one that is some what similar.

Frank


Especially in the border decoration, which is actually a widely-used pattern, but not one of Stevens' "regular" patterns; probably just one favored by the particular engraver assigned to the job.  Workmanship seems to be of a higher grade, but then the magnification isn't as great as on the one above.   
  
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slumlord44
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #5 - Feb 24th, 2019 at 9:52pm
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I know a bit about Stevens but little about their engraving other than having seen a ton of pictures. What I do know is that there are no factory records and they did a lot of special order oddball work. Much of their work is not possible to document. Makes collecting intersting but also often furstrating. Beautiful rifle.
  
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CharleHunter
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #6 - Feb 25th, 2019 at 5:35am
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Thanks for the replies, should have posted the other side as well, so here it is
  
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Redsetter
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #7 - Feb 25th, 2019 at 10:01am
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Stands to reason the wood, sights, & other parts of the gun were equally fancy & expensive, making it rather incredible it was stripped down to the rcvr alone.
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #8 - Feb 25th, 2019 at 10:25am
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Sometimes these once expensive, fancy guns got used, and abused. So on occasion I see them reworked into different configurations than they likely started life as. Then we fast forward to today, and someone buys the poorly reworked gun and strips off the less desirable wood and barrel with plans to redo it all. If the plan doesn't come to fruition they occasionally show up for sale as just the action, or maybe a barreled action.
I've purchased a couple actions that were factory engraved, and somehow parted from their original barrels and stocks. Always sad to see that, and wonder what they once looked like. But I've rebuilt the guns to what I hoped they started life as, and that's all I could do was guess and proceed from there.
  

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BP
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #9 - Feb 25th, 2019 at 4:54pm
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Uncountable guns of multiple "grades" were pulled apart over scores of years, with the actions ending up stashed away in old cigar boxes that collected dust sitting on the shelves, waiting to be used as the basis for something that was far more appealing to their respective owners... and that practice once kept a lot of gun parts dealers that have now mostly vanished from gun shows, in business for a time.
This link to Numrich Gun Parts shows that they still buy guns to be able to sell as parts  "of every make and model ".
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Nothing incredible there... it's how they've made their living for a very long, long time.

  

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CharleHunter
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #10 - Feb 25th, 2019 at 10:21pm
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BP your comment is quite correct. The receiver was found in a biscuit tin on a rubbish dump. Fortunately the person that found it recognised what it was.
  
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frnkeore
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #11 - Feb 26th, 2019 at 3:08pm
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WOW, what a save!!!!

Frank
  

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bnice
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #12 - Feb 26th, 2019 at 5:37pm
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Curious as why no one seemed to think it was engraved by a local Australian engraver instead of Stevens? Does Talbot lake have any shooting provenance? Nice rifle would like to see the whole view.
  
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JLouis
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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #13 - Feb 26th, 2019 at 6:20pm
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Bob I too tend to think it might not have been done in house by Stevens same as you. It just looks to be more heavy handed compared to their work that I have seen.
  

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Re: Stevens Engraving Patterns
Reply #14 - Feb 26th, 2019 at 7:28pm
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In 1913 there was a Narrandera Rifle Club. Narrandera is the site of Talbot Lake.
  
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