Otto, I don't have an answer about the plunger, but from what I have gleaned about the 44 1/2, your #12387 would be toward the very end of production - 1915 or 1916.  I read some years back that the highest number known was #12940.

Regards,
Joe

it is the only thing she got right

Assuming that "Gail" is the the lady who runs CPA, your statement implies she got other things wrong.  That Gail?  About a 44-1/2?  Don't just sit there; spill it!

Bill Lawrence

BW
You say that you lever plunger was a different shape and on an earlier build. Did it look like a "T" with the spring on the outside? Can you tell us the rough serial number of your rifle?
Frank de Haas says that the plunger is used to keep the lever in contact with the frame. My rifle functioned fine without the plunger but I can feel a little bit of extra tension, pushing against the frame, with the plunger in place.
Joe
Thanks for your response. The plunger on my late production 44 1/2 is harder to produce than a simple "T", with the outside spring. I would have thought that Stevens would have switched to the outside spring version in the later production plungers to save costs and not the other way around.
Does anyone have an action with the outside spring plunger, that is thought to be original to the action?
Otto

Bill, PM sent

The spring goes behind the plunger not over on SN 10802

Charles and Dellett
When I did an Internet search for a lever plunger there was mention of a "T" shaped plunger. The description was clear enough but no dimensions. I disassembled another of my 44 1/2 actions and reproduced the plunger shown in my original post. For all I know, this may be the only plunger that Stevens offered.
I'm familiar with the breechblock plunger, as my action was missing this plunger's spring.
Bobw
As noted above, I don't know if Stevens ever offered an outside spring lever plunger but one was mentioned and described somewhere in my Internet search. It is a little easier to make than the inside spring version and would probably work equally as well. Below is one that I made today.
Otto