I'm becoming intrigued with a feature of Stevens Favorites, especially the 1915 variety.  Looking at the rear of the breechblock, with the action closed, some have at gap of up to 1/16" between breecblock and frame, while others, including the two I have, show almost no space at all.  (Mine will both trap a .0015"  feeler gauge, in fact.)  I can't believe it's just tolerance stack-up - it has to be deliberate.   When did it start to appear?  After the Savage takeover maybe?  Do any 1894 pattern guns show it? Asking opinions/comments.

Or just permits looser control of tolerances.   

Any guesses as to when yours were made?  Pre-war or post-war? Pre-Savage or post?

Browsing Grant for the eleventy-seventh time, I found a long quote from Allyn Tedmon, in which he says snide things about the appearance of the 1915, but allows that those made immediately after WW1 were well fitted.  He goes on to comment that after that "the breechblocks never even knew what the recoil shoulders in the frame were for."   

That answers my original question; they are certainly going to be scarce,. I guess I'm lucky to have acquired, all unknowingly, two of those pre-Savage examples. 

Got it torn down.  It had in it the most mangled link I've ever seen in any 44 or Favorite.  My oversize pins won't even begin to clean it up. Fortunately Jack First has new ones, so I won't have to make one.   

Gotta recommend Jack First - they've got more Favorite parts than all the rest combined.