This weekend I bought what I was told was a model 44 Stevens,as soon as I picked it up I thought it was a 44 1/2. turns out it is a 044 1/2. Are these rare ?

It is 22 rimfire don't know how to post pics . Serial number is 1408 both barrel and receiver match.

I own five 044 1/2's, the highest serial number that I  have  is 46##. It has the trade mark Stevens stamping on the left side of the receiver and the screw for the kicking ejector, so it was made after 1911. I agree with Dellet, the serial numbers go up to around 5000 for the 044 1/2's. I don't think that the serial numbers were mixed in with the 44 1/2's, but it is possible. These little rifles were introduced after the 44 1/2"s had been on the market for a little while. 
The 0441/2 largest centerfire factory chambering was in 32-20 and 28-30 Stevens. The barrel shank diameter is 3/4" so that limits the larger cartridge case size to 32-20 or so.

Yamoon that is
s one beautiful  rifle

when did the 044 1/2 show up in the stevens line up

In the excellent Stevens book set by Tom Rowe and Ralph Hemstalk, there is an excerpt of a magazine article from Shooting and Fishing dated November 1903 that states that the new 044 1/2 rifle will be ready June 1st 1904. So apparently the English model came out a little later than the 44 1/2.
I highly recommend this book set on Stevens.