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Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 (Read 675 times)

toppkatt Junior Member Offline Posts: 75 Joined: Feb 7^th, 2020	Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Aug 29^th, 2026 at 6:20pm	Print Post
	I have a Steven's 44 1/2 that I have trouble getting a cleaning rod in the breech. Even with the hammer at full cock it seems to encroach on the cleaning rod. I have a Shavers peep sight in the rear. It's in .38-55. It groups well. I shot a 97 3X today at 100 yards. Suggestions?


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4534 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #1 - Aug 29^th, 2026 at 7:10pm	Print Post
	What is the rod diameter?


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cheatin_charlie Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 437 Location: ohio Joined: Jan 10^th, 2009	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #2 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 5:32am	Print Post
	What I do on mine is use the smallest dia. cleaning rod practical. I am right handed so using the left hand thumb pull hammer back as far as possible and hold it while running rod to clean barrel. Some people grind the hammer for clearance but I never did. It is a quirk of the 44 1/5 action. Charlie


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toppkatt Junior Member Offline Posts: 75 Joined: Feb 7^th, 2020	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #3 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 8:51am	Print Post
	oneatatime I'm using a .30 cal rod Thanks Charlie, I wasn't aware this was a foible of the Steven's 44 1/2 design. Kind of annoying...


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 18233 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #4 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 9:22am	Print Post
	Maybe use a bore guide and clean from the muzzle?

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Smoke Oldtimer Offline Posts: 877 Location: San Diego Joined: Feb 24^th, 2013	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #5 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 5:00pm	Print Post
	I have an empty case with the primer pocket drilled out to take the rod. Stick it in the chamber and using a nicely flexible rod gets the job done.

	Inside every bright idea is the 50% probability of a disaster waiting to happen.
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gnoahhh Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1104 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #6 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 5:25pm	Print Post
	My old Parker-Hale coated .22 rod saves my day in this instance of 44 1/2 angst. If one can become attached to a cleaning rod, I certainly have with this one. I bought it new around 47 years ago at a moment in my life when I could ill afford a quality cleaning rod. Since then it has cleaned just about every rifle I've owned, and while other rods have come along that Parker-Hale is the one ever-present constant.


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Sure shot Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1208 Location: East central Iowa Joined: Jun 22^nd, 2020	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #7 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 5:57pm	Print Post
	You could always remove the barrel for cleaning.


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4534 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #8 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 6:23pm	Print Post
	Sure you could remove the barrel but if you have it all locked up and it's shooting well, why take a chance on getting it all back just exactly the way it was? I know that is a bum argument. Anyway I just checked mine which is currently wearing its 25-35 barrel and it looks like a 1/4 inch rod would just gently slide on the hammer spur. I use a 22 rod anyway so that's good from the 219 Donaldson Wasp on up.


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toppkatt Junior Member Offline Posts: 75 Joined: Feb 7^th, 2020	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #9 - Aug 30^th, 2026 at 6:37pm	Print Post
	marlinguy wrote on Aug 30^th, 2026 at 9:22am: Maybe use a bore guide and clean from the muzzle? That's an idea, but I generally like to clean from breech when possible. This is possible but annoying so far If it doesn't improve I'll definitely give this a try. Be just like cleaning my ML.


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scharfe Oldtimer Online A good plan today beats a perfect plan tomorrow. Posts: 626 Location: ny / pa line Joined: Dec 18^th, 2006	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #10 - Aug 31^st, 2026 at 8:09am	Print Post
	drill out a 38 to protect nuzzle and clean from muzzle.


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JHand Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 277 Joined: Apr 15^th, 2024	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #11 - Aug 31^st, 2026 at 11:34am	Print Post
	Just a thought, not sure about larger calibers (by modern standards), but you may be able to get a bore guide for a bolt action, would go in the chamber and extend past the hammer to hold it back. May also be able to drill the back of a case out, and braze a copper or brass pipe on the back to do the same thing


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toppkatt Junior Member Offline Posts: 75 Joined: Feb 7^th, 2020	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #12 - Aug 31^st, 2026 at 8:31pm	Print Post
	JHand wrote on Aug 31^st, 2026 at 11:34am: Just a thought, not sure about larger calibers (by modern standards), but you may be able to get a bore guide for a bolt action, would go in the chamber and extend past the hammer to hold it back. May also be able to drill the back of a case out, and braze a copper or brass pipe on the back to do the same thing problem I see with that is I'm using a Shaver tang sight so in addition to the hammer I need to make sure I'm missing that too. Not a lot of room back there. Only


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jfeldman ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 1126 Location: Imperial Beach, Ca Joined: Nov 5^th, 2005	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #13 - Aug 31^st, 2026 at 9:03pm	Print Post
	Use a zip tie on the hammer. It will pull it back a bit farther than the full cock notch. Regards, Joe


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4534 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #14 - Sep 1^st, 2026 at 12:02am	Print Post
	Gee, it only takes a minute, just pull the barrel and be done with it.


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gnoahhh Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1104 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #15 - Sep 1^st, 2026 at 8:48am	Print Post
	oneatatime wrote on Sep 1^st, 2026 at 12:02am: Gee, it only takes a minute, just pull the barrel and be done with it. True, except for A) when the barrel doesn't budge, and B) when an owner doesn't wish to disturb the "homogeneity" of a winning barrel/action relationship. For me, if there's no need to take down a takedown (and there truly rarely ever is) I tend to leave them alone.


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craigster Oldtimer Offline Posts: 833 Location: lost coast CA Joined: Feb 20^th, 2011	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #16 - Sep 1^st, 2026 at 11:39am	Print Post
	Use a pull through.


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oneatatime Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4534 Location: Rocky Mountains Joined: Oct 30^th, 2011	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #17 - Sep 1^st, 2026 at 2:02pm	Print Post
	the 44 1/2 was designed as a switch barrel. If the barrel won't budge it was not machined correctly. If the barrel set screw is torqued to the same pressure, it will be correct. I switch between 2 of my 4 every month. Now if you only have one barrel and keep the torque at the same setting, all will be well and I can understand not wanting to touch anything. I would not play games with the hammer. I would drop the block before I took a chance on doing something that might screw up the sear. Again, a 22 rod will clear it and the tang sight (like mine) lowered with the eyepiece not touching the wood. Do you have a pull through? Might try that if all else fails. If you are determined not to use a good 22 cleaning rod you might try a long 5/16 Delrin rod. It is going to drag but won't hurt anything doing it. Just make sure it is long enough for the handle to clear the stock at full run. Once again, a good long 22 rod.


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gnoahhh Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1104 Location: Gaithersburg, MD Joined: Mar 31^st, 2010	Re: Cleaning a Steven's 44 1/2 Reply #18 - Sep 1^st, 2026 at 6:53pm	Print Post
	oneatatime wrote on Sep 1^st, 2026 at 2:02pm: the 44 1/2 was designed as a switch barrel. If the barrel won't budge it was not machined correctly. If the barrel set screw is torqued to the same pressure, it will be correct. I switch between 2 of my 4 every month. Now if you only have one barrel and keep the torque at the same setting, all will be well and I can understand not wanting to touch anything. I would not play games with the hammer. I would drop the block before I took a chance on doing something that might screw up the sear. Again, a 22 rod will clear it and the tang sight (like mine) lowered with the eyepiece not touching the wood. Do you have a pull through? Might try that if all else fails. If you are determined not to use a good 22 cleaning rod you might try a long 5/16 Delrin rod. It is going to drag but won't hurt anything doing it. Just make sure it is long enough for the handle to clear the stock at full run. Once again, a good long 22 rod. I certainly get all that, and like I said "to each his own". There is another factor, and that is that there are Stevens rifles out there that have been re-barreled, a lot of them, such that they are drawn up with more torque than allowable for unscrewing by hand. (It would seem that most of said rifles have passed through my hands at one time or another, and no I never felt handicapped by the phenomenon.)


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