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07-17-2017, 09:42 AM
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An old boys rifle.......restored and to be repurposed
A few weeks ago I asked to look at this cute little guy.
It's a Steven's crackshot made over a century ago.
My gun pusher gave me a good price so the project began.
The stock was rough but the metal and mechanics were pretty good.
I straightened out the mechanics and had the metal looking good.
Now to that stock.
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07-17-2017, 09:49 AM
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The stock I felt was the hard part for me.
I did put a shout out here and a member came through in spades.
Thanks Jim I can't remember your handle here sorry
He sent me one with no cracks.
I think it finished out very well and I thought I was done.
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07-17-2017, 09:55 AM
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I wasn't
I couldn't repurpose it to this "girl" not hitting POA.
What to do?
How about a taller Ivory bead... Yeah that will work.
One last thing to do have her try it and see if she likes it.
Hope someone enjoys the project story.
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07-17-2017, 09:56 AM
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Paul, that is a cool project. My GF's father and I redid one that belonged to one of his Amish friends in PA. It had been hanging in a barn for 75 years or so, and was a real project. Among other things, mud daubers had built mud nests in the barrel.
Nice job.
Best Regards, Les
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Last edited by les.b; 07-17-2017 at 09:58 AM.
Reason: add a thought
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07-17-2017, 11:43 AM
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Paul: good looking stock, nice pattern. Just an FYI, if it has bore problems, a couple friends of mine have "sleeved" some old ones, and report it is relatively inexpensive and not all that difficult to do. I like your front sight.
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07-17-2017, 11:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by H Richard
Paul: good looking stock, nice pattern. Just an FYI, if it has bore problems, a couple friends of mine have "sleeved" some old ones, and report it is relatively inexpensive and not all that difficult to do. I like your front sight.
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Thanks
The bore is good....I did get the base gun pretty cheap as my dealer/friend wasn't sure about it. It does go back to when blackpowder rounds were still being used and he hadn't cleaned it at all. It seems to be a little tack driver.
The stock and sight combo were far more than I could have hoped for or envisioned when the project began. I hope it will be a rifle she's very proud to say is hers.
I know that squirrel in the yard would have been dead this am.
had to try that sight picture on the real deal.
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07-17-2017, 08:41 PM
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That stock really cleaned up nice,,has a bit of figure in too from the looks of the pics. Very nice job bringing that little rifle back to life.
Darn accurate too!
I'm glad the wood found the right home. It'd been on a shelf here in my shop for probably 30yrs. Can't remember where I got it.
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07-17-2017, 08:45 PM
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Jim I'm glad you got to see the thread.
I'll remember your handle here now from hence forward.
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07-17-2017, 08:52 PM
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Is it a .22 or a .25 Stevens?
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07-17-2017, 09:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 6GUNSONLY
Is it a .22 or a .25 Stevens?
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It's a 22 LR
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07-19-2017, 03:54 PM
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Darn, when I saw "boys rifle" I was hoping for a .55 caliber anti-tank rifle.
Nice rifle though.
Casey
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07-19-2017, 04:03 PM
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Absent Comrade
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I got into these when the grandson was born. I read an article about the boys taking there 22cal rifles to school so they could shoot and bring home game for dinner on the way home from school. Like stopping at the local supermarket? This was a great time in our country?? Makes me think about how the late 1800's and early 1900's really were.
Last edited by BigBill; 07-19-2017 at 04:06 PM.
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07-19-2017, 04:05 PM
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Nice job, Paul ! I love those old Stevens single shots, too. I have a Favorite that was .25 Stevens with an absolutely sewer-pipe bore, so I remachined a Ruger 10-22 barrel to fit and filed out a new extractor.
Big fun !
Larry
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07-19-2017, 04:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by earthquake
Darn, when I saw "boys rifle" I was hoping for a .55 caliber anti-tank rifle.
Nice rifle though.
Casey
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In my beginning with guns I thought the guys who collected older 22 cal rifles were silly and they must have there own zip codes. Fast forward fifty five years I get it now. I'm enjoying them myself.
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07-19-2017, 04:10 PM
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Absent Comrade
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Btw, great story, awesome project rifle. My oldest single shot falling block is a 1894.
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07-19-2017, 04:24 PM
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Nice.................... I restored a Steven's Favorite....... take-down, half octagonal barrel dates from about 1896 IIRC ( wood and metal)......... bore is rough...
but it was my first rifle (from my Dad) and first crossed the "Eastern Continental Divide" with me in the summer of 1964/65.......... it's down to bare metal and nice wood..... had it's springs replaced about a decade ago...... both my boys fired their first shot with it.............
now hanging in my home office/den!!!!!
My oldest is a 8 or 9 pound...... Winchester 1885 low wall...... dating to 1887........ in ....drum-roll please..........22short!!!!!! Another office/Den wall hanger!
Last edited by BAM-BAM; 07-19-2017 at 04:27 PM.
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07-19-2017, 07:23 PM
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Back when I was a kid, I had one exactly like it. It was in pretty sad shape as a result of having been stored in a dilapidated barn for many years. A friend of my father's gave it too me. It had a fairly heavy coating of rust, and it was all there except for the extractor. At that time the Internet was a long way from even being thought about, so I had no idea where to get a replacement. Anyway, I made a halfhearted attempt to restore it, and did sand most of the rust off. I couldn't do much about the rusty bore, but I was thinking about re-lining it. The wood was in fairly good condition. It followed me around, uncompleted, for quite awhile, but I finally ended up selling it at a gun show maybe 30 years ago. As I remember, it brought a lot more than I expected, but I don't remember how much. I think the buyer mainly wanted the wood.
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07-19-2017, 08:17 PM
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My grandson doesn't know it yet but besides the old 22cal rifles he also has a collection of 22lr revolvers, colts, smiths, h&r's too. I'm trying to do it all for him before I pass on.
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07-19-2017, 10:35 PM
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I was expecting a Boys Anti-tank rifle. A ".55", rather than a ".22". 
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07-19-2017, 10:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57
I was expecting a Boys Anti-tank rifle. A ".55", rather than a ".22".
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I suppose that will work for squirrel hunting.
Just aim at the base of the tree and bark them... correct?
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07-20-2017, 01:17 AM
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Very nice job, and it didn't stray to far from its origin!
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07-20-2017, 07:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homie
Very nice job, and it didn't stray to far from its origin!
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Thanks Sir and no it didn't.
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07-20-2017, 09:25 PM
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Nice job, keep us posted.
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07-20-2017, 09:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SC_Mike
Nice job, keep us posted.
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I will I've been dying to shoot it all week and get it dialed in for her.
I'm also hoping she gets some squirrels with it this fall....that will really make it hers.
She's a pretty good rifle shot.
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07-20-2017, 10:39 PM
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I just picked up a little boys model Stevens Favorite. Neat little 22. Has a couple of little cracks around where the butt stock joins the receiver. I was thinking about filling them with thin super glue and sanding it, but the more I handle it and look at it the more I think I'll just leave it alone and shoot it a bit.
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07-21-2017, 12:10 AM
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I remember back when there were many of the boy's rifles to be seen at most gun shows. No longer. I am not sure it is exactly a boy's rifle, but I had an early Remington 510 single shot .22 in superb condition. About three years ago I gave it to the 13 YO son of a close family friend (actually to the friend). Unfortunately, I don't think the boy really appreciated the gift, but I decided I was probably never going to shoot it again. Anyway, it's gone.
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07-21-2017, 01:09 AM
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I always liked rebuilding and working on the 'boys' rifles. They could for a long time be found at very decent prices and were good projects. Lots of different makes and variations were made and most saw heavy use. Rebuilding and restoring them to usable condition taught me a lot.
I finished up a Hopkins & Allen Model 3922 single shot 22cal rifle about a year ago. One I had bought way too many years ago as a box of rusted and broken parts at a gun show. It sat all those years till I finally got the time to work on my own stuff! Turned out pretty nice.
I'll see if I can get a couple pictures of it.
Still have a Stevens Model 45 in 22cal in the works. Making it into a Scheutzen Model (52?). Not really a Boys Rifle, but other than the DST and 1/2 oct bbl that makes it a Model 45,, it's a plain Model 44 Stevens single shot. Plenty of those were bought and used as farm rifles.
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07-23-2017, 07:21 PM
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My dad had a Crackshot 26. It must've been a later model and had the under lever.
I'm not sure where it ended up, probably with my brother.
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