So yesterday I walked into the gunshow and I start walking around quick looking for some good deals,when I spot a dealer I've never seen before with a crowd of people lined up at his table. I looked and saw some super prices and at the corner of the table I saw several people pick up a rifle then set it down. I made my way to it and low and behold it was a very old Stevens favorite rifle! I checked it out and thought to my self,that's cool. It was half octogon and half round bbl. And the wood looked decent. I looked at the caliber and was like wow! Its a 22 shot rifle smooth bore and it locks up tight and the action was tight and it functioned great! After a little haggling on the price I bought it and I'm still smiling! Anybody have experience with one of these little gems? Its a 94 date and appears to be an early gun. A couple of dealers tried to talk me out of it and I was like no way! I'm at the airport and I will post pics as soon as I get back. Thanks

.22 smoothbores were quite popular on farms for dispatching rats and squirrels way back when. Too wide a pattern even close with a rifled bore , but out of a smooth bore , .22 shot loads would kill pests , yet not do too much damage to anything else.

Nice catch, rigger!
TACC1

How long is the barrel?

I have a buddy that uses shotshells in his smoothbore .22 to shoot carpenter bees that are eating his barn. It just desentagrates them in mid air.

Bbl length is 22 inches. That was the first thing I looked at due to the legal issues that could arise from a smoothbore bbl shorter than 18 inches. Its considered a shotgun if I'm not mistaken,or at least it follows the guidelines of a shotgun. Last nite I found some vintage 22 shot ammo from way back in the day! I tried getting a good pic of it but it didn't come out that great. I will keep trying. I have a small ammo pouch for the stock and an ammo belt. It has a knurled lock ring where it fits to the frame and you can lock it in place. The patent date is from 1894,but these guns are difficult to date. I believe its the model 20. I've owned several of these in the past and have seen several,but this is the first smooth bore I have ever seen an a stevens. I am sure this one is a keeper! Can't wait to try it out! Thanks for the replies everyone,I will get pics soon.

Nice find!
I don't think I've ever seen a Favorite in smoothbore either.

The ones with the knurled lock ring on the bbl at the recv'r juncture are early mfg. You can use the adjustment to back the bbl into the recv a bit a tighten up the action if you start to get 'lever droop' from use.
They were also the first Favorites to have a rounded frame sillouette between the frame sides and the standing breech plus a center extractor.

Before that was the 7 0'clock extractor and the so called 'squared cut' receiver of the Favorite and the Side Plate Favorite before it.

"Bbl length is 22 inches. That was the first thing I looked at due to the legal issues that could arise from a smoothbore bbl shorter than 18 inches. Its considered a shotgun if I'm not mistaken,or at least it follows the guidelines of a shotgun."

Good deal! That was my concern for you. Have fun!

Hobie

Thanks for the info 2152hq,any idea when they stopped the knurled ring? I guess the fact that it was a 22 shot may have been why the guys I saw pick it up and look at the caliber and set it back down. One of the guys that I showed it to thought that it said 22 short until I pointed it out. It has the screws for a peep sight but sadly the peeps I have are for a 94 and 1906.

About the best I can figure, and it is only my guess, the knurled ring adjustment probably was dropped about 1904. A spring and plunger inside the finger lever was used for a very short time but I think that was after the ring was dropped.
Most have no adjustment there after and suffer from lever droop with a bit of wear or a diet of HS ammo.

The later Model 1915 Favorites are no stronger,,in fact actually bit weaker IMHO as the breech block is made so it does not contact the rear wall area at all when closed.

There was previously a tension screw on the step of the breech block accessable when breech is open. That was used first, when the extractor was at the 7 o'clock position (also on the Sideplate Favorites and the Model 44).
When they moved the extractor to the 6 oclock position, there was no room for it anymore.
It remained an extractor in the 25&32 rifles and smooth bores, while it became a spring loaded ejector on the 22RF rifles.

I understand they made the smoothbores in 32rf as well as 22rf, but as I said, I've never seen either that I can recall.

The tang sites are a hole spacing specific to Stevens,,the screw dia/thread is also,,being quite a bit smaller in diameter than most other mfg's.

If you really want a tang site on a smooth bore,,
there are some repro's of the Stevens sights around.
The one supplied with the Favorite was a simple affair, though Lyman, Marbles ect made their usual hardware for the Favorite as well.

Here's a link to one from Jeffs Outfitters. It's actually for a Model 44 or one of it's varients. A little much for the Favorite and I think the hole spacing is wrong for a Favorite anyway.
But it gives you an idea what may be out there.
Jeffs Outfitters - Rear Sights

Wow thanks for the info,here are a couple of poor pics.

Well I went shooting and killed a water bottle at 12 yards!I have the older brass crimped shell and cci shot shells. Here is another pic of the reciever. Thanks