Joshua Stevens rifles
Advertisement for a Stevens single shot "drop bolt" rifle
“Moor, I have in my collection a magnificent,
light as a feather, battle-tested
Cossack Berdan rifle. Come.
In the evening, Mauritius was presented
really great, very light
and surprisingly short rifle.
Unfortunately, Igor has
there was not a single bullet."
Evgeny Permyak "Humpbacked Bear"
light as a feather, battle-tested
Cossack Berdan rifle. Come.
In the evening, Mauritius was presented
really great, very light
and surprisingly short rifle.
Unfortunately, Igor has
there was not a single bullet."
Evgeny Permyak "Humpbacked Bear"
stories about weapons. An article about rifles by Annie Oakley aroused great interest among the VO readership, as a result of which many wished to learn more about the rifles of the Joshua Stevens company.
The topic of “lever rifles” was also interesting to readers. The material published about them did not satisfy their curiosity completely. They wanted to know what else there were rifles with a bolt operated by a lever, representing one piece with the trigger guard. Questions were asked about the most famous rifles of this type after the Winchester, Marlin, Savage, Bollard, etc. In a word, the answers to these questions could also be enough for a whole article, and a number of samples would remain all still unaffected.
Scheme of the device of the shutter of a single-shot small-caliber (caliber .22) "rifle for boys" ("Model 17"). Indeed, it is not without reason that it is called "falling". When the lever is retracted forward, the l-shaped shutter really seems to “fall” back and at the same time actuates the extractor with a spring-loaded rod. At the same time, the trigger is cocked. Simple and convenient
Therefore, it makes sense to continue the story of Stevens rifles and at the same time show her rifles with a lever-operated bolt. Fortunately, she had such, and they were produced by the thousands!
Receiver "guns for boys". Photo heritageauctions.com/size]
And yes, indeed, the Stevens company, which has acted under various names many times, has an interesting history. It was founded in 1864, that is, towards the end of the Civil War, by Joshua Stevens, who had previously been one of the founders of the Massachusetts Arms Company. His partners there were a couple of other mid-century gunsmiths that everyone has heard of - these are Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson.
Patent No. 761463 illustrating the lever mechanism used on Stevens "boys" rifles
It's hard to imagine now, but Massachusetts and Connecticut were once the heart of the American arms industry. Chicopee Falls is near Springfield, where the US government's Springfield Arsenal was located and where Smith & Wesson's corporate headquarters are today. The company was first called J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company - that is, it was emphasized that it produces weapons and tools.
Patent No. 939142 for a lever-operated ejector in a 1909 Stevens rifle
But in the end, the management refused the word tool (tool) in its trade name and entered the market with a single-shot pistol, and then the company switched to the production of repeating rifles and the like.
In 1890, Stevens Arms produced its first "Boy's Rifle", a single-shot rifle with a vertically moving lever-operated bolt chambered in .22 caliber (5,56 mm).
In 1916, the company was bought out by a newly created division of Westinghouse, a well-known electrical equipment company that had just won a contract to manufacture Mosin rifles for the Russian Imperial Army of Nicholas II.
"Model 70". View from the left. Photo icollector.com
This deal ended very badly: Nicholas ceased to be king within a year (and died within two), and those who took his place refused to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Eventually, with financial assistance from the US government, Westinghouse returned to its electrical business, pulled out of the arms business, and sold the Stevens plant to Savage Arms, perhaps the most unfortunate name in American industrial history. Nevertheless, with all the failures that befell her, this office still operates and sells products under the name "Stevens".
"Model 70". Right view. Photo icollector.com
A rifle with a pump-action reloading system developed by the company was called Visible Loading Repeater, later officially shortened to Visible Loader (literally - “visible loader”). The first sample was introduced in 1908, and it was eventually produced until 1934 (Model 70 or No. 70).
Scheme of the mechanism of the Stevens rifle "Model 70" from US patent No. 935314
Arranged rifle was quite simple. Under the barrel was an underbarrel magazine familiar to Americans with a pusher, which consisted of two tubes: an inner one with a spring and a feeder and an outer one - L-shaped, which was pumped inside the receiver with a vertically standing bolt!
It worked like this: by moving the underbarrel handle, a tubular magazine with a bolt in the rear was retracted and pushed back the trigger, which was put on a platoon. At the same time, the underbarrel handle moved back a little more and made it necessary to raise the tray (“carrier”) with the cartridge onto the loading line. After that, it was necessary to move the handle forward. The tubular magazine also went forward, and the bolt fed the cartridge into the chamber.
Scheme of the device of the shutter of the Stevens rifle "Model 70" from US patent No. 935314
The rifle did not have a manual safety, which seems strange from a modern point of view, given that Stevens regularly emphasized its safety in advertisements. However, in those days it was believed that for a careless attitude to weapons, the entire responsibility lies with the shooter.
Although there was a built-in security system, in which, when the trigger was cocked, the bolt was locked, and the firing pin could not work. But the mechanism of only a new rifle worked well. Dirt and wear led to the fact that she began to act up.
Another drawback was the initial lack of an ejector. The extractor was even double, but the ejector was missing. Therefore, each previous cartridge or spent cartridge case was removed by the next cartridge from the magazine!
Scheme of detailed disassembly of the rifle "Model 70"
And this is how the same disassembly looks in metal! Photo gunsinternational.com
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't! Sometimes the last sleeve remained in the bolt at all, held by its two extractors. And I had to pull it out with my fingers or turn the rifle over and shake it so that it fell out. Since the mechanism is not closed from above, if the cartridge is removed, it may fall into the mud.
The rifle was loaded by one cartridge, which was inserted into the magazine with the inner tube unscrewed from it with a feeder and a spring. That is, they were laid inside the outer cylindrical case of the store with a wooden forearm, and then, in fact, they were pushed into the inner tube when it was inserted into the outer one!
Rifle "Model 70". Right view. The shutter is closed. Photo eyrie-productions.com
Rifle "Model 70". Right view. The shutter is open. The right extractor plate is clearly visible on it. Photo eyrie-productions.com
Beginning in 1872, Stevens began producing single-barreled shotguns based on his rifles and pistols. The first was the "Model 30" offered in 14 gauge, but it was soon followed by the 10, 12, 16 and 20 gauge models.
Great walnut wood! Rifle "Model 70". Photo gunsinternational.com
This photo shows all the main Stevens rifles (from top to bottom):
1 - Stevens rifle "Model 80". Caliber: .22 S LLR (5,6x10,7mm R rimfire low power). Barrel: round 24 inches. Produced in 1906-1910. 2 - Stevens rifle "Model 70" ("with visible loading"). Caliber: 22 S LLR. Barrel: 24" octagonal. Produced from 1907 to 1932. 3 - Rifle Stevens / Springfield "Model 50", essentially the same "Model 70", but with the "English stock neck". Barrel: Round, 22 3/4" long. 4 - Stevens' favorite single-shot rifle. "Model 17": "Favorite". Caliber: .32. Barrel: 22" octagon. Produced from 1893 to 1939. 5 - Single-shot rifle Stevens "Model 26" "Accurate shot". Caliber: 22 LR ("long rifle"). Barrel: round 22 inches. Produced from 1912 to 1939. 6 - Stevens single-shot rifle. Caliber: 22. Barrel: round 20 inches. 7 - Stevens rifle No. 15 "Mainard Junior". Caliber: 22LR. Barrel: 18" octagon. Produced from 1902 to 1912
The Stevens Model 620 rifle is also known, which happened to sniff gunpowder in the war. Adopted by the Army and Marine Corps during World War II, the 620 remained in service during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The model had a mount for installing a bayonet. It was intended for firing buckshot at short distances, at which it showed simply deadly results. Over 45 of these guns were produced during World War II, and many remained in service through the Vietnam War.
"Model 620". Photo rockislandauction.com
Interestingly, Stevens rifles, both multi-shot with handguard control and single-shot, with lever-operated bolts, were also equipped with the then optical sights. Very long, very inconvenient, but ... allowing you to shoot very accurately at the optimal distance, calculated on the corresponding cartridges.
Rifles with sniper scopes. Photo 24hourcampfire.com
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