Just sharing info on my new find.

Stevens 414 Armory .22 Long Rifle (1912-35), everything looks to be in an original " Un-Altered Used Condition ", with correct sights













Steel Buttplate.





So, I recently moved to a new city & located a local Gun Shop, with lots of used Rifles & Pistols on the Shelves. I'm not a very knowledgeable collector, but the " Heavy barrel Single Shot Rifle " , catches my eye, & I want it.

I initially walk away to think over the price ( $400.00 ) and do a little online research, before making a decision to buy.

After buying the Rifle , the Gun Shop Manager tells me the story, on how he acquired the Rifle. " Some Guys walks in the shop and asked ' IF ' the Rifle is worth more than a Hundred Dollars.. He was going to take it down and drop it off at a Police Sponsored " Gun Buy Back Program ". The Shop manager buys it for more than " $100.00 " (??), and it sits on the rack for months, waiting for me

I'm going to disassemble it, scrub out the Bore, minor clean/wipe down everything else, swab it down with a little " Renaissance Wax ", then put it back together.

Hopefully it's an accurate shooter

I "belong" to an almost disorganized organization called the Tuesday Afternoon Schuetzen Verein. Per the name, we meet each Tuesday afternoon to shoot our old single shot 22s. 3 of our participants shoot 414s with excellent results. We shoot for score and the 414s are quite competitive.

The rifle in the photo is a relatively late production. There are no factory SN records for Stevens, but the markings on the side of the action are post-WW1.

When you have the rifle disassembled (by unscrewing the screws that hold the buttstock to the rifle), inspect the mainspring. Is it a coil spring or is it a flat spring? I would very much like to know. If yours is a flat spring type and the spring breaks, do not despair. They are still in production.

The sights on your rifle are worth more as collectors items than as rifle sights. Aftermarket sights that fit existing holes in your rifle are in production & readily available. They will prove to be better sights, but they cost as much as you paid for your rifle.

414s in top condition frequently sell in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. They are very desirable and are in demand.

Like most 22s, you will probably find your 414 is fussy about ammunition. Accuracy will probably be best with unplated, standard velocity LRs intended for target shooting.

I've been pondering my options.

I.E.
CPA FRONT SIGHT BASE ADAPTER ( Add a Redfield Globe Sight )
http://www.singleshotrifles.com/sights.html

MVA Tang Sight.
http://montanavintagearms.com/...ights/104-schuetzen/

OR

Maybe go with Scope Blocks, & put on one of my Lyman 438 / Unertl Scopes ?
http://www.steveearleproducts.com/scopeblocks.html

http://forums.accuratereloadin...241009002#1241009002

Your advice is greatly appreciated.. I'll post some additional photos

Front sight: Check the size of the dovetail. Many are the standard .375". If so, you can use any of the globe sights intended for such a mounting. Remember, the rule for front sights is "out from the left, in from the right". Quite often the dovetails are slightly tapered.

Most of use the Lyman 17A globe front sight, simply because of economics. The others are more expensive. Lyman 17A sights come in 3 heights. The middle height will probably be satisfactory. If you intend to do long range shooting (200 yards +), the low sight height may be better.

Most of us find the Lyman inserts for the globe sight less than satisfactory; they hide too much of the target area and do not admit enough light. Instead, the Lee Shaver (or other, more costly) inserts are used. IIRC, a set of Lee Shaver inserts runs $15-$20.

Scope blocks: If not a MUST, they are certainly desirable. Steve Earle Products makes about any type you need, at very reasonable prices. A scope is very desirable when testing ammunition. The old type with external adjustments on the rear mount work very well.

Tang sights: The cheap ones (Italian reproductions, Lyman or Marbles, are usually not worth the trouble. A good one must have the windage adjustment on the base (Soule type), not in association with the eye piece. An adjustable eye piece is worth the extra cost. Either the Hadley type or the Merit type work well.

I have a Parts Unknown tang sight on my Farrow. I would not buy another. Too sloppy. My understanding is that Red River sights are just Parts Unknown repackaged. They are from Ukraine.

If you get an MVA or other, select the Gallery or Schuetzen sights rather than the Mid-Range. The difference is in the minimum sight setting. You can set the rear sight lower with the Schuetzen model.

Please do not scrub the bore with too much enthusiasm. Stevens barrels are very accurate, but the metal is a bit soft.

If a flat spring model, be prepared for a broken mainspring. Those of us who shoot the 414s and other rifles with the Model 44 action keep an extra spring and a screw driver in our shooting kit. Replacement is simple. Just lift out the broken pieces and stick in a new spring. Be sure to get it right way round, tho.

We shoot on Tuesdays at the Redwood Gun Club, meeting at the gate at 11:30. The club website has a map. If you are in northern California, join us.

Waterman;
BIG THANKS for the detailed information

I located some additional info on the springs:

http://www.wisnersinc.com/addi..._favorite_rifles.htm

I'll start working on the Bore cleaning & dissembling next week. (Wife Rules Weekends Honey Do's list).

I really appreciate the invite to your range, but a bit of a drive, from my location " LA County CA ".
When I was much younger (6 yrs old ?) our family briefly lived in " Exeter, CA ".

I'll " P.M. " you for more detailed info " IF " you don't mind ??

BRRC Life Member.
http://www.brrc.org

Americana 1800 Adventure Club: Junior Programs Match Director; Smallbore Rifle.
http://www.1800info.org

PAPI, it is OK to send me a PM.

Wisners is the place for a lot of simple parts for old single shots. It is good that you found them. The other part that might need replacing on a 414 is a firing pin, but test fire before you go to much expense.

Also, the 44 action on your 414 is a swinging block, not a falling block. Both the hammer and the block pivot on what appear to be screws on your photo showing the left side of the action. Those are really screw heads which hold the pivot pins in place. Find a copy of Frank deHaas' Single Shot Rifles & Actions and copy the chapter on the Stevens 44.

Hey Waterman,

Again thanks for sharing your knowledge

A few more photos.



Forearm Removed from Barrel: Numbers match frame.





Buttstock removed from frame: Coiled Spring, Main Spring.

I inspected for any marking that might be of significance ..?


Stamp on frame: Circle with an " I ".


Stamp on Barrel: Circle with " P ".

I've been doing some online research... and have read several sources that mentioned Harry Pope worked briefly at " Stevens ".

Could the " P " stamped on the barrel, be of any significance ...?

PAPI,

While you have the 414 disassembled, look at the front face of the action. With earlier Stevens rifles using the same action design, the Model number and a code for any extras ordered by the customer were stamped on the action face.

The coil spring set-up tells me that yours is one of the very last 414s made. Probably 1931 or 1932. Stevens used that same trigger spring design on the 417 Walnut Hill that replaced the 414. The Walnut Hill came out in 1932 and was intended to compete with the Winchester 52 and with the few BSA Martinis being imported. The selling point was "lock time". With the coil spring pushing the hammer, lock time was almost as fast as the striker-fired actions. (The Ballard and the Farrow were faster, but they had not been made in almost 40 years.)

The problem with the Stevens 44 action is that mainspring strength and trigger pull have always been a tradeoff. The stronger the mainspring, the harder (& creepier) the trigger pull. One of our shooters has a coil spring 414. He borrowed my Stevens 44 flat spring stash to see if he could convert his rifle. Our other 2 shooters have flat spring models.

What finally killed off the 417 was trigger pull. The post-war Winchester 52 and the Model 37 Remington had far better triggers that could be adjusted or replaced with custom units.

In my teens back in the 1950s, when I first started competitive smallbore shooting, I saw some old timers shooting 417s and I thought they were really neat. I still think they are neat, but a couple of years ago I got to shoot one and much of the glamour went away.

Stevens-Pope rifles and barrels are very clearly marked "Stevens-Pope" in the factory roll marking on the upper surface of the barrel. There will be a number on the bottom of the barrel. If a complete rifle, that number will correspond to the action number.

I have been told with some authority, that if Pope had anything to do with the barrel, the serial number will be followed by "P". But the P in a circle just means that the barrel met some sort of proof standards.

Thanks again for the info.

Heres a photo of the " front face of the action ".

I didn't want to completely refinish the stock..So, I sprayed on some " Simple Green " and rinsed off in the sink with warm water, to remove any old grime. I would then wipe it down with some mineral spirits, finish off with a couple of coats of " Tru Oil Gun Stock Finish".




But, the wood looks a bit bleached. I'm going to get some water based Stain ( Min Wax Americana Walnut ), & then finish with the Tru Oil.

PAPI: Lovely, lovely find.
Waterman: You gave wonderful advice. As an old (1971) Arcata High School graduate, I must say I am envious that you have a Tuesday Afternoon Shuetzen Verein so handy. Trying to think where the Redwood Gun Club is located.

Bill, the Redwood Gun Club property is in Manila, just where the RR tracks cross the road to Samoa and the pulp mills, on the west side of the bay. The range is right behind the Sierra Pacific sawmill, close to the RR bridge over the slough and the boat launch ramp.

As stated earlier, " I didn't want to completely refinish the Stock or metal finish. I wanted to keep the Rifle in it's as used condition. Unfortunately the Wood Stock appeared to have been simply a " Stained Wood Finish ", which washed off using " Simple Green ".

Heres a photo of the Stock after one coat of Wood Stain ( Min Wax Oil Wood Stain ) & one coat of "Tru Oil Gunstock Finish".


I'm going to let it dry one more day, & then smooth it out with some with steel wool( 0000 ) between coatings ( 6 -8 ? ).

Just as a side note .. I had lots of sticky residue from the " Tru Oil " (My Fingers) , and decided to use the " Simple Green " to washed my hands with.

The " Simply Green " had no effect whatsoever.. My conclusions are,.. The stock had a " Water Based Stain " that washed off using the " Simple Green ".

P.S: I had some " Howard Feed-N-Wax ". It worked great with removing all traces of Tru Oil from my hands.

Another side note: The wife and I, decided to take a weekend trip... So, I was able to attend the "Santa Barbara Historical Arms & Blades Show 2015 ".

https://tradeshowz.com/event/s...arms-and-blades-show

We saw some really nice Displays & Firearms for sale..





My personal favorite: Stevens 25-21 , with an original Stevens Scope.

know this is a rimfire forum, but that Model 47 (44 action) 25-21 is the best of the Quarter Bore cast bullet centerfires, bar none. Is that a Stevens scope? Stevens sold the scope business to Lyman. I have one like it in 28-30, a bloody tack-driver. I also use the old Ideal loading tools.

I had a brief discussion with the gentlemen selling the Rifle. He stated that the Stevens Rifle & Stevens Scope (18 inches long ), were an original set-up from the factory .

I handled the Rifle, & looked thru the Scope; " Clear, but with a gray haze ", almost like looking thru a pair of tinted gray sunglasses ".

He gave me his card, & asked me to make him a reasonable offer (He resides within my general area).

Unfortunately, I have too many unfinished projects to finance, @ this moment in time.

I measured the scope block distance (Outside end to end) @ approx 12 inches.

Hey everyone,

Just finished putting the parts back together & adding a final wax wipe down.

I didn't want a shiny surface, so I scuffed up the Wood Stock a bit, with " 0000 Steel Wool & Renaissance Wax ".
http://www.restorationproduct.com/renwaxinfo.html







I used the " Howards Feed- N - Wax ", along with some " 0000 Steel Wool ", to lightly clean (( Unassembled Metal Parts ) some of the surface rust, while still retaining most of what Bluing was left,and the aged patina.

I'll be doing some accuracy testing on the range,..before deciding on whether or not to have the Rifle Drilled and Tapped, for Scope Blocks & a Scope ???



Thanks again " Waterman ", for sharing your knowledge

P.S: Additional info:
I just picked up a " Leatherwood Malcolm 6x Scope ", which I plan to mount on another Rifle Project ( Savage NRA 19 Match Rifle ).

I initially had my heart set on getting an " MVA Scope ". However, I can't swing the cost $$$, for two Rifles & two MVA Scopes.

So, I did a little online research & decided to get a " Leatherwood 6x " based on the reviews.

REVIEWS:
http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/y...BB.pl?num=1347409631

http://rvbprecision.com/shooti...mounts-a-review.html


http://www.opticsplanet.com/le...lescope-w-mount.html

I just received it: Package Contents; Leatherwood 6X Scope & Scope Block Mounts (2), no base mounting screws.

My initial thoughts. It looks pretty darn good, compared to an old used scope.

The optics are very clear & bright, again compared to an old used scope.

" IF " it works out .. I'll be getting another (3x Model) for the " Stevens 414 Armory Rifle ".

EDIT:
" In Olympic Shooting, Crossman described the results of this match as follows, “The Americans had not trained especially for the 50-meter prone team match, but they had some hopes of winning with their Stevens M414 single-shot, falling-block rifles. They soon found the sights inadequate. The rules specified the prone position for this match, with no artificial support. The officials ruled that the ground was obviously not artificial and that the shooters therefore could rest their rifles on the ground. Strangely, only the Swedish team seemed to know about this, and they took full advantage of the knowledge, resting both the left hand and forearm and the butt of the rifle on the firing line. The English raised quite a fuss about this, but lost and went on to win by shooting ability, 762 to the Swedes’ 748, with the United States four points behind, for a third out of the six teams.” ( 1912 ).

http://www.sports-reference.co...-50-metres-team.html


" The United States swept the medals in this event, led by Lawrence Nuesslein. The three American medalists all used their scores from the team event. Most of the foreign shooters used the heavy Schützen rifle, but Nuesslein used a Winchester musket with Pope barrel and set triggers. Arthur Rothrock and Dennis Fenton used Stevens rifles with set triggers. " ( 1920 ).

http://www.sports-reference.co...nding-50-metres.html

Range Update:

I was @ the range today, with an objective to fire a few rounds for " Function Testing; Firing rounds & properly Ejecting ".




The fired rounds ejected wonderfully,.. But it normally required two hits,to fire one round. I've ordered a replacement firing pin.



Sighting in with factory original open sights, was a " PITA "..


I was able to Finally shoot a decent group, with a " Six O Clock Hold ".

It was a bit frustrating trying to hold tight on the bull & not having the round fire on the first trigger pull, which effected my concentration.

Here are the final two bullseye " 6 " rounds. NRA 50 ft Targets

The front sight appeared to be slightly bent & not completely flat, which made it more difficult to consistently hold on target.

It started to rain, so I had to cut my testing for today.


I'll be using my Bench Rest & Bags, for further accuracy testing.

I.E:

I decided to removed the firing pin & do a little " TINKERING ".





There were very noticeable " BURRS " on both ends, which might have been effecting the motion of the firing pin ( Hanging up ) ??

I reshaped & polished up the " Firing Pin ", then cleaned out the Firing pin hole.

Sorry, I forgot to take photo of polished Firing pin, before putting it back together.

Hopefully,.. I won't have anymore misfires

Just an update on my ongoing project.

I was a bit antsy, and started tinkered with the firing pin, before the one in the mail had arrived.

New " Firing Pin " , along with a new from Sight, from " Numrich Gun Parts ".


A buddy gives me a call today, to help him checkout a couple of Rifles for him: Inspect / Clean / Get them in working order; My Specialty " TINKERING "

One of the rifles needs a major strip down, cleaning, & might need replacement parts. He asks what & how much $$ ?

I tell him , " I don't know until its strip down cleaned & see whats broken ? Or, put it back together & find out what not working ? ( Springs, Firing Pin ? ) ".

He pauses for a moment and says " Keep it,.. it's yours ".

I was a bit surprised, & offered to pay him whatever he thought it was worth..?

He declined any payment.





Stevens 1924 Catalog: Stevens Single Shot Rifle ; No. 12 Take-Down .22 LR "Marksman".

I'll start another thread ( Stevens Marksman ) " IF " anyone is interested ....?