Info needed.

Stevens Lady Schutzen in 22-15-60

Its not quite a 44 1/2 but close.

Production dates?
Value?

-Spencer

Spencer:

The Lady Stevens was built, I believe, originally on the Favorite and later on the Model 44 action. I believe they also made a Ladies model on the 044-1/2 action. Stevens was never one to let a model name go stale, but kept reusing them on later models. The value of the rifle would depend on which action it is built on.

I know one of my books has some of the information you seek. I will see if I can chase it down. Do you know which action it is?

The .22-15-60 is a neat looking round. I always thought it would be fun to play with one.

Glenn Fewless

I want to say it was made on a 44.

Years ago, I was told the end production date of the rifle and the introduction of the caliber did not overlap.

For example, the rifle was discontinued in 1915 and the cartridge was introduced in 1917. Those arent exact years, but the relationship was similar, or so I thought.

Now I did some research on the 22-15-60 and I find it was introduced in 1896, some 20 years prior to the production of the gun.

I don't believe any Stevens was factory offered in the 22-15-60.

It has the fancy crescent butt plate, half-round half-octagon barrel, 1885-style lever, not the loop, Lyman tang site, and a globe front post with a flip-up ring.

Pretty wood with a schnably pistol grip and fine checkering on the forend and pistol grip. The forend is longer than a regular Favorite.

I was also told that this gun never existed, in that is is a one-of-a-kind factory special order, some years after official production of the gun ceased.

I sold it today for $2500 to a very good friend of mine.

With it came two original boxes of mercuric-primed ammo, actually one half box of ammo and the other primed cases. Also included was the old style 310 Ideal equipment with the bullet mould on the front in the original box as well as a nearly full box of Remington-Kleenbore 25 Stevens Rimfire ammo.

It was one of those projects that has hung on the wall for too many decades and I know it has gone to a good home.

I'm not too worried about pricing, more interested in the history of the piece. I know the Association of Stevens Collectors at the NRA Convention many years ago had a helluva time figuring this one out, maybe with the advent of the internet we can do better.

Thanks for volunteering to help.

-Spencer

I remember seeing a photo or old cat. cut on one-maybe in one of DeHaas's Single Shot books. Gave me the inspiration to take a really bad .25 Favorite, and built a .22 with a tang sight and a size 4 Petite stock for my wife. Even got a decent case color on the action, with leather and bone charcoal. Too bad the same recipe didn't work as well on my Win Lo Wall......Turns out the crucible developed a hairlne crack. Bummer, man.

Spencer:

FWIW, the first ladies model was the model 13 tip up.

According to Grant the .22-15-60 was chambered in the model 55 ladies model (44 action) and in the model 56 ladies model (044-1/2) The 044-1/2 was just a narrow framed 44-1/2 and was labeled the English model.

I don't think anybody got hurt on that sale.

Glenn

BTW, the rifle did exist. There are pictures of all three ladies models in Grant's first book, and the second two are appear to fit your description just fine.

Glenn

Great!

I guess in my mind, I thought it was more rare than it really is.

Any way to get a scanned copy of the pages you are talking about?

-Spencer

Go post your Stevens problem on one of the forums at assra.com, the American Single Shot Association's website.

I am afraid I don't have a scanner. I could photo copy them and entrust said copies to the tender mercies of the U. S. Postal Service.

Glenn

If you are willing to do so, I would be much abliged.

Cliffs Gunsmithing
1856 W. 17th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

Thanks
-Spencer

Spencer -

I've scanned a page from a Stevens 1911 catalogue so you can see the options available for your Lady Stevens. While it may not help with pricing today - you can see the various options and price in 1911.

The 22-15-60 cart is a fun one to shoot. I use a Lyman 55grFN w/ GC bullet and 3.0gr of Unique.

Thats it!

Mine has a plain Lyman tang sight, not the fancy vernier one picture.

The rear sight is also different, I believe it is some type of flip up express sight.

The stock also does not have that weird stippling and the 'fingers' on the Swiss butt plate might be a bit longer.

Here is a question, how do you make your brass?

Thanks for the pic.

-Spencer

Spencer -

I don't make my brass. I purchase the new stuff from here:

Rocky Mountain Cartridge

It is CNC turned and is very strong. I also shoot some of the old stuff when I came accross a couple vintage boxes of the UMC carts (brass only). The brass cleaned up very well, annealed, and have had no problems.

It is one of my favorite old single shot plinking rounds. You can get dies from CH4D. The Lyman mould that I use is 225415. I was lucky enough to find an original plain model 44 in very good shape with a bore that rates a 9 out of 10 and in 22-15-60.

Spencer:

The check is in the mail. Honest.

I copied all the relevant infomation in Mr. Grant's first book. All the new what's fit to print.

Glenn

Oh boy! Thanks so much hst, I owe you one.

-Spencer

Spencer:

You are welcome. I hope the information is of use to you.

The Ladies Model pictured in the Catalog page copied here by oldsingleshots (thanks!) is the model built on the 044-1/2, the last of the four iterations of the Stevens Ladies Model.

I suspect you are correct in thinking that the rifle is quite rare. I am a single shot kinda guy and I have never even seen one.

Glenn

There is a Stevens Ladies Model for sale on the Merz Antique firearms page http://www.merzantique.com/catalog_C0_43_1.php with several pictures. Terry H.