TINY rifle that's REAL!

F

fastrackhorse

Inactive
I just found a very small rifle in a box of things I bought at an auction today.
It is stamped J. Stevens A. & T. Co.
Chicopee Falls, Mass. USA
and then has a number on the very side of it of 47385
It measures only 6" at the barrel and about 4 1/2" at the wood stock.
I am not a gun person, but am very intrigued by this thing!
Does anyone know if this has any value?
Thanks ! :)
 
Just doing a quick Google search, is it this 'Pocket Rifle'?

stevensqx4.jpg
 
Stevens called several of their pistols with detachable shoulder-stocks "pocket rifles", but this was before a handgun with a detachable shoulder-stock was "regulated" by the National Firearms Act. I'm not sure what the CURRENT status of these things exactly are; without the stock, I'm sure they'd be treated as any other handgun, but if you have the stock, it could be trouble, in the same category as a sawed-off shotgun.
 
I was thinking along the same lines, SDC. Unless it has some sort of grandfather status I figger it's a handgun in the legal sense. If Chris's pict is correct it's just a long barreled deringer.
 
about the tiny rifle

OK guys, I am a girl and have no clue on guns. Not that I haven't wanted to learn, just never have had the opportunity.
I will try to add some photos on here. It is very small, about 6" barrel. Wood stock, and it looks like a new screw and possibly hammer? or whatever you call the thing that makes the gun actually shoot!

I will try the photo thing.....

OK, how do I add a photo without it being online but in my computer?

Thank guys :)
 
Go to FAQ at the top of the page and go down to read "what are attachments" and perhaps that will tell you how to transfer an image from your hard drive to the posting. If you can keep the pdf files smallish, that is best, like maybe 100k or less? I can get alot of pictures down to 50-60k of guns and still it shows up fine.
 
OK; courtesy of fastrackhorse, here's some pictures of the item in question. Definitely a Stevens single-shot pistol of the "pocket rifle" style, but it has enough problems that I don't see it being worth much, if anything. The hammer has been replaced, it's missing the lock, cross-bolt, and extractor, and the hinge-pin has been replaced with a hardware store screw.

E20Bay20again20042.jpg


E20Bay20again20041.jpg


E20Bay20again20039.jpg
 
Hinge pin?

Is that what runs inside the slide area to lock the gun closed? If so, it is in there but instead of staying in the groove, it falls down and so the barrel does not lock closed.
Did I make any sense there? :o
 
ops! NOT hinge pin!

the other name I saw, but can't remember now!
There is a slide thing inside the barrel that is supposed to run along a groove, and when you close the barrel it's supposed to keep it shut.

And it does have Stevens, T & A stamped on the barrel along with a serial number.
 
the other name I saw, but can't remember now!
There is a slide thing inside the barrel that is supposed to run along a groove, and when you close the barrel it's supposed to keep it shut.

And it does have Stevens, A & T stamped on the barrel along with a serial number.
 
The thing that runs along the slot on the bottom is the extractor, which lets you remove empty cartridge cases after they're fired. The hing pin is the nickeled screw up at the front of the frame, that the barrel rotates around when it tips down. Originally, there would have been a knurled button on the left side, screwed into a flat bar that slid across into the thin slot visible on the other side. This would've been under spring pressure, so when you wanted to open the pistol up, you just had to press in on the button, and this would release the rear of the barrel; when you tipped the barrel up, this would simultaneously push the extractor back to push out an empty case. The original hammer would also have been shorter, and with a "spur" on it (like in the picture posted by chris in va). The "Stevens A & T" marking shows it was originally built sometime between 1888 and 1915.
 
I could be wrong, but that looks like the No. 43 Stevens "Diamond", second issue. The first issue was in .22 Short and Long Rifle and had mostly brass frames; it has a firing pin bushing. The second issue was in the same calibers and also in the .22 Stevens-Pope (which I think was the same as the .22 Extra Long, but maybe someone will confirm or deny that). The second issue production had all iron frames (as the one pictured does) and no firing pin bushing. The first issue was nickel plated, the second both nickel and blue; that gun was probably blued. The first issue was made 1886-1896, the second 1896-1916. I don't know the antique cutoff serial number.

As noted, parts are missing, some have been replaced with incorrect parts, and the gun is in general not in very good condition. Value in very good condition is only $125 or so, and the value of that gun would probably be less than half that, if anyone would want it except possibly for parts.

HTH

Jim
 
This is fun to learn on this little gun.
Pretty cool since it was just in a box with some other things I bought at an auction.
So could there be a market for it for a collector?
Thank you everyone for your input! I was wondering how I'd learn anything on this thing and happened to find this site! :)
 
Wanting to sell

Would anyone be interested in making me an offer on this gun?
I really have no use for it and would like to go ahead and sell it.

Is it OK to ask that on here?

Thanks! :)
 
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