OT: Old Gunz - Stevens Target Pistol (PIC ADDED)

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:43 pm

I lucked into a pristine Stevens Target Model Pistol, late last week.

This is a Gould No.37 Model in .22 Long Rifle with a 10" blued barrel, nickeled frame, guard & butt, and wind-gauge rear sight w/target bead front.

The No.37 was a redesign of an earlier target pistol by a noted gun writer of the era, and the editor of The Rifle (the precursor to The American Rifleman), a Mr. A.C. Gould.
I've read that his "improvements" were to use the mid-size Pocket Rifle frame (like the Conlin Model) ILO the earlier, heavier Hunter's Pet frame; and to use adjustable target sights with a slightly smaller grip - but ditch the Conlin's trigger guard spur.

The No.37 was made from 1890 to 1903, and this one's serial number is just under 12,000 - so I'm thinking 1892-ish manufacture.
(All the Stevens factory records "mysteriously" dissappeared in the early 1920's, when they were being investigated for fraudulent WW I deals)

It was encased in a nice, velvet-lined, leather covered, minimum luggage-type case with some old ammo - the case is definitely not factory issue.

And, at sometime in it's long life, someone has done a pretty decent job of adding a walnut forend and thumbrest to the gun - as no Stevens was so issued, AFAIK.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:02 pm

Sounds cool. I couldn't get the link to open but I think i know what they look like. Neat stuff!

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:29 pm

I tried a different link, to a different gun - but the pistol linked to isn't anywhere near as nice/neat/kewl.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:44 pm

That's it!! My Grandfather had one ( my Uncle has it now) that he used to shoot in his basement w/ .22 shorts. Used to make my Grandma crazy. She could hear the .22s and yell " Morris, you going to hurt somebody!"
Grandpa used to turn his hearing aid off when he was at home and blame it all on bad batteries

. Wish I could get away with that!

Anyway, Have fun with your new shooter, I always thought those were cool. One of these days my uncle is going to give up the rest of Grandpa's guns. My Dad took the rifles and my Uncle took the pistols.

jb

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:31 pm

[Used to make my Grandma crazy. She could hear the .22s and yell " Morris, you going to hurt somebody!"]
[Grandpa used to turn his hearing aid off when he was at home and blame it all on bad batteries]

That's a hoot

- but, you're starting to put ideas in my head !

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:36 pm

I've already started. The Boss Lady keeps asking me what I'm building in the basement!

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:19 am

I added a pic this morning.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:23 am

thats very sweet. best of luck to you with it. lets hear some range reports when you get the chance to ring it out

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:26 am

I'm going to try to get in some range time with it tomorrow, after supervising the range time of my neighbor and our two adult daughters, and shooting my new Charter 4" Pathfinder .22 Mag.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:49 pm

That's REALLY COOL!!! And in a classy package!

Can't wait to hear how it shoots.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:33 pm

I shot it today, at my club's outdoor range(s), and am impressed.

I'm used to the accuracy I get from my Ruger Target pistol, at the usual pistol ranges, and wasn't prepared for rifle-like accuracy from this open-sighted pistol.

I first shot on the 50' pistol range, but was stunned when I had zero shots on the paper !

A few shots, many steps closer (like, @ 7yds/21' range) showed the POI at the very top of the paper, even that close - and this, with the rear wind-gauge sight's elevation adjustment turned all the way down !

I promptly moved over to the 100yd rifle range, and was rewarded with a nice group, barely in the black at 9:00 o'clock - from a sandbag rest & a two-hand hold.

WoW. And - with plain-jane Remington Target ammo.

I can only imagine the skill of those 1890's target shooters, who - according to the Steven's advertisement of the period - could expect 1 1/2" groups @ 100yds from these pistols !
The illustrations (ink drawings) I saw, showed one-handed, NRA-type, shooting stances, too !

I can certainly see how it could be possible, with a pistol this accurate - but I'm gonna have to shoot a lot better than I can now, to get anywhere even close to groups that small.

It's a very intriguing & interesting gun, IMHO - and warrants further investigative shooting.