Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Stevens Ideal No 44

Got a chance to pick up one of these in 25-20 Win. It's got a pitted bore, no big pits, just the ordinary BP pits. And it needs a lever (the one it has has the tip broken, no function problem) but I have one of these from a 44 1/2 I think will work.

Any one know much about these? The rifle is in decent shape, and the price is right.

Looks like a post I made, and a couple others disappeared during the Campfire outage.

One poster informed us that the Stevens 44 is a Toggle link action, while the 44 & 1/2 is a true falling block, and is much stronger. I also recall reading some time ago that the 44 & 1/2 was forged, the 44 a cast action.

I had a .32-40 in the 44 & 1/2 for a while. It too had a slightly pitted bore, and refused to shoot lead bullets with any accuracy. I did get good accuracy with Hornady's 32 cal jacketed bullets.

The .25-20 is a pretty mild round, so if you stick with black-equivalent loads in the 44 you should be fine - of course assuming the action is tight & in good shape. Hornady makes a flat point 25 cal jacketed bullet, which I suspect would be a good bet in a pitted bore. You could of course have it rebored & rechambered to a larger caliber, say .32-20 to have a fresh bore.

For small game hunting you probably would be fine shooting the .25-20 with jacketed bullets. If that fits your needs it should work okay. The other options, of course would be more expensive. They are well made and interesting rifles, but may not be cheap in the long run.

Go to Gunbroker & run a search for "Stevens 44 and you'll see several 44's and 44 & 1/2's, for reference. Good Luck!

My 44 was originally in 25/20SS, and I had given it to a "gunsmith" when I moved away from home, to rechamber it to 25/20 Win. We could not get SS brass in thise days.
My father was abroad and I had no access to a lathe at the time.
This " gunsmith" made a half reamer from drill stock, and proceeded to "recnamber the barrel, even after I informed him the SS case was longer.
Tthe result was a messed up barrel!
The thing was already D&T'd for a side mount scope , so I was not TOO PO'd, but nonetheless.
I eventually picked up a 22 cal barrel by Douglas and had my tool and die friend make a half round, half octagon barrel in
218 Bee.
I shoot nothing but super light loads in it however, because the 44 is a toggle link action.
They sure are cool!
Cat

The Ideal No.44 rifle was introduced in 1896, and discontinued in 1933.

They were usually furnished only with the #2 half-octagon 24" bbl, although a full octagon bbl was available for $2 over the $10 MSRP, with DS triggers likewise $6 extra.

The No.44 Ideal was what became of the earlier large-frame Stevens side-plate action; the earlier smaller side-plate went on to become the Favorite series of rifles.

The No.44 & No.44 1/2 levers are nearly identical - it's the actions which are made differently, the 44 a casting, the 44 1/2 a drop-forged steel frame.
The No.44 is a hinged breechblock, while the 44 1/2 is a true falling block (also stronger, up to 2x breech pressure).

There are no factory records remaining, to verify any Stevens arm's DOM by it's serial number - as the factory conveniently "lost" them all, just when Congress was launching a fraud investigation of the company after WWI. (ahem)

.

Thanks, folks. That's a lot more info than I had. The guy is wanting $225 for the rifle.

Sounds like a deal. Just heed the above advice re: strictly light loads. The 44's I played with wore loose darned quick.I resolved to only ever fool with .22RF in that action again. Even the 44 1/2 wasn't built hell-for-stout but is ok with the likes of .32/40, .28/30, 25/20SS. Never ever run HV centerfires in either one. If the 44 you're looking at is already loose, a good gunsmith familiar with the action (try finding someone like that these days!) can tighten it up by re-pinning/bushing it.

Back in my "single shot" days, my buddies and I looked upon 44's as entry level guns- what one played with until he could afford a Ballard or a HiWall (depending whether RF or CF was your game). Now they're all rare and 44's are looking pretty good in their own right. I say go for it and have fun!

If the barrel is really too rough to shoot jacketed bullets well (try it--sometimes they look lousy but shoot fine), you can get it relined to new. There are several people who do this well. Not cheap, but you get a better-than-new bore (steel is better than what was used in original 44s). I like Mark Beinke (Ben-kah) in Klamath Falls, OR for relines. Don't hotrod the .25-20 in a 44 or it will loosen up rapidly--it can handle the standard lead/jacketed loads but not the "WHV" equivalent loads meant for a Win '92 or '85.

I have only one 44, in .22 WRF. If only cheap rifles were made that nice now!