The last few weeks have been debilitatingly hot/humid here and any progress son my projects has been slowed considerably.
In spite of that some things have been accomplished to move the occasional project incrementally forward.
My 'modified' 1915 Stevens Favorite action with the oversize Breech Block is gettin gcloser to completion. I still need a firing pin and retainer for it. The buttstock is fitted and has a steel buttplate sandwiched between the stock and a Stevens Reproduction Favorite buttplate.
My Stevens Model 12 Marksman "Basket case" is now assembled with a missing 'cocking rod' and return spring and a nearly 'stripped' Lever Pivot shoulder screw. I stil do not have a barrel fitted to it and have only a damaged/broken/Bubba-repaired buttstock and Buttplate attached to it.
The Two 1894 actions at my Gunsmith's shop are still slowly getting closer to use, on ehas been test fired twice and is getting problems resolved, the second one is still short some screws.
The Stevens 44 Action is waiting for the 1894 actions to be completed before being submitted to my gunsmith to have the NOS Breech Block fitting completed. I want an experienced Gunsmith to do the final fitting so it will be 'tight' for a long life in the action. presently I have a close fitting pivot pin that is matched to the reamed holes in Receiver and Breech Block so the rear fo the BB interferes with the rear slot shoulders.
This Action has a used Very Nice "Paul Shuttleworth" Buttstock with Buttplate all ready for it.
Best Regards,
Chev. William
ADDED 2014SEP28: The Hot/Humid weather has moderated slightly here so I have been slightly more active the last week. The First 'putter project' was to plan and begin fabrication of a firing pin for a 'modified' 1915 Stevens Favorite Action I have. It was reworked by a previous owner with a new machined Breech Block and enlarged replacements for the Breech Block and Lever pivot screws. The new BB has a firing pin bore that is larger than standard Stevens Favorite size and the Breech end is Bushing with a roughly .080" hole for the Tip. I found a hardened pin of suitable diameter that had a 'knurled' end so it would jam inot the bore if driven in which I needed to remove so I went to my Friends Shop and sued carbide tipped tooling to turn it down , then center drill the end and bore it out to take a 5/64" diameter by 1/2" long Dowel pin with about 1/4" left exposed as the new tip.
After reviewing the tools and tooling at my friends shop, I took the partially completed pin and the BB to my gunsmith to have the retainer pin relief cut in the side. He said it should be ready for pick up about October 1st.
Friday evening I took Joe Mueller, the owner of "Hollywood Engineering", to an Antique Firearms Club meeting and took along some of my Stevens Actions to "show and tell". Afterward I began thinking about one of the other "abused" Stevens Receivers I have purchased, a model 44 one that had a 'sighting groove' cut into the top of the Barrel Spigot 'bridge' and the pivot pin/screw holes 'buggered' and is coated with rust pits and areas of old rust.
Saturday morning I started trying to get the remainder fo the two plug Screws, for the tang sight mount, out; soaking them with "Kroil penetration oil" all day and over night. Sunday they are still too tight to remove, I broke the replaceable tip for my screw driver that fits them, so some more soaking is happening and I have 'resharpened' the tip.
The gunsmith also told me that the 1894 Favorite BB and Lever pivot screws in my receiver had not been heat treated after manufacture so had bent in test firing, so he is making new ones out of higher grade alloy steel that will be hardened and tempered before he returns the action for further test firing.
Sunday I think I am going to take the Receiver to my friends shop and try his large, fine wire brush wheel on the rusted surfaces that it can reach. I will most likely see if I can find a Glass Casserole dish of the correct dimensions to allow me to soak the Receiver in to remove the rust from surfaces not reachable by the wire wheel(s).
Since this Receiver is already surface deteriorated and has been grooved, it is a good candidate for my practice in surface preparations.
Best Regards,
Chev. William
ADDED 2014OCT03: I did try the power wire brush and it did take off the surface rust on the Receiver, but I find that the full surface is covered with a pattern of pits that would require a LOT of abrasion to remove so I do not think this receiver is a candidate for a 'mirror polish job', probably a powder blasted satin finish would work though. It is currently soaking in penetrating oil before trying to remove the two plug screws used to fill the Tang sight mount holes.
Future work will involve removing rust and Crud from the interior surfaces, 'chasing the pivot pin holes and threads to clean up them and to see how much of the original threads remain.
The 'modified 1915 Stevens Favorite' firing pin was replaced by my gunsmith after accidentally cutting the retainer pin groove too close to the 'hammer' end. He left it long on both ends so I could fit it for proper tip exposure and trim the 'hammer' end to fit the action needs.
This has now been done so I may need to take it back for hardening and tempering.
Next will be getting a barrel set up for this action.
Best Regards,
Chev. William
ADDED 2014OCT04: This afternoon after it cooled off slightly from the day's peak temperature, I wen to my Friend's Shop and used his lathe to cut a "Stevens Favorite" Tenon onto a used 'Marlin' 22 S-L-LR barrel I purchased off of "Ebay". This tenon is about .663" diameter and is long enough to allow for proper head spacing and extractor cut to be done by my gunsmith. It is now 'Short Chambered' by the amount I trimmed the breech end to square it up. I will have him use my ".22LR Match Grade Freeland Chamber finish reamer to bring the chamber to size and length. This "Modified 1915 Stevens Favorite" action is getting close to test firing now. My gunsmith will also need to harden and temper the Firing pin for me otherwise it will have short operating life (it is dead soft at the moment). Best regards, Chev. William.