Project: Tang Vernier Sight for Favorite

N

NorthCoastBigBore

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
Location
Northwest BC (Rural) 103-I-##
I'm a sucker for these little Stevens Favorites, a lot of folks malign them (yes they have their clear design weaknesses) but I love the style these have. I've always been a fan of the 19th Century designs (especially single shots and levers) and to me, these singles just sort of sum it up.

This one is in .32 RF and I converted it to centerfire (32 Colt).
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...2-RF-to-32-Colt-(Another-Project-Checked-Off)

After figuring out how to make .32 Long Colt brass, I could tell it has some potential for accuracy (I believe the jump for the .32 SC brass in a Long chamber is too far and accuracy suffers, the difference is significant). https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1660641-32-Long-Colt-from-32-S-amp-W-Brass

Most Stevens Favorites tangs I've seen come drilled for a tang sight. Finding an original is tough and not worth the money. Yes you can certainly modify a current aftermarket one, but most I see just don't fit the looks to me. "Disproportionate" comes to mind. That's only my opinion. The other side of it is, to get a good one is fairly expensive and I've already spent too much on tooling so... I have to justify why I have these things in the shop. Well who am I kidding? I just wanted to make one. I don't need a better reason than that.

I made a very basic tang sight for a Crackshot 16 that I reblued and repaired: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1611049-Stevens-Crackshot-16-Rebuild but that one was really basic. Good first run, but I wanted to make a fancier vernier style.

With all that said, I built my "Mark II" vernier sight:
Here are all the basic parts roughed out after about a month of evenings here and there (my time is pretty limited); the base is drilled for the fixture I was using for milling here, not for the tang. I use a rotary table on my mill to shape the round for base and for the bottom of the staff:
wG8hU3T.jpg

Here they are again with a little more refinement and you can see the spring and ball detent I'm using to lock the positions:
tfGv9oB.jpg

Just machining the eyepiece, a few steps earlier. I really enjoy making these things. I'm using a #55 drill (0.052") which seems to give a nice clear view. The forward is drilled to a larger size, I found that if I just had it 0.052" the entire length, the view was fuzzy. The diameter of the eyepiece is 1.25" I believe
rSPihKA.jpg

Finished eyepiece upside down:
M6r3Omj.jpg

An idea of the finished product, again with the base not cut/shaped/drilled for the tang yet.
DuP8IeM.jpg

Starting to rust blue, and you can see the final shape of the base. Note that I did elect to "distrain" the finish a bit which turned out OK in the end, but I think I should have just browned it to match the patina (I just think a "new" looking finish would not look good on a "brown" rifle. My opinion only):
pgPW0rG.jpg


Aaaannndd here she is on the old girl:
Z2mug45.jpg

And with the sight in the "store" position:
UIyW3ew.jpg


I designed the sight for this rifle, with the lowest adjustment being inline with the top of the receiver; and when it folds down the elevation knob clears the cheekpiece.

I was really hoping to go out and try out some loads this weekend, unfortunately I just don't have time. I "should" have a chance this week and I'll post some results. I've been keeping track of different loads with the stock rear sight (which doesn't like to stay up) and as I've said this rifle has a CLEAR preference for .32 LONG Colt over Short Colt, so... I can't wait to see what I can do and how this sight compares to the factory sight.

Hope someone finds this interesting, shows you what the hobbyist can do as well without CNC capability or super expensive machinery. A lot could CERTAINLY be done with a file and saw and some ingenuity, if you are so inclined. But the little lathe and mill really speed it up.
 
Last edited:
I am impressed with your work and ability. I have occasionally thought of making one but have always chickened out as being beyond my abilities


cheers mooncoon
 
Nicely done. It's beefy but clean and fits the space.

That's a fine lookin shootin iron as well.

It's funny what tickles a fellas fancy. The half octagon barrel is nice and with a lot less work than the tang sight you could make a nice butt plate for the ol gal outta real material.
 
you did a great job and making that 32rf in to a 32 colt ,that is fantastic.The stevens single shot is a favorite (no pun) of mine as well as the model 44 they are harder to find now days but this last weekend there was 4 of them at the local gun show. one was 25rf the other two was 32 rf and on 22rf the 22 was the most expensive at 375.00 the other three were around 325.00. and they were the favourite models.
Keep those old singles shooting.
 
cdnrokon said:
you did a great job and making that 32rf in to a 32 colt ,that is fantastic.The stevens single shot is a favorite (no pun) of mine as well as the model 44 they are harder to find now days but this last weekend there was 4 of them at the local gun show. one was 25rf the other two was 32 rf and on 22rf the 22 was the most expensive at 375.00 the other three were around 325.00. and they were the favourite models.
Keep those old singles shooting.
Click to expand...

Thanks; yes just something about the lines. I would LOVE a 44, or a 44 & 1/2. The lines of these little rifles is so appealing. I'd also like to try out a .25 and convert it to CF. On castboolits there is a fellow working on making .25 CF cases from 5.7x28mm brass, seems like it might have some traction. I do still reload the 32 RF for an antique revolver I have but I can sure load a lot more .32 Colt, faster and more consistently. I personally enjoy this little gem a lot more in CF.

On the price side, yes I personally won't pay more than $350 for one in decent condition unless it's mint. I bought a Stevens 14 & 1/2 and paid a premium for that one (I can't remember but north of 400 anyway) but it still has all the original case hardening and blueing, just a beautiful little example.
 
Finally, FINALLY got to the range today. Sunny, not too hot. The new tang sight works like a CHARM. The below are fired at 25 yards from a rest. Note the difference between the Longs and the Shorts. The best group I have is with the 0.860" case. I tried some with .795" cases and they strung horizontally which I would have chalked up to trigger pull, but they always strung horizontally and the shorts and 0.860" cases did no such thing.

First, my best group with 1.7g Bullseye & the 0.860" case. This is a HUGE improvement over the old sight (an older group below, albeit with Trail Boss). The first set is five shots in that same group (the first two on the lower right were sight ins):
A7YWfJ3.jpg

This was an older group (Trail Boss) using the original rear sight:
Hfi1bhm.jpg


And these are the SHORTS. Clearly, the bullet leap down the chamber is too great a distance to wring prefential accuracy out of the Shorts. I noticed this clear preference to the longer cases in my Favorite the first time I ran my Longs through it (look at the above picture, and then the last picture below)

Given the significant difference I reckon there must be at least one other variable here that's changed (been getting better at loading these heeled bullets, for instance). But I do think a lot of it is that my lousy eyesight just benefits from the peep.
LoYDpZ7.jpg

o7qhgdi.jpg


All that said, I think I ran about 50 Long and 50 Shorts through it today. Most of the 32 Shorts, I played around with shooting steel plates and walking targets and it seemed like I couldn't miss. With the last five I tried a plate at 100 yards and actually hit it - once :)

What REALLY surprised me, was that the little 32 Shorts actually knocked the steel plates down.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom