Took the Stevens 87a out today

Flying_Finn

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Midland, ON
So for the first time in well over 20 years my old Stevens 87A that I inherited from my Grandfather. For an about 60 to 70 year old semi-auto 22 it has done really well.

So far it has been....

1) lived through a house fire. I refinished the stock and media blasted the rest of it.
2) has had the bolt springs all replaced. When I got it it only had one bolt spring. This gun uses two, one to force the firing pin, the other to force the block back forward and load the new round.

Worked very well considering what the old girl has been through. I found I now have a broken tube magazine feed spring. So, off to Numerich I went and ordered a new one. Should be here in a few weeks.

Since I had it all apart to media blast it I had to set up the sights again. First shots were left and a little high at 25yd. Knocked the front sight over a little and pulled the group in. It stayed shooting 2" groups at 25yd with iron sights.

Next updates to the little girl will be a paint job. I have to figure out what colour(s) to do. Paint and reset the sights, unless of course I can find a new front sight that fits and is an upgrade. I will be drilling and tapping for a mounting rail as well. That will probably happen once the new spring shows up. Might as well do it all at the same time. I am going to blue the smaller parts rather than paint them.

I have never gotten to fire this gun semi auto and it worked beyond my expectations. I am still happily surprised as to the accuracy considering what the poor girl has been through.
 
I have some pics of refinishing the stock around somewhere. Took about 10 hours of sanding then 7 coats of high gloss exterior varnish. The stock turned out gorgeous. Now the problem is I have to try to match the quality of the rest to the stock. lol
 
Numerich has been a Godsend for finding parts on the old girl. Very well priced and for the most part since there were SO many variants made many major parts are interchangeable. This is a gun I hope to pass on to one of my kids one day. I can see it still firing in 30 years when it turns 100 years old.

I found another at one of the local shops and have been itching to pick it up as a companion for my old one. After all, they do need friends while sitting in the cabinet all locked up...lol.
 
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