No one else seems to know much about this gun so I thought I would ask the experts here. In 1910-1911 Stevens Arms made a .22 target rifle specificaly for the
British market. It was called the Stevens Bisley. It was a heavy barrled target rifle with a Martini action. It had a tang peep sight and a globe front sight.
It was mades specificaly for competition for Militay Miniature Rifles. This is why I thought this might be the place to get some information. I have been told
that there may have been as few as 10 made. I am looking for any info I can find, especially copies of catalogs, adds, or anything from the era about the gun.
Can anybody help me?
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Stevens Martini .22 Target Rifle
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 slumlord44 |
Stevens Martini .22 Target Rifle |
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O/R
Posts: 9 (08/31/09 20:18:02) |
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The Double D |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 5234 (08/31/09 20:51:05) Moderator Emeritus |
I searched for almost 4 years for info about that gun and all I ever found out was what is in Grant's book.
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tjshooter |
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Colour Sergeant
Posts: 230 (09/01/09 11:24:41) Colour Sergeant |
Sorry to say again, I know of a Stevens Martini target rifle but little of it and as for being made with globe front and Tang rear for use in Military
miniature comps this would not be so as that would be open rear and barlycorn front as a military rifle the same as it is today.
The only one I had a quick look at had part Octogon /Round heavy barrel and was on a Francotte action. I will see if I can find out more about the rifle I have seen. TJ. |
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slumlord44 |
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O/R
Posts: 10 (09/01/09 21:02:30) |
Which Grants book? What is the title?
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The Double D |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 5238 (09/01/09 21:25:50) Moderator Emeritus |
More Single Shot rifles
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The Double D |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 5258 (09/07/09 04:57:53) Moderator Emeritus |
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The Double D |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 5261 (09/08/09 07:15:15) Moderator Emeritus |
I see Michael moved this to the Miniature, Rook and Cadet rifle forum. This rifle is none of the above but a full size rifle. And, 4 years ago if we could have
found it , it would have been mine! I am retired and fixed income status now and it will never be mine.
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 Bill Curtisra |
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Sergeant Major
Posts: 425 (09/08/09 08:12:28) |
If this rifle is in .22RF calibre then it is, by definition, a "Miniature Rifle" as the classification refers to the calibre and chambering not the
size of the gun.
W. S. Curtis, A.C.I.I.,
Vice President (Hon.), Crimean War Research Society, HBSA (Hon. Life), Assistant Curator, Museum of the National Rifle Association, Whitworth Rifle Research Project, MLAGB, NLRC, ATRA, &c. |
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The Double D |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 5262 (09/08/09 08:35:59) Moderator Emeritus |
It's factory marked .22LR and one source says it was was banned from use at Bisley becauses it was so accurate...part of the folk lore of the gun. I
wasn't trying to point out it's eligibility for Minature rifle competiton, but its physical size. It falls into the same physical size groups as those
conversions by Bonehill, Greener and others . (Discussion of this rifle is probably is more correct in this forum)
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JB White |
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Sergeant
Posts: 69 (09/09/09 17:39:53) |
Only a couple of handfuls made? I would think that they would have produced a good run of them being so accurate and during a time when single shots were still
very popular.
Is there any reason given for such limited production? |
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joelblack88 |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 531 (09/10/09 06:29:45) Sergeant Major |
I owned one of them along with a Stevens Walnut Hill which was just as accurate. I suspect it was dropped from the line because the latter was a more
traditional American form and sold better over here.
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gcrank1 |
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Sergeant Major
Posts: 196 (09/10/09 06:41:43) |
As a long time Stevens fancier I would agree with Joel. The 'Martini' style, in spite of performance, just did
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JB White |
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Sergeant
Posts: 70 (09/10/09 07:48:59) |
Thanks for the feedback. Would it be safe to assume they (Stevens) used purchased receivers for such a small trial run?
I do like the looks of the carbine style butt and steel checkered buttplate. Otherwise it has a similar overall appearance as my large frame Greener .22. I could probably do without the taller comb and 3/8 to 1/2 inch of cast in my stock though. I needed to add a 1/4 inch riser block to the front sight so I could get a more comfortable cheek weld. I'm sure a carbine butt would give a much better feel...and look nicer too. |
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joelblack88 |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 532 (09/10/09 10:05:19) Sergeant Major |
Many years ago before I collected English cartridge firearms, I collected high grade American single shots. I went back through my files to find a picture
of my Stevens-Bisley. I couldn't find one, but I did find this catalog cut. Imagine my surprise to see it came from an English catalog. I have no idea
which retailer's catalog it was in, but I now think the answer for its failure is that it would have been in competition with less expensive British made
club rifles.
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slumlord44 |
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O/R
Posts: 11 (09/11/09 21:04:46) |
The catalog cut is the same one in Strongs book. It is from the Stevens English Catalog. The cut indicates that the gun was made specificly for the English
market. Probably why they are so scarce in the US market. They may not have even been sold here in the US. I also doubt the 10 gun production run but with the
lack of Stevens production records, it is probably impossible to doccument. joleback88, when did you own yours? What area of the country did you find it in?
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joelblack88 |
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Veteran of the Regiment
Posts: 533 (09/12/09 05:41:28) Sergeant Major |
I live in Wisconsin and bought mine here in the late 1960s. I sold it in 1972 (probably to Jim Goergen) when we we expecting our 2nd son.
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slumlord44 |
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O/R
Posts: 12 (09/13/09 18:49:00) |
Closed the deal on this rifle today. Should have it in a week or so. Looking for the sling swival that fits in the hole in front of the triger guard. Plan on
seeing how it shoots as soon as I get my hands on it.
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Harry Eales |
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Corporal
Posts: 69 (09/15/09 12:29:40) Lance Corporal |
Congratulations Slumlord44
On your accquesition of a Stevens 600 'Martini' actioned Rifle. I do hope you will continue researching it's origine. I am sure it was a British made rifle from start to finish, but that's purely a gut feeling, which I would like confirmed. To me, the whole rifle screams 'British Made' but I lack the evidence to prove it. I hope you can come up with 'The Goods'. lol. Harry |
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slumlord44 |
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O/R
Posts: 13 (09/15/09 18:49:14) |
Harry,
I intend to continue to research this one. You may be correct that it is entirely British made but I am not making any bets at this time. It will probably be in my posession until after I am gone as I rarely sell anything, especially the rare stuff. As near as I can tell, the gun in the sales brochure, my gun, and the gun in Grants book all have different sights and forearms. The sales brochure says finely checkered stock and Grants and mine do not have checkered stocks. This could be factory variations or after the fact modifications. I plan on contacting Savage to see if they still have the one in their musem and try to get pictures of it if possible. Questions have been posted here, the ASSRA website and Rimfire Central website and not a lot of documentation has come up yet. I will keep on looking. Things like this are what make this hobby interesting! |
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slumlord44 |
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O/R
Posts: 14 (09/26/09 19:50:46) |
The Bisley arrived Thursday. Shot it Friday. Shoots well, functions perfectly. Need to shoot it a lot more under better lighting conditions to determine
accuracy. Bore is mint and accuracy seems to be fine.
Additional information: Front sight is Parker Hale FS22. Rear sight iw Parker Hale 17A that has been soft soldered to the gun in addition to the factory screws. The contour of the base of the sight does not match the contour of the gun. I assume the solder was used to get better fit. I am told the sights are from the 1930's. The brass cap on the front of the forearm has 2 spare inserts for the front sight. I am told the brass cap dates from the 1930's also. Serial # is 752 with a lightly stamped 0 in front of it and a lightly stamped 9 behind it. There is a lightly stamped 09 on the underside of the barrel in front of the forearm. On the underside of the barrel under the forearm is stamped EF, C7, and 3. On front end of the frame behind the forearm is 3 and 0. The muzzle end of the barrel looks like it has a liner in it. Looking at the muzzle, the following letters are stamped very professonally around the bore, PARKER RIFLED, AGP. I am thinking the gun was re-lined, re-sighted, and re-stocked with current parts in the 1930's, when this was just another .22 target rifle, but this is just a guess on my part. Any help from anyone here?? My plans so far are to have the damaged stock professonally repaired and leave it as is and keep it well oiled and shoot it regualry to see how well it will shoot. Desperately looking for any additional info. I would love to locate other examples to compare details with. |
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Fred |
Parker rifling | ||
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Sergeant
Posts: 133 (09/27/09 08:42:41) |
Your rifle was sleeved by AG Parker who became better known as the Parker in Parker-Hale. Parker-rifled martinis are very common in the UK. I have a 297-25
Rook Rifle which started life as a 297-25, was then bored out to .300 Rook and then given to Mr Parker who sleeved it back to 297-25. All this can be read from
the proof marks. All the proof marks are Birmingham pre-1935! its the top one.
Fred. 
Last Edited By: The Double D
09/27/09 12:28:24.
Edited 1 times.
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