Market for a Stevens Walnut Hill .22LR target rifle

Hello all. New to the forum from sunny SW Florida. I recently inherited a Stevens Walnut Hill .22LR target rifle. I think it is a Model 417-2 with Lyman rear tang and 17A front sights. Front has sunshade. Marked 555 assembly / serial number!?!

The bore is nice and bright and everything appears in good order. No scope with it. It was my great Uncle's but it does not hold any sentimental value. He was a great guy and had left other firearms to me which I will keep. This one I have never seen nor want to keep. Any insights on it would be welcome. Many thanks.

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Don't know anything about the model, but sure looks nice

Sure does! No idea of value but I think you should send it to me so I can give it a long detailed appraisal. ;) That rifle looks like it's just made for suiting up in a good shooting jacket and sling and learning the wind at 100yd targets. Best fun you can have with a 22 IMO. Looks like an old school Anshutz target rifle. For someone who shoots High Power matches it would be a great way to train I bet.

Edit: Did some rooting around for you. Looks like in good condition with 95% blueing they seem to run anywhere from $850-$1900. Yours has scope mounts attached for an old school long fixed power scope. Supposedly if it has a removable side plate there were only a few thousand made so those may command much more. Doesn't look like yours does but check.

The Walnut Hill was the very last of the Stevens models based on the pre-1900 Model 44 action. It was current in the interwar period, when Stevens was owned by Savage, and was considered a primo target rifle, especially for position shooting, (except prone). Competitive with the storied Winchester 52 and the various Remington bolt actions. The underlever action made it clumsy for use in the prone position, or it would have been more popular than it was. Yours is missing the original receiver sight, sadly. 95% of those that have survived are. It was a bit crude, but it did work.

I'd suggest you cruise by the ASSRA website, (American Single Shot Rifle Association). Join up and post some pictures. ASSRA still hold target competitions that are intended to imitate the old Schuetzen style of shooting, (i.e. offhand at 200 yards). In the .22 rimfire class that rifle would be a prime contender. http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl will get you to the ASSRA forum. Someone there may recognize that tang sight, I'm afraid I don't. It may be worth hundreds all by itself, but it would be a shame to part it from the rifle. Your rifle was certainly set up and used by a serious shooter. Wouldn't we like to know how well he did with it?

Offer it for sale there, and you'll likely find a buyer. Tallwalker's price range is close - maybe a bit low for one that nice. If no buyer there, put it on Gunbroker.

Best of all possible world IMHO would be to learn how to shoot it, and try your hand in an ASSRA match.
What with it looking mint, and with those sights, it will if nothing else get you plenty of attention. It deserves only the best grades of match ammo. http://www.championshooters.com/store/home.php Eley Tenex for match shooting, Norma, Lapua, SK, RWS for serious practice, CCI Standard Velocity for plinking. Tenex is shockingly expensive, and not worth the $$ in 98% of rifles, but it will bring out the best in yours. In good hands, with good ammo and easy conditions it is a sub-MOA rifle.

Personally I'm green with envy - I'd make you an offer you couldn't refuse if it weren't that my shooting days are over due to low back pain.

Oh, and this warning: Never, never dry fire the rifle without a spent case or a snap cap in the chamber. The edge of the chamber will get peened inward, making it impossible to insert a cartridge. If you do get this condition, there is a tool to push the metal back in place. Do not cut or file the burr. This model has the firing pin at 9 o'clock. All others after 1900 or so had it at 6 o'clock, hitting on the extractor. This didn't make for the ignition consistency needed for competitive performance, so Savage moved it.

You may also note that your rifle has no half-cock notch. This is normal. The action was usually set up to be a "speed lock", with a heavy mainspring and a short hammer fall.

Finally, the "sideplate" Stevens rifle is somewhat similar, but dates to 1892/93. Few made, very rare today. They were the precursor to the "44" series, and the Walnut Hill is very last of that line.

Deleted, with apologies.

Respectfully,
Bob S.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobS

Did you ever find a buyer for the Walnut Hill? If not, I'm interested!

Respectfully,
Bob S.

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He isn't selling, just looking for info and to find out what it's worth. Also, buying/selling outside of the classifieds is a violation of the rules here.