Stevens Ideal No. 54 Schuetzen Special
J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1897
Also known as: Stevens Ideal Model 54, Stevens No. 54 Schuetzen Special, Stevens-Pope Ideal No. 54
Overview
The Stevens Ideal No. 54 'Schuetzen Special' is an American single-shot falling-block target rifle built by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts from 1897. The top-of-the-line model of the Ideal line, it was built on the heavy 44½ falling-block action and operated by an ornate underlever that drops the breechblock, chambered most commonly in the .32-40 but also offered from .22 rimfire up through .38-55 and .44-40. As the premier Schuetzen offhand target rifle of the American golden age of single-shot shooting, it came standard with a heavy part-octagonal barrel, false muzzle, double-set triggers, a Vernier tang peep sight and wind-gauge globe front sight, a heavy Swiss-style Schuetzen buttplate and extra-fancy checkered walnut, with near-full-coverage engraving and palm rests available on special order.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5900 g (208.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1150 mm (45.28") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 435 m/s (1427 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1011 J (746 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32-40 Winchester · primary — also known as .32-40 Ballard, .32-40 WCF, .32-40
- .38-55 Winchester — also known as .38-55 Ballard, .38-55 WCF, .38-55
- .22 Long Rifle — also known as .22 LR, 5.6mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Single Shot, Octagonal Barrel, Underlever, Double Set Triggers, False Muzzle, Palm Rest Option, Vernier Tang Sight, Wind Gauge Front Sight, Swiss Schuetzen Buttplate, Checkered Deluxe Walnut, Schuetzen Target Rifle
Variants
- Stevens Ideal No. 52 Schuetzen - Schuetzen Target
- Stevens Ideal No. 53 Schuetzen Junior - Schuetzen Target Palm Rest
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Civilian Schuetzen and offhand target shooters
Production
Production years: 1897-1916
Produced in small numbers as a premium special-order target rifle; exact totals are unrecorded and Stevens-Pope-barrelled examples are especially scarce.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Joshua Stevens
Discontinued: 1916
Notes
The No. 54 was the flagship of the Stevens Ideal Schuetzen rifles (Nos. 52, 53 and 54); in 1903 it was catalogued at about $68 against roughly $10 for a plain No. 44. Scarce examples made c. 1901-1903 carry barrels rifled by master gunsmith Harry M. Pope during his short-lived partnership with Stevens and are known as Stevens-Pope rifles. Nearly every dimension - barrel length and weight, stock configuration, buttplate, sights, engraving and finish - was available to special order, so surviving rifles vary widely.
Background
In 1903 a No. 54 Schuetzen Special cost about $68 - nearly seven times the price of a plain Stevens No. 44 - and the rarest examples wear barrels hand-rifled by Harry M. Pope, judged the finest American barrelmaker of his era, whose stormy partnership with Stevens lasted only a couple of years.