Stevens No. 43 Diamond Tip-Up Pistol
J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1896
Also known as: Stevens Diamond No. 43, Stevens Model 43, Stevens Diamond Target Pistol
Overview
The Stevens No. 43 'Diamond' is a single-shot, .22 rimfire target pistol built on a brass frame with a tip-up barrel that pivots upward for loading and extraction. Introduced in 1896 and offered with half-round/half-octagon barrels commonly in 6- and 10-inch lengths, it wore a nickeled frame with a blued barrel, walnut square-butt grips and a globe front with peep or open rear sight. Light enough to slip into a jacket pocket yet accurate, the Diamond was one of the most popular affordable .22 plinking and gallery target pistols of its era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 283 g (10.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 267 mm (10.51") |
| Barrel Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 117 J (86 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Rifled |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Nickel And Blued |
Calibers
- .22 Long Rifle · primary — also known as .22 LR, 22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Tip Up Barrel, Single Shot, Target Sights, Extractor, Half Octagon Barrel
Production
Estimated total produced: 73,000 · Production years: 1896-1916
Approximately 73,000 Diamond No. 43 pistols produced c. 1896-1916 across first- and second-issue variants; earlier tip-up pocket pistols in the same family date to c. 1886.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Joshua Stevens
Discontinued: 1916
Notes
Originally chambered for .22 Short and later .22 Long Rifle; barrels were cataloged from roughly 3 to 11 inches with fixed or target sights. Descended from the tip-up action Joshua Stevens patented in 1864 and superseded by later Stevens 'Off-Hand' and Gould-model target pistols.
Background
The little Diamond earned a reputation as 'the perfect .22 single shot' among Edwardian-era plinkers and gallery shooters. So light it could ride unnoticed in an inside jacket pocket yet accurate on a target range, it made cheap, accessible marksmanship a mass hobby in early 20th-century America, and surviving examples fitted with period Maxim silencers are prized curiosities today.