In House Shipping:
Make: J. Stevens A&T Co.
Model: Tip Up
Serial Number: 55139
Year of Manufacture: 1890s Antique
Caliber: 22
Action Type: Single shot
Markings: Top flat of the octagon /round heavy barrel shows “J. STEVENS A &T CO. Chicopee Falls Mass USA” in TWO LINES; the Serial number “55139”on the left flat of the chamber.
Barrel Length: 5” inches (Looks to have been cut down)
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dove tailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “v”notch on a leaf , dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are walnut with only a few compression marks from handling. The brass escutcheons are original to the set and show the proper amount of wear for a 125 year old item. The grips rate in about 8.5/10 overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued steel frame with walnut grips.
Finish Originality: Finish is original and has not been redone.
Bore Condition: The bore is surprisingly bright and the rifling is thinned. There is no erosion in the bore. The bore rates at 8.5/10 in this writer’s opinion.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 45% of its metal finish. The screw heads are tool-marked with serviceable slots. The lock up is tight. The trigger-guard is a Model 37 Gould Model Style, though the markings on the receiver are not there; The markings elsewhere are strong. Overall, this handgun rates in Fair to good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: none
Our Assessment: Joshua Stevens was born on September 10, 1814 in Chelsea or Chester, Mass.—there is a dispute over his birth place. For 26 years, Stevens worked for other New England gun makers including Samuel Colt, Eli Whitney, Cyrus Allen, Edwin Wesson, and the Mass. Arms Co. In 1864, Joshua Stevens started his factory at the age of 50 with 2 partners, James Taylor and W. B. Fay. He died in 1907, at the age of 92 having been retired from Stevens for 10 years. Joshua Stevens was not an inventor, but just a good businessman. In 1864, he obtained patent # 44123 for a very basic, breech-loading tip-up that became the basis for all but two of the 14 Stevens single-shot pistols. Joshua Stevens left the firm with a substantial fortune at the age of 82. In 1864, Joshua Stevens started his factory in Chicopee Falls, Mass. on the north side of the Chicopee River. It was located in an old grist mill and the company’s name was “J. Stevens & Co.” The factory started when the Civil War was close to an end. The company was a world leader in the arms market until the early 1900s. Many established gun manufacturers failed after the Civil War due to the market surplus of guns.
In this writer's opinion the “tip up” has some of the sleekest styling and most elegant grips of their time. These guns are fun to shoot and are sure to be a prize in any collection. I love that these guns were mainly made for “enjoyment and entertainment” as opposed to the other rifles made throughout the civil war. These guns were known as “ PARLOR PISTOLS” because people would literally shoot them in the parlor. Back then, when guests arrived, the house host would have been obliged to entertain them. So they might find a deck of cards, place a few in the fireplace, serve some brandy and cigars, while playing “HORSE” with their extremely accurate target pistols in the parlor. Any one will enjoy owning this antique arm.