Old Clickety-Clack; The Rifle With Gills

[tgallmey]

This is my review of the Stevens Model 87T. First we must talk about the name Stevens and it's relationship to Savage for things to make sense as this is a very hard rifle to keep branding and models straight. Savage purchased Stevens in April of 1920. Nothing was really standardized name wise like we see today when something is rebranded. Some rifles will say "Stevens by Savage" and some won't. That's just the way she goes. To make matters of branding worse it was common at the time for department stores to make a large orders of these rifles with their branding on them. Sears marketed them under the Ranger and J.C. Higgins name as the 101 series and as the models 2000 and 2200, Gambles sold them as the Pioneer Model 27 I believe, Springfield (unrelated, perhaps Revelation 135?) also used 87 as the model number, Wards made under the name Western Field also as the Model 87 series, and Hiawatha finally which I'm not sure if it was just a clone or not. To confuse things more, model numbers were not kept the same across the board with different variations on the same design. Most notably box magazine fed rifles had different model numbers. Savage had the 7S and Wards Western Field became the 59 notably. Anyway, there were two parent rifles. The Savage Model 6 and Stevens Model 87. Both going into production in 1938 in Utica New York and went with the company to the new plant in Chicopee Falls Massachusetts. Production for the 6's and 87's ended in 1968 in Westfield Massachusetts while the box mag fed guns soldiered on until 1971.

For Some reason INGO won't let me post pictures so I'll just provide an Imgur link because this thread is worthless without em.

Click the link for more
Old Clickety-Clack - Album on Imgur

 

[actaeon277]

 

[Doug]

Interestingly, when you fire the rifle, the bolt remains open until you release the trigger; hence "Click-Clack."

 

[tgallmey]

Interestingly, when you fire the rifle, the bolt remains open until you release the trigger; hence "Click-Clack."

It's quite odd when shooting it if you're not accustomed to the rifle. It feels like the gun jammed when in actuality you just didn't release the trigger

 

[red_zr24x4]

Nice write up. I really like my gill gun, I picked mine up a few years ago at Blyth's for $45

 

[mkgr22]

This is my review of the Stevens Model 87T. First we must talk about the name Stevens and it's relationship to Savage for things to make sense as this is a very hard rifle to keep branding and models straight. Savage purchased Stevens in April of 1920. Nothing was really standardized name wise like we see today when something is rebranded. Some rifles will say "Stevens by Savage" and some won't. That's just the way she goes. To make matters of branding worse it was common at the time for department stores to make a large orders of these rifles with their branding on them. Sears marketed them under the Ranger and J.C. Higgins name as the 101 series and as the models 2000 and 2200, Gambles sold them as the Pioneer Model 27 I believe, Springfield (unrelated, perhaps Revelation 135?) also used 87 as the model number, Wards made under the name Western Field also as the Model 87 series, and Hiawatha finally which I'm not sure if it was just a clone or not. To confuse things more, model numbers were not kept the same across the board with different variations on the same design. Most notably box magazine fed rifles had different model numbers. Savage had the 7S and Wards Western Field became the 59 notably. Anyway, there were two parent rifles. The Savage Model 6 and Stevens Model 87. Both going into production in 1938 in Utica New York and went with the company to the new plant in Chicopee Falls Massachusetts. Production for the 6's and 87's ended in 1968 in Westfield Massachusetts while the box mag fed guns soldiered on until 1971.

For Some reason INGO won't let me post pictures so I'll just provide an Imgur link because this thread is worthless without em.

Click the link for more
Old Clickety-Clack - Album on Imgur

Very good write-up, tgallmey! Interested members should be sure to click on your Imgur link.

A couple commments:

Savage also sold .22 rifles under the name Springfield.

The two holes on the rear left side of the receiver are for mounting a receiver peep sight, not a scope mount. Many of the gill guns that you see for sale look like swiss cheese with the extra holes drilled to hold scope mounts. It's nice that your 87T is intact.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Nice write up and pics tgallmey! I have a gill (clickety-clack) rifle too, but mine is a High Standard from the 60's. Fun little shooter!

 

[dak109]

I have one these also. My Dad bought it used before he left for the Army in the early 50's. It was a jamomatic, so to a smith it went. I had a rush put on it wanting Dad to shoot it with me before he passed. Unfortunately, he never felt up to it after I got it back.

It it still has a tendency to fill the stock with ammo if you reload it without dry firing the rifle first. If it isn't cocked all is good. Accuracy isn't bad given the sights. Mostly mine sits in the safe. Until relatives come over, then we drag out most of the guns I have inherited.

thas for the write up. I get a little sentimental whenever I see Dads old guns being talked about.

 

[Ash]

I also own one. I believe it is stamped: J Stevens Model 87A. It has the checked walnut stock, and is medium dark, with a slight red tinge of color. This is my go-to rifle for thinning the red squirrels around here.

Nice write-up. Thanks.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I have one these also. My Dad bought it used before he left for the Army in the early 50's. It was a jamomatic, so to a smith it went. I had a rush put on it wanting Dad to shoot it with me before he passed. Unfortunately, he never felt up to it after I got it back.

It it still has a tendency to fill the stock with ammo if you reload it without dry firing the rifle first. If it isn't cocked all is good. Accuracy isn't bad given the sights. Mostly mine sits in the safe. Until relatives come over, then we drag out most of the guns I have inherited.

thas for the write up. I get a little sentimental whenever I see Dads old guns being talked about.

Mine tends to jam in the same manner,

 

[Inabcentia]

What year did they last make these rifles?

 

[Doug]

I did a quick search for "Stevens 87A" and found this quote on a gun values board from about five years ago:
"Now as to when they were manufactured, from 1938 to 1965. The early ones had a checkered walnut stock & the later ones, after 1945, had a plain stock"
Hope that helps...

 

[Ash]

Thanks for the information post, Doug.

 

[tgallmey]

What year did they last make these rifles?

1971 for box fed and 1968 for the tube fed