Featured Gun: Savage Stevens model 987

The Savage/Stevens model 987 was a semi-automatic, tube magazine fed, .22 rifle manufactured from 1972 to 1989

The story of the model 987 begins in 1938 with the Stevens model 6

The model 6 was refined into the model 67, which was then refined into the model 87, then 187, then 887 culminating in the model 987 we have here.

The rifles were produced in Savage's Westfield, MA factory and were sold under the Stevens, Springfield and other trade names when brand labeled for stores like Sears & Roebuck.



The stocks were birch or beech wood and featured pressed checkering on the wrist and forend and finished in a medium wood colored stain.

The safety was mounted on the rear tang, pushing forward to fire, pulling rearward for safe. The sights were buckhorn rear with a drift adjustable dovetailed sight in front.

The guns were shipped (at least some of them were) with the action and stock separated in a Styrofoam container, sometimes with optional Bushnell scope

The action is very unique, if the trigger is held back, the action will lock open and stay open until the trigger is released, then the trigger is pulled again to fire the round. The video below shows how it operates

The mechanism has a bolt lock back feature

The tubular magazine had an inner tube made of steel (instead of the usual brass) and the loading port is rotated 90 degrees from the usual position, to ease loading.

Specs

Action: Semi-Automatic, Blow-back
Caliber: .22 LR only
Barrel length: 19.5"
Overall length: 41"
Weight: approx. 6lbs 
Length of pull: 13.75"
Magazine: Tubular 
Capacity: 15 rounds

This post, as they most of them have been, was inspired by a gun that I own or once owned.