I recently spent a few hours cleaning up an old stevens model 66 that I found tucked away in the back of a closet. It belonged to my grandfather, and honestly, it looked like it hadn't seen the light of day since the Eisenhower administration. There's something special about these old rimfire rifles—they have a weight and a "soul" that you just don't find in the modern, plastic-heavy stuff you see on the shelves at big-box stores today.
The stevens model 66, often referred to as part of the "Buckhorn" series, is a relic from a different era of American manufacturing. Produced back in the 1930s by the J. Stevens Arms Company (which was a division of Savage Arms by then), it was built to be a reliable, working-man's rifle. It wasn't flashy or expensive, but it was meant to last several lifetimes. After getting the gunk out of the barrel and oiling up the bolt, I realized just how much craft went into these "budget" guns.
The Feel of Vintage Steel and Walnut
When you first pick up a stevens model 66, the first thing you notice is the weight. It's not "heavy" in a bad way, but it feels substantial. It features a full-sized wooden stock—usually walnut or a decent grade of birch—and a 24-inch barrel. Compared to a modern youth rifle that feels like a toy, this thing feels like a real tool.
The stock has a relatively slim profile, which makes it easy to carry in the woods, but the length of pull is surprisingly comfortable for an adult. It's got that classic "Buckhorn" style, which was Stevens' branding for this line of rifles. You'll often see a little plastic or metal piece on the end of the stock with a stylized deer on it. It's a small touch, but it adds a bit of character that makes the gun feel like more than just a mass-produced item.
How the Tubular Magazine Works
What makes the stevens model 66 stand out from some of its cousins is the tubular magazine. Most .22 rifles from this era were either single-shots or used detachable box magazines. The 66 uses a tube under the barrel, similar to what you'd find on a lever-action rifle.
It's a bit of a "jack of all trades" when it comes to ammo. Because it doesn't rely on a spring-fed box magazine that's sized for one specific cartridge, it can usually handle .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle interchangeable. If you're just plinking in the backyard, you can stuff a whole lot of .22 Shorts in that tube and shoot all afternoon without having to reload.
Loading it is a bit of a ritual. You twist the end of the inner tube, pull it out until the loading port is clear, and drop the rounds in one by one. It's slower than swapping a magazine, sure, but it forces you to slow down and enjoy the process. There's a rhythmic "clink" as each round slides down the tube that just feels right.
The Bolt Action and Trigger Experience
The bolt on the stevens model 66 is incredibly simple. It's a straight-pull-style handle with a knurled knob at the end. It doesn't have the sophisticated feel of a high-end target rifle, but it's remarkably smooth for its age. When you cycle the bolt, you can feel the mechanical simplicity. There aren't many parts to break, which is probably why so many of these are still functional nearly a century later.
Now, let's talk about the trigger. To be perfectly honest, it's not going to win any awards. It's a bit heavy and has a little bit of "creep" before it breaks. But you have to remember the context—this was a farm gun. It was meant to be carried in the back of a truck or leaned against a fence post. A hair-trigger would have been a liability. Once you get used to the take-up, it's actually very predictable. I found that once I spent twenty minutes with it, I could accurately ping steel targets at 50 yards without much trouble.
Accuracy with Iron Sights
One of the coolest features of the stevens model 66 is the sighting system. Most came with what they called the Buckhorn rear sight and a bead front sight. Some versions even featured a peep sight mounted on the receiver or the tang.
The sights are surprisingly precise. The long 24-inch barrel provides a generous sight radius, which really helps with accuracy. Even with my eyes not being quite what they used to be, the iron sights on this rifle are easy to pick up. I took it out to the range last weekend, and even with some cheap bulk-pack ammo, I was getting groups that would make a squirrel very nervous.
It's also worth noting that the barrel on these guns is often "overbuilt." It's a thick piece of steel that doesn't heat up quickly. You can fire twenty rounds in a row, and the point of impact stays consistent. It makes you realize that while we have better technology now, the fundamentals of barrel making were pretty much figured out a long time ago.
Maintenance and Common Quirks
If you're thinking about picking up a stevens model 66 at a gun show or an estate sale, there are a few things you should look out for. Because these were often used as "utility" guns, they weren't always pampered.
The most common issue is the feed ramp and the cartridge lifter. Since it's a tube-fed bolt action, there's a mechanical arm that lifts the round from the tube up into the chamber as you cycle the bolt. Over decades, these can get bent or the springs can get tired. If the gun is "jamming" or failing to feed, it's usually just a matter of cleaning out 80 years of carbon buildup or slightly adjusting the lifter.
Another thing to check is the firing pin. On many vintage rimfires, dry-firing (pulling the trigger without a round in the chamber) can cause the firing pin to strike the edge of the chamber. Over time, this creates a small burr that can cause extraction issues. If you buy one, just be sure to use snap caps if you want to practice your trigger pull.
Why We Still Love These Old Rifles
In a world where everything is made of polymer and designed to be replaced in five years, the stevens model 66 is a breath of fresh air. It's a reminder of a time when "budget-friendly" didn't mean "cheaply made." It's the kind of rifle you can pass down to your kids, and they can pass it down to theirs.
There's also the nostalgia factor. For a lot of shooters, a Stevens was their first "real" gun. Maybe it was the one their dad used to teach them how to shoot cans off a fence post, or the one they used for their first small-game hunt. That emotional connection is something you can't buy with a modern rifle.
Holding the stevens model 66, you can almost imagine the history it's seen. It's survived through the Great Depression, a World War, and the turn of a century. And despite all that, it still goes "bang" every time you pull the trigger.
Final Thoughts
If you ever come across a stevens model 66 at a pawn shop or in an old collection, don't pass it up just because it looks a bit weathered. With a little bit of CLP and some elbow grease, these rifles usually clean up beautifully. They are fantastic shooters, great pieces of history, and they offer a shooting experience that's far more tactile and rewarding than most modern alternatives.
Whether you're a serious collector of vintage rimfires or just someone who appreciates a well-made tool, this rifle deserves a spot in the rack. It's not the fastest or the lightest, but it has a character that modern manufacturing just can't replicate. Plus, there's just something undeniably cool about hitting your target with a gun that's twice as old as you are.