POTD: Back When Silencers Were Easy to Get – Stevens 43 Diamond w/ Maxim Silencer
Sam.S 11.02.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Stevens No. 43 pistol, or “Diamond”, was a popular little .22 rimfire target shooter back in the day. First introduced in 1896, around 73,000 were produced through 1916. The No. 43 was a single-shot tip-up design – just flip up the barrel to load a .22 long rifle round. Models had 3-11 inch barrels with fixed or target sights. Most sported a nickeled frame and blued barrel, though some were fully blued. Weighing under a pound, the nimble Diamond was accurate for target shooting. Its simple hammer notch provided a safety. Serial numbers give a sense of production years, though records are spotty. Our example has a very cool old-school Maxim silencer for ultra-quiet plinking. The No. 43 never got fancy, but offered an inexpensive, reliable .22 target pistol. It let anyone enjoy paper punching or pop can plinking with a well-made little single shot.
“Manufacturer: Stevens J Arms Co
Model: 43Type: PistolGauge: 22 RFBarrel: 11 inch roundFinish: blue/nickelGrip: walnutWith attached W.K. Seitz Maxim Type silencer marked “W.K.S./EXP.1″ on the tube”
Lot 4129: Stevens Single Shot Pistol with Seitz Maxim Type Silencer – Stevens Single Shot Pistol with Seitz Maxim Type Silencer. (n.d.-ba). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1034/4129/stevens-single-shot-pistol-with-seitz-maxim-type-silencer.
