The Stevens Model 87, also known as the Savage Model 6, is a

semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single round each time the Trigger (firearms), trigger is pulled while automatically loading the next Cartridge (firearms), cartridge. These rifles were developed Pre-World War II, and w ...

that fires the .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridges. Produced by

Stevens Arms Stevens Arms is an American firearms manufacturer founded by Joshua Stevens in 1864 in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The company introduced the .22 Long Rifle round and made a number of rifle, shotgun, and target pistol designs. By 1902, they were ...

Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts Chicopee ( ) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in western Massachuset ...

, from 1938 to 1960 & then

Westfield, Massachusetts Westfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield metrop ...

from 1960 to 1982, it was in continuous production from 1938 to 1982. Nicknamed Gill Guns (because of 8 cutout slots (or “Gills”) located on the side of the receiver that help shoot powder residue out of the chamber to let the rifle run cleaner) as well as Click Clacks, it was the most popular rimfire rifle of its kind in the world until the introduction of the

Marlin Model 60 The Marlin Model 60, also known as the Marlin Glenfield Model 60, is a semi-automatic rifle that fires the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. Produced by Remington Arms in Huntsville, Alabama formerly in Mayfield, Kentucky, formerly by Marlin Firearms C ...

in 1960.

Variants

Prior to 1949 there was no alpha code used to date the development of the rifle. After 1949 thru 1970, alpha codes were added beside the model number (Model 87 or Model 6). Alpha codes date the year the rifle was manufactured. Alpha codes are listed below: A=1949, B=1950, C=1951, D=1952, E=1953, F=1954, G=1955, H=1956, I=1957, J=1958, K=1959, L=1960, M=1961, N=1962, P=1963, R=1964, S=1965, T=1966, U=1967, V=1968, W=1969, X=1970 (Note O and Q were not used)

Model 887

The Stevens Model 887 is a

that fires the .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridges. Design to be an improvement over the original Model 87 (including two “Gills” instead of 8 and an aluminum magazine tube instead of steel), it was manufactured for only two years from 1978 to 1980.

References

{{Reflist .22 LR semi-automatic rifles Savage Arms Stevens Arms