  Canfieldite, Ag$_8$SnS$_6$, is a semiconducting mineral notable for its high
ionic conductivity, photosensitivity, and low thermal conductivity. We report
the solution growth of large single crystals of Ag$_8$SnS$_6$ of mass up to 1 g
from a ternary Ag-Sn-S melt. On cooling from high temperature, Ag$_8$SnS$_6$
undergoes a known cubic (F-43m) to orthorhombic (Pna2$_1$) phase transition at
$\approx$ 460 K. By studying the magnetization and thermal expansion between
5-300 K, we discover a second structural transition at $\approx$ 120 K. Single
crystal X-ray diffraction reveals the low temperature phase adopts a different
orthorhombic structure with space group Pmn2$_1$ (a = 7.6629(5) \AA, b =
7.5396(5) \AA, c = 10.6300(5) \AA, Z = 2 at 90 K) that is isostructural to the
room temperature forms of the related Se-based compounds Ag$_8$SnSe$_6$ and
Ag$_8$GeSe$_6$. The 120 K transition is first-order and has a large thermal
hysteresis. Based on magnetization and thermal expansion data, the room
temperature polymorph can be kinetically arrested into a metastable state by
rapidly cooling to temperatures below 40 K. We lastly compare the room and low
temperature forms of Ag$_8$SnS$_6$ with its argyrodite analogues, Ag$_8$TQ$_6$
(T = Si, Ge, Sn; Q = S, Se), and identify a trend relating the preferred
structures to the unit cell volume, suggesting smaller phase volume favors the
Pna2$_1$ arrangement. We support this picture by showing that the transition to
the Pmn2$_1$ phase is avoided in Ge alloyed Ag$_8$Sn$_{1-x}$Ge$_x$S$_6$ samples
as well as pure Ag$_8$GeS$_6$.
