Hello all,

I have a newbie question. I have seen several references to rifles being of reduced value (or demand?) when chambered in 32 rimfire (Stevens Favorite and 44, Remington rolling blocks, and Winchester low-walls). However, this doesn't necessarily seem to apply to other obsolete cartridges (i.e. 25 or 38 rimfire). Is this purely a function of the number of rifles produced in 32 rimfire or am I just ill-informed?

Many thanks,
oneshot_geo

I don't see any difference between older guns in .32 RF, .38 RF, or .25 RF prices. All seem equally devalued from all other calibers in the same guns. Even oddball centerfire calibers will get more value, as you can almost always reform another cartridge and hand load for them.
If anything a .32 RF chambering would be a bit higher value, as the chance of finding .32 RF ammo seems much better than the other two. At least I see .32 RF occasionally, and less often .25 RF. But I almost never see .38 RF, and when I do it's not shootable.
Both .32 RF and .38 RF rifles can be reworked to a CF cartridge, so they could be fired. Both cartridges were offered in a like sized CF version, so often reworking the firing pins will make them shootable. It's an added cost, but an option if you want to shoot them.

From the collector perspective in rolling block rifles such as the #2 sporting and the #4 boys rifle, there were far fewer rifles manufactured in .25 rim fire. If you want to collect all the calibers and various company, patent markings etc, the .25s will be much more difficult to locate. if and when you can, they are actually more expensive than the .32 rf.  There are far more .32 rf rifles available in these rolling blocks. More than adequate supply of rifles combined with unavailable ammunition results in lower prices for the .32.  The .32 was very popular around the turn of that century. Most of the rifles available have seen a lot of use/wear. Resulting condition also has a impact on price.  With a high condition .25 rf adding a new barrel and preserving the original is the better procedure. Cost is about the same as adding a liner and you do not destroy the collector value of the rifle.

uscra112 wrote on Mar 11^th, 2015 at 11:12pm:


That thinking seems to have been prevalent amongst all the old gun makers. They just hated making guns in other makers calibers. They made so many proprietary calibers that were just different enough to either not allow the other maker's cartridge to fit their gun, or allow their cartridge to fit either gun, but not the reverse. Winchester did this with Marlin's .25-20 Marlin, when they came out with their slightly shorter neck .25-20 WCF. And again when Marlin came out with their .25-36 Marlin, and Win. answered with the .25-35 Win.
Some makers chambered the other maker's cartridges in their guns, but changed the rollstamp on their barrels, so as to disguise what the real cartridge was. As Marlin did with the .32 Winchester Special, stamping barrels with ".32 HPS". Marlin marked their .30-30 Win. chambering, simply ".30-30"