Model 25 questions

[sbittla]

Today while at the local gun shop. I was looking at a model 25. The only question I raise his had the pump of a 1909 with a magazine and a octagon barrel.

[Mad Dog]

Sure it was a model 25?

Sounds more like a late model 1903, I just bought one myself last week.

Serial number will be in the 60,000+ range I believe.

Sav22 could shed some more light on this when he shows up.

[sbittla]

I'll need to go back and get another look at it. After looking at many pictures. I believe your right. The magazine on it was smaller. About half the size as the ones you normally see.

Out of curiosity. What is the value range of these? This one isn't perfect, but not beat either.

[Mad Dog]

I just got mine off an online auction for $70 plus juice, plus tax plus shipping, think it came to $120 total but I'd imagine these would sell in the U.S. for $200-$300 depending on condition.

I think the models 1914, 25 and 29 were all marked with their models so if the gun your looking at isn't marked chances are it's a late model 1903, they look almost exactly like a model 1914 only they are mag fed and not tube fed.

[Mad Dog]

This is it here.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l583/Joe_Koprash/SDC10041_zpsmsg7hozy.jpg

[sbittla]

This is it here.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l583/Joe_Koprash/SDC10041_zpsmsg7hozy.jpg
Looks like this but, the magazine is shorter and the back of the stock is more concave

[Sav22]

It probably has a 5 shot magazine intended for a bolt action and not the correct magazine, the 5 shots will fit, somewhat, often they are very hard to get in and even harder to get out, unless they have been modified a little. The barrels on the early savage pump 22's were all threaded the same and since the model was stamped on the barrel you sometimes run into a gun with a replacement barrel from the wrong model (1903's were never marked with the model). Look down the page to a thread title Pre-war 22's and compare the one you saw to the pictures there.

[Mad Dog]

Buttstock more concave?? I'm wondering now if your not just confusing what you thought was a model 25 and it's really a model 1903, first time you've crossed paths with one.

[Mad Dog]

Look down the page to a thread title Pre-war 22's

You got me thinkin now Gene. Might be a way of fixing a hangover tomorrow seeing as how it's Christmas day and I don't have to do anything but drink coffee. Might just pull the guns out and take pics of them separately and make a sticky at the top of the page with the different models. You can fill in the gaps after I'm done, I'm sure you've got a lot more sub models than my regular old 22's.

[sbittla]

Look down the page to a thread title Pre-war 22's and compare the one you saw to the pictures there.

The second picture down. 1st, 2nd, and 4th rifle down from the top look much the same as the one I saw.

The shop called it a model 25. You have me thinking though. Why would they call it a Model 25 with out it being stamped somewhere. Which is making me think the barrel was replaced. I was in a rush so I didn't even look at the markings. The barrel was about 24"

[sbittla]

You got me thinkin now Gene. Might be a way of fixing a hangover tomorrow seeing as how it's Christmas day and I don't have to do anything but drink coffee. Might just pull the guns out and take pics of them separately and make a sticky at the top of the page with the different models. You can fill in the gaps after I'm done, I'm sure you've got a lot more sub models than my regular old 22's.
Great idea

[Mad Dog]

Yep, that's what I thought. Those are all model 1903's, the shop has it marked wrong as a model 25.

[sbittla]

Why were many of these re barreled? In what seems like a short period of time.

[Sav22]

Why were many of these re barreled? In what seems like a short period of time.
Look down the barrel of any vintage 22, it was a time of black powder, non-plated lead bullets with poor lubing - the bore on many early 22 that saw use look like smooth bores. In that group of early 22's I posted many have poor bores and at least 3 have been re-barreled (barrel stamps are not correct for the time period of the gun and the finish on the barrels is in better condition). I have a few more that have been re-barreled, all but one though appears to have been done at the factory - it's a 1903 pump with a round Stevens model 87 (or 80 something) barrel on it. A couple of the factory done ones are in surprisingly good condition to think they needed new barrels.

[sbittla]

I never gave the ammo of the time much thought. At what time did they go smokeless with these rifles? I ask because I know some manufacturers held out longer than others or even offered firearms made for both.

[sbittla]

When I get more info ill share it here.

[sbittla]

So if this rifle appears to be ok, somewhat decent. Where about could it value be? Since its most likely been re barreled. Also has the wrong magazine. Has the 5 shot bolt action magazine instead of the proper 10 round.

its already been offered to me out the door for $300. This is with out them knowing what they really have.

[J.Baker]

Joe and Gene....

If you guys would be willing to do separate write-ups with pic's on the different early rimfire models they'd make a great addition to the History section on the homepage. It's open to everyone, and doing it that way would ensure they'd never get lost in the back pages of the forum. Then we could just have one sticky thread with links to all of them that people can quickly reference here on the forum (much like we have in the modern boards).

Also, I spoke with Joe last spring about doing some reviews of his older guns like I do the new ones as there's nothing on the web like that for them. I think that would go over very well in showing off the features of the older models, and it would help garner more interest in them here to help the vintage section grow and be more active.

[Mad Dog]

On it, holidays are just busy.

$300 seems a bit much if it was rebarreled and wrong mag, more like $175.

[sbittla]

On it, holidays are just busy.

$300 seems a bit much if it was rebarreled and wrong mag, more like $175.

Thanks for the input! That's about what I was thinking. Maybe $200 but no more.