Stevens 32 rimfire rifle

live4therut

live4therut

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East of the Rockies, west of the rest
Any body have a rifle in this? Found one yesterday it was old but really nice shape, single shot, lever action, take down made by Stevens, patent date of 1894. Had limited amount of ammo lead and bird shot. Any one know where to find 32 rim fire ammo?

Cheers
 
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Stevens made several models of their rifles in .32 rimfire. The 1894 date sounds like you have a "Favorite" model. Posting a picture will help.

As mentioned, .32 rimfire ammunition is quite scarce. There was some made in Italy a few years ago, but I am not sure it they still make it.
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I don't think anyone actually SHOOTS any .32 rimfire ammo. At this point the stuff is so rare that folks buy it as part of an ammo collection.

What you can find is some ways to make up quasi rimfire casings that use a .22 rimfire shell as the primer. You Tube has a handful of such videos. Although the metal working methods and results in the two I watched make my metal working sensibilities quake in my shoes. Still these folks are still living so the results would appear to be useable.

Another option would be to get the barrel lined so you can shoot .22LR with it. At least then you don't need to practice some oddball metal working gymnastics to get a few rounds to play with.
 
Here in SW Ontario it's easy to get this ammo at the gun shows. Will pay 100-120 a box. I have an aquaintance who got one of these guns. Apparently it was converted to .32 S&W long. He says its really accurate. His gun was professionally restored. Looks gorgeous.
 
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The rifle may say ".32 Long" but it will also shoot the .32 Short rimfire, much the same as the .22 Long Rifle will shoot the .22 Long and .22 Short (and other suitable cartridges such as CB, BB, shot, etc.)

It is possible to convert it to shoot .32 cenrerfire pistol ammo, or make up a few auxillary cartridges. Converting involves making a new breech block linkage or work on the firing pin. As mentioned, Gun Shows are a source of ammunition but now it is well known how scarce it is, and it is priced accordingly.

It can be sleeved and lined with a .22 liner, but that might also involve a new link and extractor.

Your rifle looks like an early model with the flat hammer spring. In 1915, this was changed to the coil hammer spring.
 
nice! i have a few diferent .32rf's, a 1894 favorite (like yours) a marlin 1891/92 lever action with the rimfire firing pin, a old spur trigger single action revolver, and a double action revolver. there fin little guns but ammo is expensive. i regulary shoot these old girls, after all thats what they were made for. i have quite abit of vintage .32 rimfire ammo (mostly longs) and some shorts (about 5 full boxes + a jar with ~300 loose rounds) i also make homemade rounds using .32 colt brass, drilled out and using .27cal hilti gin blanks as the primer.
 
m-134 said:
i also make homemade rounds using .32 colt brass, drilled out and using .27cal hilti gin blanks as the primer.
Click to expand...

This is your best approach for making ammo. The 27 cal hilti rounds are cheap, available and can be mounted in the center of the cartridge. The 22 blank approach requires an offset mounting, and the cartridge often has to be turned in the chamber so the firing pin will strike it.

Nobody makes the ammo any more. Some Brazilian outfit made some, which I believe was imported as "Navy Arms" ammo, but that was at least a decade ago. They are too busy making modern cartridges to make any more 32rf. At least, I have searched and searched an never found any recent manufacture. Fiochi lists it in their catalog but doesn't appear to make it nor offer any.

Remember this was a black powder cartridge, so load it to low pressures...
 
I've got a bunch of .32 SC set up for .27 Hiltis (I cut them down, dump the powder and use as a primer only & load with either Blackpowder or VERY carefully researched alternatives, probably similar to M-134 mentioned). The Stevens actions are NOT strong and they are NOT falling blocks, they tilt. Hot ammo wears them out fast. Jethunter here has the proper heeled bullets.

I recently stumbled across a GREAT thread on Castboolits about using .22 RF blanks in the .32's and folks (contrary to the initial reports) are reporting promising results with the .22, which have advantages (no need to even thin the rim if done correctly). The cases must be carefully drilled but they can be used with the blank centered, according to those guys, and still make enough contact with the .32 firing pin to set them off - those folks are using mainly Stevens Favorites. Have not tried this yet myself but it looks like a good idea, as the head of the .32 SC is not as thin when using the .22 vs. the .27 (I have wrecked a few now trying to punch out the fired Hilti).
 
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yes, sorry i forgot to mention it, i dump the powder out of the .27 cal hilti rounds (exept the green?, the lightest charge. i use them no problem in my favorite, but i did it as a test knowing it might be the last time i am able to shoot the gun!) useing FFFg Goex BP. i have also fired a few rounds out of mt Defender single action revolver and 2 shots out of my H&A XL Double Action .32.
 
m-134 said:
yes, sorry i forgot to mention it, i dump the powder out of the .27 cal hilti rounds (exept the green?, the lightest charge. i use them no problem in my favorite, but i did it as a test knowing it might be the last time i am able to shoot the gun!) useing FFFg Goex BP. i have also fired a few rounds out of mt Defender single action revolver and 2 shots out of my H&A XL Double Action .32.
Click to expand...

Good to know, I think the greens are "on the edge" but I hadn't seen any confirmation they caused damage to a Favorite. Reds are incredibly potent, someone somewhere chronied loads from white through purple, the red+ are HOT.
 
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