Tell Me About the Standard Rifle

[Suo Gan]

My dealer (tiny hardware store) has an antique Standard Arms Rifle, Model G, the one where it can either be operated as a pump or gas operated automatic. It is in 25 Remington (rimless). It has a neat old lyman tang sight, and a pump and buttplate that is made from bronze and has high relief carvings of deer, trees and other things on it. He does not know what it is worth, but told me to make an offer. So what would a fair offer be on the rifle. It has 10% of its original finish, but is in fair shape. The old man said that he can remember hunting with the original owner of the rifle, and that it was not very reliable, etc. It is odd, but very interesting too.

[oldhickory]

According to Flayderman's 9th edition of American Antique arms, $550.00 in NRA very good condition-$875.00 for NRA execelent.

[pietro]

[So what would a fair offer be on the rifle. It has 10% of its original finish, but is in fair shape.]

I would max out @ $200. - the value, from a BB a few years old, for a 60% specimen.

But - only if prepared to let $200 hang on a wall.

Interesting-looking, but heavy; ammo sources iffy; ditto stated functionality.

.

[Bent Ramrod]

There was one at the Bakersfield Gun Show this morning going for $800. It was not going anywhere; I think it has been offered at that price for many years with no takers. Just my opinion, but the rifle has no particular historical interest, isn't reliable enough to take shooting and is no prize in the aesthetics department, so I'd say an offer of $200 for one as a curio would be plenty generous.

I heard Harry Pope got all the spare parts for the Standard Rifle in hopes of having a side business of supporting the things once the factory stopped making and repairing them. The parts formed a significant part of the clutter in his shop for years and years and years.

[Bret4207]

I've seen a couple. From talking to the owners they are more a collectors piece than shooters. I've never heard of one that actually works in semi-auto mode. They sure do look interesting though.

[NoDakJak]

The Standard Rifles seemed to be rather commonly seen in pawn shops in central and southern California in the late fifties and early sixties. Prices at that time were usually around $45.00. Probably because of the fancy fore-end. I have read several articles about them over the years. One writer began the article by calling it a "Fearful Turkey". Never mind that, I would still like to own one. You could supposedly use them as either a pump or semi-automatic. I believe that there is a good article in a back issue of Rifle magazine. Neil