Larger than .22 rimfire repeaters?

[Mk42gunner]

I know about the Henry/ Winchester Model 1866 and Spencer, where there any other rimfire repeating rifles? As far as I can find there weren't any until the Marlin Model 1892 in .32 Long which was convertible for both centerfire and rimfire.

My question is if there where any in .25 to .38 caliber, and if not why not?

Was it just case of people not wasting money on targets?

I just got to wondering a few weeks ago and can't get the question out of my head.

Thanks for looking,

Robert

[Bent Ramrod]

The pump action Stevens Gallery #80 could be ordered in .25 Rim Fire. I’ve seen exactly one of these in almost 50 years of Gun Show attendance.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Ball repeater Civil War contract rifle delivered too late, (May 1865) to have been in combat. Used the Spencer cartridge.

Ball repeater


Evans repeating rifle, 1873-1879. Can be seen in the movie, ''Crossfire Trail'' staring Tom Selleck, the old fat guy with bad eyes had it, said it held 34 cartridges, (.44 Evans short-.44 Evans long only 28 cartridges in its rotary magazine) and still couldn't hit a can at 25yds. I see them for sale somewhat often, a nice one would be around $3,000-$4,000.

Evans repeater


There's more, I just have to dig them out of my dusty brain storage area.

[Loudenboomer]

The 17 WSM is based on the 27 cal. rimfire nail gun blank round. I was intrigued by the thought of a modern 27 cal. rimfire in a modern rifle. How about a XTR 94 27?

[Gtek]

For several decades I have been brain sore trying to find a platform to build a 32 S&W Long! When I find the right Rem 510 (not going to sacrifice on of these) for testing, then move to make on a 511 style and build a mag. One would think with the cost of ammo these days the big guys would have come out with more pistol caliber carbine/rifles, a bolt or a pump nine with Glock mags? I really, really want a 18" bolt with a can for some of my flat nosed 32's

[Mk42gunner]

I just find it odd that in the days of BP there weren't any common small game rifles in calibers larger than .22. I know the 1890 Winchester was built in .22 WRF, so it makes sense to me that there would have been some (maybe slightly larger) in .25, .30, or .32.

I don't know, maybe this a question that wasn't thought of then?

Robert

[Ithaca Gunner]

.58 rimfire for the Miller conversion of the Springfield riflemusket to breach loader.

There was a rimfire version for all the percussion revolvers, and of course the .41rf for Derringers.

Look in ''Cartridges of The World'' there's a rimfire section with a whole bunch of calibers in various configurations and lengths for rifle and handgun.

[StrawHat]

Winchester made two (2) of the Model 1890 pump rifles in 32 caliber. I always thought that would be a great rifle. Wanted to build my own!

Kevin

[schutzen-jager]

the Swiss army issued a Vetterli rifle chambered in .41 rimfire in the 1800's -

[dtknowles]

It is a good question but I think a better question would be why did it take so long for S&W to chamber a revolver in .22 LR, like half a century after the .22 LR was released, S&W still did not have a revolver chambered for it. It seems when they switched to top brake actions they switched to center fire and the only 22 caliber handguns they made were single shot. I am not sure they even made any top breaks in .44 rf. They finally brought out a .22 cal revolver in 1930. They stopped making the Model 1 in 1882.
Tim

[dtknowles]

I just find it odd that in the days of BP there weren't any common small game rifles in calibers larger than .22. I know the 1890 Winchester was built in .22 WRF, so it makes sense to me that there would have been some (maybe slightly larger) in .25, .30, or .32.

I don't know, maybe this a question that wasn't thought of then?

Robert

Not true, there were a lot of small game guns in .25 and .32 rimfire in the black powder and even later era. They were just mostly single shot boy's rifles. Stevens and Remington sold a lot of them.
Tim

[.22-10-45]

If I understand MK42gunner, I think you are referring to the time frame right after the civil war. Looking thru The American Cartridge, by Suydam...comprehensive American rimfires. The only rifle ctg. in that time frame is the.38 rim fire long and extra long. This was in the early 1870,s. Of course S&W had the .32 long..but this was for their no.1 revolver. In fact most of these early rimfires. From .30 on up were for handguns. Of course their was the .25 Stevens but this was around 1897. The very early Wesson had reversal firing pin in .32.
You have to remember there was not a lot of money for extras after the war..and a small bore .32 to .38 muzzle loading rifle was a lot more accurate and a lot cheaper to use.
Now I have a question I have never seen in print. We all have read the story of S&W and their development of the .22 short for their 7 shot top break revolver. What i would like to know is who manufactured the first rifle chambered in .22 Short? There must have been something before the .22 Winchester '73. Perhaps a Wesson..or a Remington Beals?

[dtknowles]

S&W Model 1 was .22 rf short only. The model 1 1/2 and model 2 were .32 rf long.

[dtknowles]

If I understand MK42gunner, I think you are referring to the time frame right after the civil war. Looking thru The American Cartridge, by Suydam...comprehensive American rimfires. The only rifle ctg. in that time frame is the.38 rim fire long and extra long. This was in the early 1870,s. Of course S&W had the .32 long..but this was for their no.1 revolver. In fact most of these early rimfires. From .30 on up were for handguns. Of course their was the .25 Stevens but this was around 1897. The very early Wesson had reversal firing pin in .32.
You have to remember there was not a lot of money for extras after the war..and a small bore .32 to .38 muzzle loading rifle was a lot more accurate and a lot cheaper to use.
Now I have a question I have never seen in print. We all have read the story of S&W and their development of the .22 short for their 7 shot top break revolver. What i would like to know is who manufactured the first rifle chambered in .22 Short? There must have been something before the .22 Winchester '73. Perhaps a Wesson..or a Remington Beals?

This is the oldest I have found so far "Winchester Model 1873 Takedown that is chambered in .22 Short, manufactured in 1884, the first year they were offered in a rimfire caliber."

It is hard to say when the first rifle was offered in 6mm Flobert (1846ish, I would think) that would be the same as .22 BB cap, if you are familiar with that. A short .22 short with just a round ball. I am guessing that nobody figured that they need more than that for parlor shooting.

Tim

[dtknowles]

I found this "This listing is for a Frank Wesson Model 1870 Single Shot Rifle chambered in 22 (Rimfire) Caliber Rifle Serial Number 12 Manufactured approximately 1876. We believe this to be a First Year Production 5th Type that was manufactured 1876-1888."

It could be a .22 long since the long was originated in 1871

Tim

[Mk42gunner]

I'm not too specific on when, I guess anywhere from the Civil War to WWII would fit. I just found it odd that there weren't any repeating rifles commonly available in the larger than .22 (but still small game) rimfire rounds. Lord knows there were a bunch of them in single shots.

I have seen and handled one each of the Winchester Model 1873's in .22 Short and .22 Long. Even as a kid of fourteen or so they seemed awful heavy to me. They also sold for well north of $500 at auction (late 1970's).

Robert