j.stevens 25caliber single shot rifle

Question
my friend has one that was handed down to her husband,she was curious about how much it was worth,and if she could get ammo for it,the date on the rifle was in the 1900's

Answer
Belinda,

The gun your friend has is very likely a Model 44 Ideal or a Model 44 1/2 Ideal.  The Model 44 Ideal was manufactured between 1894-1932 and the Model 44 1/2 Ideal was made between 1903 and 1916.

To give you any reasonable value, I'd need to understand what kind of condition it was in and which specific model it was.  Values range from $250 to $450 depending on the model and condition.

The Stevens rifles could have used one of three different .25 caliber cartridges.  There was the .25-20, the .25-21 and the .25-25.  All are obsolete.  You would need to determine EXACTLY which cartridge it needed.  Usually the caliber was stamped on the top of the barrel near where it meets the receiver.

Obsolete ammo can be had from suppliers like Buffalo Arms in Idaho, but it is REALLY expensive, if it available at all.  To give you an example, the .25-20 rounds are $63 for a box of 20.  The .25-21 rounds are $109 for a box of 20.  I don't even know of a source for the .25-25 rounds.

The web address for Buffalo Arms is:

www.buffaloarms.com

If you can give me the specific model number of the rifle you have and some idea of the condition it is in, I can try to give you a more specific range of values...

Hope this helps you out...

Regards,

Doug