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I purchased a beautiful ’85 lo-wall rifle in 25-20 s.s., now I need to find some ammo for it. Any suggestions. Also run across a lo-wall in .32 Ideal, I’ve never heard of ’em, what is it.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
You won’t find “ammo” for it, but you can find cases; in addition to old, fired, brass (which may have been contaminated with mercuric primers), there’s Bertram & (possibly) Starline. Yrs ago, the best brass available was that made by G&H for the .22 Lovell, which is the .25-20 SS necked down to .22. but those cases are now collector’s items.
.32 Ideal was a special thick-walled, straight-sided, case developed by Stevens especially for reloading; haven’t heard of any modern source of cases, but there may be some. This is one I’d be inclined stay away from if shooting it is a high priority, unless you’re willing to undertake a lot of improvisation like reforming cases, etc.
Its pricey but still out there.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001782539?pid=148885
Scratch that, didnt see the “SS” 
Im assuming the 25-20 SS is different from the 25-20 WCF???
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
1892takedown said
Its pricey but still out there.https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001782539?pid=148885
Scratch that, didnt see the “SS”
BIG difference! But still, the S.S. case is not that difficult to find, if you can exercise a little patience. I think the Ideal case would be a problem, though.
Original 25-20 S.S. boxes of ammo can be found at many of the decent sized gun shows around the country… not rare, but you do have to look for it. The 32 IDEAL is a whole different story, and thus far, I have not ever run into an original box of it (yet). I do have a handful of loose cartridges though.
In regards to the Winchester Model 1885, the 25-20 S.S. was a very popular cartridge chambering. Winchester chambered it in their low-wall rifles as a general rule, but there are a fair number of high-wall rifles chambered for it as well, including a couple of Schuetzen Rifles. In my research survey, I have verified that 7,554 were made. The 32 IDEAL cartridge was chambered in just 267 rifles, mostly low-walls.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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Congrats, Harry. It may be Bert’s bad influence on me but I believe you have scored an awesome 85. My shooting buddy recently scored one and I’m hoping he’ll become bored with it and make me a smokin’ deal on it. Unfortunately he lurks here and he’s much smarter than that. I’d overcome my aversion to adding new cartridges to explore the 25-20SS.
Mike
TXGunNut said
I’d overcome my aversion to adding new cartridges to explore the 25-20SS.
Seriously? Here’s your golden opportunity: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Winchester-Repeating-Arms-Vintage-Reloading-Tool-25-20-S-S-Patd-1874-with-brass/133373409028?hash=item1f0dacb704:g:zv0AAOSw~qVef~qH
The rifle can wait–you can find one of them much more easily than another one of these.
Henry Mero said
I purchased a beautiful ’85 lo-wall rifle in 25-20 s.s., now I need to find some ammo for it. Any suggestions. Also run across a lo-wall in .32 Ideal, I’ve never heard of ’em, what is it.
Henry, contact Little John’s Antique Arms. Talk to Aiden. He has 2 or 3 vintage full boxes. They won’t ship but could get them to Cody. I tried to buy one last week but we couldn’t agree on a price. I think they have a box of 22 WCF too.
clarence said
TXGunNut said
I’d overcome my aversion to adding new cartridges to explore the 25-20SS.Seriously? Here’s your golden opportunity: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Winchester-Repeating-Arms-Vintage-Reloading-Tool-25-20-S-S-Patd-1874-with-brass/133373409028?hash=item1f0dacb704:g:zv0AAOSw~qVef~qH
The rifle can wait–you can find one of them much more easily than another one of these.
Really… ?
I have this complete boxed set in my collection to compliment the Browning Brothers marked low-wall in the same caliber.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
I have a dozen or so 32 Ideal empty brass kicking around somewhere that I would part with.
Dana
Bert H. said
Really… ?
Without going out of my way to hunt for them (by no means a favorite, owing to the brass problem), I’ve had 5 or 6 rifles of various makes in .25-20 SS pass through my hands, but never (when I might have wanted one) seen this tool offered for sale, esp. at what seems to me a very reasonable price, $90.
To give us a better idea of the tool’s rarity, what would you ask for yours, if it were for sale? Or if that’s too abstract a question, what did you pay for it?
dane62 said
I have a dozen or so 32 Ideal empty brass kicking around somewhere that I would part with.Dana
Once passed up a very nice & very reasonably priced Stevens in that caliber, because I had no interest in commencing a long struggle to find brass & loading tools. However, the very reason is was “reasonably priced” was that chambering!
clarence said
Without going out of my way to hunt for them (by no means a favorite, owing to the brass problem), I’ve had 5 or 6 rifles of various makes in .25-20 SS pass through my hands, but never (when I might have wanted one) seen this tool offered for sale, esp. at what seems to me a very reasonable price, $90.
To give us a better idea of the tool’s rarity, what would you ask for yours, if it were for sale? Or if that’s too abstract a question, what did you pay for it?
Clarence,
I paid $700 for it at the WACA Cody show back in 2005. I have been advised that it is now worth more than 2X that amount, possibly almost 3X. I have no interest in selling it, and do not know how much I would ask for it if I changed my mind. My collecting goal has always been to acquire a nice Winchester reloading tool and an original period full box of ammo for each one of my Model 1885 Single Shot rifles. I have all of the common tools (32 WCF, 38 WCF, 44 WCF, 38-55, etc.), but finding them in the 40-70 Ballard, 40-90 Ballard, 405 WCF, etc. is a challenge. Several years ago, I got in a bidding war for a boxed 50-95 WCF set, but bailed out of the bidding at $5,000!
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
I paid $700 for it at the WACA Cody show back in 2005. I have been advised that it is now worth more than 2X that amount, possibly almost 3X.
Maybe the only one in existence with the full set of original papers, so I don’t doubt it. Even finding them with the decapping pin & powder measure is unusual.
clarence said
Maybe the only one in existence with the full set of original papers, so I don’t doubt it. Even finding them with the decapping pin & powder measure is unusual.
Yes indeed, a full set with all of documents and parts is a definite rarity. Based on it condition, and the dried grease still in the bullet mold, it appears that this set of tools was never used. It was found sitting on a shelf in a small town gun shop approximately 60-years ago. It passed through two other collectors hands before I snatched it up.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
This place is pricey but you may want to talk to them if you really want some correct caliber stamped brass.
Chuck said
This place is pricey but you may want to talk to them if you really want some correct caliber stamped brass.
“Pricey” is what it’s always going to be for obsolete cases. Don’t object to their price per case, but having to buy a min. of 50 is rather unreasonable.
I wonder if this co. took over the Jamieson operation, shut down by our rotten fed gov’t. Jamieson brass was the best available at the time, much better than Bertram’s, which couldn’t figure out how to anneal brass.
Clarence, I contacted these guys for a non Winchester caliber that I use 270 Win brass. I doubt I could find another person that would go in half with me. Some of our posters may want to do a joint purchase??
I will probably never shoot this gun but I would like a old box of ammo, not reloads, to display, I will find one somewhere. I do have a few loose rounds.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
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