Winchester 38 long rifle ammo - Found this up for sale near me - worth getting?

[rogerwilco1]

Estate sale nearby has this box of Winchester Repeating Arms Co. No.38 Long Rifle Cartridges, as seen.

Was going to pick up just for the novelty but looks like someone else had the same thought. Can't find much online about this - worth anything? Or at least historically to keep? To start a nice ammo collection?
Thanks for any advice.

Its about $60 and will probably go up.

 

[s&wchad]

I'd pass. The box is in rough condition and .38 Long rimfire isn't in high demand. A pristine full box would be worth owning, if you had a nice Ballard rifle chambered for it.

That same style box full of .44-100 rimfire cartridges would be an entirely different story. You could pay 15X the current bid and still come out ahead!

 

[DWalt]

It's worth something to a collector, even in that condition as it is somewhat uncommon. It would date from the 1877-1890 period. It's not really a rifle cartridge, it just says that on the box for tax reasons. The Stetson's Patent has to do with how the bullet is crimped in the case. You might get onto the International Ammunition Association's forum and post a question there about value. But if you can get it for $60, I advise you do so. I have one similar in .38 Short RF:

 

[rogerwilco1]

Thanks. The "rilfe" had me a bit confused. Didn't think about a tax issue. From a slice of history standpoint, I'm interested as long as it doesn't get too high. Any other info or opinions is certainly welcome.

The only other "collectible" ammo I have is some 380 Supervel that I found from long ago that's marked about $6.00 from Woolworths. I hope I don't start getting the bug for this, now.

 

[reddog81]

Is this an auction? If so the price they are at now is irrelevant. I'd pick up a bunch of .380 at $6 a box. If it's an auction the price will by $15 to $20 or more by the time it's over.

 

[rogerwilco1]

The 380 is something I own already. The 38 long is for auction.

 

[DWalt]

You probably won't get any more than current .380 retail price for the SuperVel box. Hardly worth the effort to sell. The story behind the tax is somewhat vague and I have never seen a good discussion of it. Apparently at one time some states and cities had special taxes on handgun, but not rifle, ammunition and some manufacturers simply put "rifle" on the label to avoid the tax. As I remember, those were Southern states. In any event, those types of box labels are fairly unusual today and that adds to their value.

BTW, I bought my box of .38 Short at a garage sale some years ago for $15. It would probably bring over $200 if I had to sell it. Early Winchester ammunition boxes are very collectible, especially those in unusual calibers. I have found numerous boxes of old ammo at garage and estate sales over the years, but that one is the earliest. Some of the very early Winchester ammunition boxes from the 1860s bring extremely high prices at auction.

 

[glowe]

I would agree that early Winchester ammo boxes would have some value, even in the condition as shown by the OP. How much is the question. Wards Collectibles Auction recently sold a similar box to the OPs (pictured below) in much better condition for $47. Others went for from $34 to $81.

 

[rogerwilco1]

Was that just the box? Or with the cartridges (this one still has them).

 

[weatherby]

I started with a couple pretty boxes.
There stacked 5 or 6 deep now

 

[glowe]

Was that just the box? Or with the cartridges (this one still has them).

The box was full, 50 rounds, and looked sealed, but not mentioned in description if it was still sealed.

 

[PALADIN85020]

60 bucks seems paltry compared to what I had to cough up for a full box of this stuff. Don't ask.

John

 

[rogerwilco1]

but it is pretty. now I'm starting down this road...

 

[s&wchad]

60 bucks seems paltry compared to what I had to cough up for a full box of this stuff. Don't ask.

John

Apples and oranges...

Your ammo is .35 S&W Auto, which is a completely different ballgame.

The ammo in question is .38 Rimfire Long.

 

[s&wchad]

You better do your homework before investing in collectable ammo. Prices don't always make sense and the collection gets heavy after a few decades!

Reality check...
Which of these full boxes are worth more?

No fair looking them up online!

 

[rogerwilco1]

I'm just looking to collect them for fun and historical value to me.
I'm not trying to invest.

And Paladin, I understand what you were saying and that they aren't the same. Just that you can spend some big money on doing this if you want to. I get it.

 

[Ozark Marine]

You better do your homework before investing in collectable ammo. Prices don't always make sense and the collection gets heavy after a few decades!

Reality check...
Which of these full boxes are worth more?

No fair looking them up online!

I have a Savage 1907 and would really like to find a period correct box of .32 ammo.
How much are we talking for one box.

 

[s&wchad]

I have a Savage 1907 and would really like to find a period correct box of .32 ammo.
How much are we talking for one box.

I'm not looking to sell mine, but it's not scarce and common brands (Win, Rem, UMC...) can be had for around $50.

 

[Peak53]

What the heck does a .38 Long Rimfire (or short for that matter) Rifle cartridge shoot out of? Please help!

 

[s&wchad]

What the heck does a .38 Long Rimfire (or short for that matter) Rifle cartridge shoot out of? Please help!

Ballard/Marlin rifles were chambered for it after the Civil war. I'm sure others were too.