How Much Are CVA .32 Cal Squirrel Rifles Worth?

[Blackpowdershooter44]

Hello,
Saw a CVA .32 caliber squirrel rifle for sale today that caught my eye, not sure how much they are worth used? I assume it's one of the older repro's, possibly from a kit. It has a very nice stock. Just wondering how much you would figure they should be going for. Got a pic below.
Thanks.

 

[brewer12345]

In good shape, 400 easy.

 

[Armored farmer]

I have that rifle which I built from a kit. It is a good, fun shooter.
I think @brewer12345 might be a bit high. They weren't expensive when they were new.....I'm thinking $275 would buy a nice one, but you dont see them for sale very often.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Armored Farmer is correct.
A well preserved wall hanger...maybe as high as $300, but ...., assuming the rifling isn't roached from improper cleaning, $250-$275. They were birch or beech stocked. No actual figure in the wood. Some guys could really dress up a kit, but normally they were good small game guns..., except...,
...., the .32 tends to be a pain in the arse, unless you get a field/range rod for them. Very small diameter wooden ramrods often mean it's only a matter of time until you snap the thing. Most of the guys I know who have a .32 instead of a .36, have something like a nylon or Delrin ramrod for hunting, or target shooting. They absolutely love 'em, but they admit the ramrod is a problem.

LD

 

[Armored farmer]

Armored Farmer is correct.
A well preserved wall hanger...maybe as high as $300, but ...., assuming the rifling isn't roached from improper cleaning, $250-$275. They were birch or beech stocked. No actual figure in the wood. Some guys could really dress up a kit, but normally they were good small game guns..., except...,
...., the .32 tends to be a pain in the arse, unless you get a field/range rod for them. Very small diameter wooden ramrods often mean it's only a matter of time until you snap the thing. Most of the guys I know who have a .32 instead of a .36, have something like a nylon or Delrin ramrod for hunting, or target shooting. They absolutely love 'em, but they admit the ramrod is a problem.

LD

^^^^^^DITTO
My cva came with an aluminum rod.

 

[brewer12345]

I dunno, guys, the last couple I saw on gunbroker went for north of 400 plus shipping.

 

[Blackpowdershooter44]

Thanks for the information so far.

 

[Armored farmer]

I dunno, guys, the last couple I saw on gunbroker went for north of 400 plus shipping.

Ok, maybe they have a following. I like mine, and have had many squirrel hunts with it until a resurrected a family heirloom .40.

 

[LaneP]

I have one of those and your post reminded me to rescue it from languishing in the corner of a closet and clean off the cobwebs and put a coat of oil on it. I bought mine in the early 90's some time when I got on a small bore round ball kick. It's marked "Connecticut Valley Arms, Inc", along with "Made in Spain" and in all cap block letters "VARMINT". I have no recollection what I paid for it back then and I added a few things such as a buckhorn rear sight I probably bought from Dixie Gun Works. Looks like my front ramrod ferrule has broken at the solder joint and will need to be reattached.

No earthly idea what they would be worth but mine is not that special of a rifle as far as construction goes...typical CVA quality meaning not high end by any means but "serviceable".

 

[Fyrstyk]

I have the model called the "Grey Squirrel" Bought it from Cabelas in the late 80's. It's not much to look at, but it shoots great, and is light weight. I replaced the sights with a rear peep and a front globe. The gun doesn't get much use any more as I mostly shoot flint locks, but i do haul it out for snow shoe rabbits in VT when I am hunting on snow shoes. That little short gun is just the ticket for maneuvering in the thick balsams. I have seen these guns going for as much a the Traditions "Crockett". The small caliber guns tend to command higher prices.

 

[brewer12345]

I bought an original, unassembled squirrel rifle kit. I am guessing I will not get to putting it together until this winter and I plan to go slow as it is my first build. Looking forward to shooting it in the spring.

 

[arcticap]

How much any BP gun is worth is so complicated.
What part of the country, where it's being sold, private sale or gun shop, online auction, pawn shop, fine details about the condition, barrel length, factory or kit gun....
In the end it usually boils down to how much a person is willing to pay.
Some won't pay more than $200, another won't sell for less than $400.
A person could probably buy one at a garage sale for $100 - $150 or so if they could find one available.
There is the wholesale price and the retail price just like with used cars.
If a used Crockett is worth $325 plus or minus then how much will an old CVA be worth?
Whatever a buyer will pay.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I dunno, guys, the last couple I saw on gunbroker went for north of 400 plus shipping.

P.T. Barnum had a saying about prices that people paid for things.... Many folks don't know Barnum was speaking about himself when he made the famous quote....
I recently saw a wishful seller price his used, Japanese "collector" Brown Bess, for $1000.00 + shipping ( A newly found or made Jap Bess -from a kit or a lovingly preserved wall hanger--, never fired, with an upgraded ramrod, should go for at most $900.00...a used Jap Bess is more like $700-$800)
The question was how much are they worth, not is there somebody that will pay too much for such a rifle. Why would one buy a used CVA .32 with the replacement parts drying up..., paying four-bills ..., when a new .32 Crockett from Traditions goes for $419 when on sale? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015810760

LD

 

[brewer12345]

P.T. Barnum had a saying about prices that people paid for things.... Many folks don't know Barnum was speaking about himself when he made the famous quote....
I recently saw a wishful seller price his used, Japanese "collector" Brown Bess, for $1000.00 + shipping ( A newly found or made Jap Bess -from a kit or a lovingly preserved wall hanger--, never fired, with an upgraded ramrod, should go for at most $900.00...a used Jap Bess is more like $700-$800)
The question was how much are they worth, not is there somebody that will pay too much for such a rifle. Why would one buy a used CVA .32 with the replacement parts drying up..., paying four-bills ..., when a new .32 Crockett from Traditions goes for $419 when on sale? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015810760

LD

When I said went for over 400, I meant that was the winning bid.

 

[arcticap]

Why would one buy a used CVA .32 with the replacement parts drying up..., paying four-bills ..., when a new .32 Crockett from Traditions goes for $419 when on sale? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015810760
LD

The Crockett .32 has been in production for so many years, that when it first came out the price was probably only $275 or so.
That's just a guess since the price could have been lower or higher.
But my point is that an older used one could be sold for less than $275 if a person doesn't have a buyer for it or if someone pawned it off.
Just because the retail price of some guns have doubled over the last 10 or 20 years doesn't necessarily mean that the price for a used one has doubled.
Many folks would like to think so but it's often harder to sell a gun with a high asking price than many would think.
Especially if there's a large number of them for sale with high production numbers over the years.
It's not unlike the used TC Renegades that would routinely be sold for $125 -$150.
Today folks try to get $300 for them but it's debatable if one is worth more than $200.
Yet in some places no one wants to buy them for any price, or unless it's being offered for sale at a real bargain basement price.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Some folks can get kind of touch discussing prices, but as can be seen prices can be all over the map. If no one is interested $50 is high, if they are the sell price is many many times that.

I snagged a .32 CVA off Gunbroker about 4 years ago for $190 shipped, and I needed to replace the sear. I thought is was a great deal at the time and have no regrets but I watched auction after auction go for more than twice that price before I got it.

 

[ThomasT]

I sold a CVA 32 Squirrel rifle on GB probably at least 4 years ago in clean but not perfect condition and got $325 for it. And mine came with a metal (aluminum?) ramrod. I never shot it so can't comment on how it shot.

My biggest mistake was I found a CVA combo in 36 and 45 caliber that someone tried to build from a kit. It looked like the devil. I paid $75 IIRC from a pawn shop and cleaned it up, browned the formally blotchy blue barrels and fitted everything and restained the stock. I did shoot that one and both barrels shot great. I was flush with BP rifles at the time and someone else wanted it and paid me $250-300 for it so I sold it. My friends dad bought it. When he died my friend got the gun but won't consider selling it back to me. Oh well. Just another gun.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Looking at the outside doesn't tell you squat about the condition of a black powder rifle in my opinion.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Looking at the outside doesn't tell you squat about the condition of a black powder rifle in my opinion.

Wouldn't you say it's Part 1 of a two part process? If the outside is pretty roached, and you don't have the time to do salvage, then it's moot if the bore is good (and it's likely the bore is not if the outside is roached, eh?). So the outside can tell you quite a lot.

Part 2 is to check the bore....if the outside is good enough....

LD