I'm looking for a 257 Roberts and have found 2 Savage 110's locally, but one is in 257 Roberts Improved, the other in Ackley Improved.  Both rifles are used, working rifles in worn factory stocks.  They're not custom guns, not pretty to look at.

If an equivalent used Savage in the standard calibers (270, 30-06) runs about $300, where would you think these would fall?  I'm thinking a couple bucks less?

To me they would be worth maybe 60 or 70% of the going rate . The big question is if the rechamber job was done correctly with the proper reamer leaving proper headspace and all that.

Someone who wanted either of those calibers might also be inclined to run lots of hot loads and burn out the lead/barrel.

Good freaking luck finding someone with headspace gauges in those calibers


I quess on reconsideration I would entertain such rifles if I knew and trusted the owner and was able to shoot them for a test . From a shop , even one I more or less trusted I would buy as a project rifle that I would expect to re-barrel and would expect a great price

257 Ackley is a damn fine cartridge.

You would be thinking incorrectly.  Because there aren't many companies chambering 257 roberts and the ones that do are expensive.  There is still a decent demand for the cartridge which keeps prices high.  I recently sold a 98 sporter for 500 bucks.  It had a pretty nice stock but the same gun in a 06 conversion would have brought around 350 to 400.

 
A nice custom rifle is one thing.   But that's not this.


 

One of the two guns belongs to my friend's father.  He also has a Ruger #1 in 22-250AI.  That would be a nice rifle in a gorgeous piece of walnut except for the fact that the receiver is badly pitted and maybe 70% of the finish remains.  

but this wasn't a custom rifle it was a sporter.  Look on gunbroker anything chambered in 257 roberts brings a premium compared to something like a 06.  Its a supply and demand issue.  There is still demand for the 257 and very little supply and the supply thats there is very expensive.  your correct that a 06 savage in a model 110 is around 300 bucks and you can find a wood stocked one for that or a synthetic with accutrigger.  A quick search found one model 110 with a synthetic stock and no accutrigger that sold for 380 bucks.  There is not a single 257 roberts on gunbroker that has a buy it now of under 650 dollars. Because of these cheaper guns like the savage model 110 in 257 roberts bring a premium of 50 to 150 dollars compared to a standard caliber.  Put it this way if I could find a savage 257 roberts, in decent shape,  for under 300 I would buy it in a heart beat I wouldn't do so with a standard caliber unless it was something different like a stainless model.

Question is, were these guns rechambered, or simply fit with new barrels?  I know you can buy pre-chambered Savage barrels, and fitting them to a new receiver isn't all that difficult.  If they do have new barrels, they could be worth even more (depending on the manufacturer).

One of my friends inherited like 40 wildcats.. all rechambred custom bolt rifles.

Had a hell of a time selling a few for what it was worth. Spent more time explaining what it is than selling things and that is a waste of a show.

most gun shops will sell them for less or what I've found is they'll have the dies and likely brass to go with the rifle and throw them in for roughly the same price as a used 30-06,270 ect...every odd ball I've looked at had the dies to go with the rifle. almost swooped up a .308 norma once it had 100 norma brass and dies and I went back the following day to get it and it was gone! kick myself for that one. it was under $300 if my memory serves me right.

 
Both are rechambered.  So the factory barrel is set back about 120° and then the chamber reamed.

Unless they came with dies and formed brass, I wouldn't put much into them unless you just reeeeeaaally want those particular calibers.  Resale will be almost non-existent, and even selling them for $250 may be a chore.  Savage 110's aren't exactly swift sellers in normal chamberings, and oddball calibers makes it even worse.

 
When I was thirteen, my dad took me over to Effinger's Sporting Goods in NJ and let me pick out a hunting rifle.  I ended up choosing between two Model 70 Featherweights.  One in 7mm Mauser, and the other in 257 Roberts.  The Mauser had a prettier stock and that's what I went with.  But I've thought about a 257Roberts from time to time...






The one that friend's dad owns I think would come with dies.  I put an offer on it + dies for $280.  I think he has reloading components too since there is a baggie full of handloads in the case with it.  It's in 257 Roberts AI.  Dies would not be a problem if he doesn't have them.  Nor brass which I can squeeze down from either 7x57 or 30-06.  Waiting to hear back on it.






The one at the local shop is an unknown commodity.  It's hand-stamped "257 Rem Imp" which could be a couple things.  There is a 257 Roberts Improved which has a 28° shoulder, different than the Ackley Improved (40° shoulder).  There also exists a 257 Roberts Improved cartridge which has a 28° shoulder.  Dies for that would be strictly custom and run ~$100/set.  It's also a left handed rifle.  But it does have a sweet Weaver K10 AO scope on it.  It's sat on their rack since at least January, and they got it from another shop in the chain.



 




 

The Weaver will bring $100-125, maybe even more to the right buyer...as far as figuring out the chamber dimensions, you *should* be able to fire a factory cartridge and mic what pops out.  Other than that, you would have to do a chamber casting.  Having to order custom dies would be a deal killer, though, even if the gun was dirt cheap.  Of course, as I mentioned before, swapping out barrels is not a big issue on the Savage (I'm pretty sure I have a Savage barrel wrench I would even loan you), but do you want to go that far on a $2-300 rifle?

I'd love to have a .257 Roberts, and I'm still kicking myself for passing on a couple of tang safety Ruger 77's in the caliber....but I have zero interest in wildcatting the round.

Something is wrong here:

Rechambering .257 Roberts to .257 Roberts Ackley Improved just involves running a .257 RI reamer into the existing chamber.  The AI chambering changes the shoulder (and taper) for more capacity.  You can still shoot .257 Robers in it, and there is absolutely no reason why the barrel would have to be set back.

Factory ammo will headspace off the corner at the base of the neck.  If you don't shorten things up by about 0.004", you can mash that small area of brass enough on chambering that it won't fire reliably.