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15958  - Winchester 62 A Value
1/29/2019
Clinton, Colorado

Maker: Winchester, Model: 62a, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: 143413

Question:
What year was this gun made and how much is it worth?

 Answer:
Clinton, my references indicate that the date of manufacture for 55750 is 1941. (I found that out by looking it up in our link over on the left side of the page, way down at the bottom for checking dates of manufacture for Winchesters.) In l890, Winchester announced the Model 1890 slide action repeating rifle. Model 1890 rifles were individually chambered for each type of .22 caliber rim fire cartridges, they could not use 22 Short, 22 Long, and 22 Long Rifle cartridges interchangeably. The Model 1890 had a visible hammer, a tubular magazine, and a 24-inch octagon shape barrel, it became the most famous rim fire repeater ever made by Winchester and for many years it was generally accepted as the standard arm for shooting-gallery use.

In 1932 Winchester revamped the Model 1890, using essentially the same action but with several modern features added which included a shotgun type of butt stock, an increase in the magazine capacity, a round, tapered 23-inch barrel and most importantly, a change in the rifling, chambering, and feeding mechanism to allow the use of 22 Short, 22 Long, and 22 Long Rifle cartridges interchangeably.

The Model 62 rifle was first listed in the June 21, 1932, price list and factory records show that the first delivery of Model 62 rifles to warehouse stock was made in April 1932. The Model 62 was discontinued in 1958 after about 409,475 were manufactured.

Values for Model 62 rifle ranges between $100 for rusty examples that are missing parts to close to $1000 for the rarer variations that are in new condition with box and papers. Marc



15947  - Beretta AL390 Gold Mallard 20 Ga.
1/29/2019
Clyde

Maker: Beretta, Model: AL390, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
Do you have a Beretta AL390 Gold Mallard 20 Ga. 26 or 28 inch, or can you get one for me? Clyde

 Answer:
Clyde- Thanks for contacting Antique and Collectable Firearms and Militaria Headquarters.

Sorry, we cannot help with that one. We just do not do much with shotguns. Check on GunBroker.com and maybe one will be listed there. John Spangler



15954  - LAR Grizzly Prototype?
1/26/2019
Andreas Denver Colorado

Maker: LAR Grizzly, Model: MK I, Caliber: 45 Win Mag, Barrel Length: 5.4, Finish: Blue, SN: X17

Markings:
Gun does not have the manufacture markings on the left frame side

Question:
Does anyone know if this gun is a prototype, it has no manufacturers markings on the frame Just LAR on the slide and the standard markings on the barrel caliber etc. The serial number is x17 The gun is blued and quite rough finish with machining marks Thanks guys

 Answer:
Andreas, the Grizzly Win Mag pistols were conceived, invented, designed, engineered and developed in the 1980s by, Perry Arnett (the ``A`` in L.A.R). The L.A.R. Grizzly was the most powerful semi-automatic pistol ever commercially produced. The L.A.R. factory was located in West Jordan, Utah a few miles from my home). At one time I was interested in collecting magnum semi-automatic pistols and I have owned several Grizzlies over the years including two that I purchased from an L.A.R employee, serial numbers PPP0011 and SA000888. I was told that the ``PPP`` in PPP00011 stood for pre production prototype and the ``S`` part of SA000888 indicated that this pistol was a second which was sold to the employee at a discounted price.

I was unable to find any information about ``x`` Grizzly serial numbers, you might try asking the people at http://grizzlypistol.blogspot.com. Marc



15946  - UNKNOWN MAKER OF .22 RIFLE
1/26/2019
Barb

Maker: ?, Model: ?, Caliber: 22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
Husband recently traded for a .22 caliber rifle. 1 piece solid stock. Only markings we can find are on octagon barrel. Vertical on the rib is the mark of a crown and R below. another rib shows 11 11 13 JP and further up the barrel is Belgium 1413U

 Answer:
Barb- Sorry, we cannot help with that one. It is obviously made in Belgium. My guess is that it is one of the inexpensive guns sold by Sears Roebuck circa 1895-1910. These really have no collector interest and value is modest, mainly for any shooting use, but many were made for weak black powder ammunition and not safe with modern ammo. Sometimes they are known as "Flobert" rifles and were made for very weak cartridges, so be very cautious about shooting and get it approved by a gunsmith first. John Spangler



15941  - KRAG RIFLE INFO
1/22/2019
Ron, Ramey, PA

Maker: Springfield Armory, Model: Model 1898, Caliber: 30-40 Krag, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 813480

Question:
Trying to find out any information such as age/value on a gun I inherited.

 Answer:
Ron- Sometimes Krag serial numbers are hard to read and the “3” often looks like an “8” or vice versa. Krag serial numbers only went up to about 480,000 so I am pretty sure your number is 313480 which would date it to about 1901. There is no surviving usage date for that number, but a lot of nearby numbers were in use by various active and reserve units. All nearby numbers are rifles, so yours probably started off as a standard infantry rifle with 30 inch barrel. It may have been cut down for hunting use over the years which drastically reduces the resale value, but increases the sentimental value. The Krag has an exceptionally smooth action and they are excellent shooters and the cartridge is suitable (with proper loads) for anything from varmints to big game in North America. To get a feel for value go to GunBroker.com and look for “Krag rifle” and see what people are bidding for ones in similar condition. (Not asking price, but actual bids to buy). Hope that helps. John Spangler



15959  - Parts And A Great Gunsmith
1/22/2019
Rob, Reston,VA.

Maker: Colt, Model: Old Line Open Top, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: 3'' ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 68953

Markings:
Non ejector type, brass frame,

Question:
Gun needs a main spring and trigger spring. Do you know a source for those springs or someone who could make them? I have the original mainspring but it is in two pieces with a clean break. Thank You for your time. Rob

 Answer:
Rob, check with Gun Parts Corp (the old Numrich Arms people), Jack First is another good place to try. If neither of those suppliers have the parts that you need, try checking with Lloyd Phillips at East Creek Precision. Lloyd is an excellent gunsmith and a nice guy. I think that he will be able to help. Marc



15940  - Marlin Safety Patent 1887, 1889
1/19/2019
France

Maker: New Haven, Model: Marlin, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: 90076

Markings:
Marlin safety. On the barrel: Marylin fire Arms co.,new-haven,CT.u.s.a Patented oct.11.1887. April.2.1889

Question:
What is the old of this gun and the value ? Thank you for your answer.

 Answer:
Marlin models are hard to figure out, made more difficult by the fact that they used a single run of serial numbers shared by several different models, and overlapping production dates for similar models.

The 1887 and 1889 patent dates were used on a few models, with earlier ones lacking the 1889 date, and later models adding newer dates. The Marlin Safety marking was first used on the Model 1889 lever action rifle and appeared on most models after that. Your rifle may be the lever action Model 1889 which was made for short pistol type cartridges (.25-20, .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40) and appeared with serial numbers in the range of about 25,000-100,000. Or, it may be the Model 1891 lever action rifle made in .22 rimfire or .32 rimfire which used serial numbers around 37,500-118,000. Or, it may be the Model 1892 lever action which was similar to the Model 1891 in calibers, but used serial numbers around 90,000-412,000. The Model 1893 made for centerfire rifle calibers (.30-30, etc) is ruled out because it added a 1893 patent date. The Model 1894, made for the pistol caliber cartridges like the Model 1889 only used the 1887 and 1889 dates, but the serial numbers start around 107,000 so that eliminates your gun. Production of the Model 1889 stopped in 1899 and the Model 1891 only lasted until 1897. Values for the Model 1889 and 1891 seem to start around $400-500 for one in good-very good condition, but we really don’t pay much attention to these so you would be better checking values on recent auctions for ones in similar condition with similar features to your gun. Lots of people like and collect Marlins, but not nearly as many as like and collect Winchesters, so despite the fact that they made a whole lot more Winchesters, Marlin prices tend to be a fraction of what the Winchester guns bring. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15952  - CZ 27 Info
1/19/2019
Ray Gallatin,TN

Maker: CZ, Model: 27, Caliber: .32, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 243058

Markings:
3rd Reich eagles on barrel and frame.

Question:
I`m having trouble finding manufacturers date for this model. I was told you might be able to help.

 Answer:
Ray, I consider an example of the Czechoslovakian Model 1927 with German markings to be an essential part of any German WWII handgun collection. The CZ Mod. 1927 pistol was adopted by Czechoslovakian armed forces in 1927 and remained in production under the German occupation until 1945, then after the war into the 1950s. Pistols manufactured under German occupation after June 1941 are marked "fnh" "Pistole Modell 27 Kal. 7.65". "fnh" was the WW-II German ordnance code assigned to Bohmische Waffenfabrik, Strkonitz plant, Prague, Czechoslovakia in June, 1941. It is reported that serial numbers under German occupation were re-started at 1 and went up to over 475,000. Your serial number should be located on the top of the slide just forward of the rear sight and beneath the barrel one inch from the muzzle. It may or may not be located on the upper left side of the frame above the safety lever. Military acceptance stamp (eagle over "WaA76") should be stamped on the upper right side of the frame above the grip and beneath the barrel just forward of the locking lugs (on some pistols it is located on the top of the slide just forward of the serial number). The military test proof (eagle over swastika in a circle) should be stamped on the right side of the chamber (barrel) or on the top of the slide just forward of the serial number. Marc



15951  - Mod 70 Ranger
1/15/2019
Deborah Willis

Maker: Winchester Rifle, Model: 70 Ranger, Caliber: 30-6 Spring, Barrel Length: 22, Finish: Stainless Steel, SN: G2057913

Markings:
Number G2057913. Ranger engraved on barrel. Scope is Simmons model 21017. Other markings on rifle made in New Haven Conn, USA, Winchester proof steel.

Question:
Would like to know year and value. Having trouble looking up serial # for year due to 7 digit # and G in front of numbers. Wish to sell. Very clean, barrel shines, couple Mark. Wood is shiny some indent marks/lines near shoulder. Everything else is sharp. Barrel marked with Steel. Black shiny patina. Couple Mark`s, dots or scratch near barrel. Can send pics.

 Answer:
Deborah, sorry that I can't tell you that you have a real treasure. The Winchester Ranger series was introduced in about 1985 and discontinued in 1999. Ranger rifles were the economy versions of the Winchester line. Most had less expensive "hardwood" stocks instead of walnut and a cheaper finish. The standard Ranger Model 70 came with a 22 or 24 inch barrel and were basically an inexpensive version of the traditional Model 70 rifle. There is no collector interest in this model and values in the blue book range from around $175 to around $400 or less. Marc



15939  - Browning .243 Rifle Made In England
1/15/2019
Mark, Saint Petersburg, FL. USA

Maker: Browning, Model: Unknown, Caliber: .243, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 1193Z9

Markings:
''Made in England'' and ''Browning'' are stamped on the barrel

Question:
this gun was given to me by my grandfather in the early 70`s and I have hunted with it ever since. Always wanted to know what the model and date of manufacture are

 Answer:
Mark- As far as I can figure out there is no such thing. Most Browning guns were made in Belgium by Fabrique Nationale (FN) until the mid 1970s when some production was shifted to Miroku in Japan. Today's Browning firearms are made in either Belgium, Portugal, Japan or in the United States. Since your rifle dates to the early 70s, it is most likely one made in Belgium and somewhere between sing the barrel marking and reaching our inbox the “Belgium” got misremembered and ended up appearing as “England.” That said, your rifle is probably a “Browning FN High Power Rifle” which obviously capitalized on the fame of the Browning FN High Power Pistols. There is a good article on these from October 6, 2016 by David Petzal at https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-gun-nuts/a-blast-from-the-past-browning-fn-high-power-bolt-action

In it he states: “In 1960, Browning introduced the FN High Power bolt-action, made in Belgium along distinctly American lines. It was based on a commercial FN claw-extractor action and came in three grades: Safari, Medallion, and Olympian. The first is plain vanilla; the second considerably fancier, and the third is a vision of firearm magnificence which you are probably not worthy to behold.”

You really need to read the rest of the story there to find out more about these rifles. The Browning site has dates for some models, but not these, so there is no way to check by serial number. My guess is circa 1960-1970. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15944  - Universal M1 Carbine
1/12/2019
Keith Stillwagon South Pasadena, Florida

Maker: Universal, Model: M1 Carbine, Caliber: .30 Caliber, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 21122

Markings:
Hialeah, Florida

Question:
How old is my Universal Carbine?

 Answer:
Keith, I do not have serial records for this model but I can tell you that Universal Firearms Corporation was the successor to the Bullseye Company, they manufactured M1 Carbine copies for commercial sales in the early 1960s. Initially the bulk of the components Universal used in their carbines were U.S. government surplus except for the forged receivers which were made by Repp Steel Company of Buffalo. When the surplus part market dried up, Universal started manufacturing all of their own parts including barrels, die cast trigger housings, recoil plates, recoil plate screw, and springs. The quality of Universal M1 copies was usually not to bad, but not up to the standards of the U.S. government issue carbines. Universal was purchased by Iver Johnson in January 1983 who continued to sell Universal-branded Carbines as late as 1988. Marc



15930  - BRITISH L1A1 RIFLE MADE BY BSA DATE
1/12/2019
Barry, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Maker: BSA, Model: L1A1, Caliber: 7.62X51, Barrel Length: 530mm, Finish: Parkerized, SN: A149516 A66863

Question:
I`m trying to find out when it was manufactured.

 Answer:
Barry- Ian Skennerton, the most prolific writer on British military arms has answers to more questions than most people can even think to ask. In addition to his unsurpassed expertise in all things related to Lee Enfields, he also has a detailed explanation on L1A1 (Brit speak for FN-FAL to most people). This is from his page at http://www.enfieldcollector.com/serials.html but that site is loaded with great info. We are all eternally in his debt for his outstanding career researching and writing. We are all grateful that he survived a near fatal Land-Rover accident, and that he did not pursue the career of clarinet player for which his university training prepared him!

Looks like your serial number A66863 would have been around January 1960, and A149516 probably a year or two later. Hope the lengthy section quoted below helps, not only for L1A1s, but at the link for virtually all Brit small arms. John Spangler

“Serial numbers for British made L1A1 rifles and Small Arms ran in blocks with factory code and year prefix followed by the serial number commencing with an alphabet letter e.g. UB60 A85830 (last rifle by BSA for the 2nd quarter 1960). Third quarter numbers commenced with A85831. The initial BSA batch of L1A1 rifles for the quarter ending December 31 in 1957 was UB57 A1 - A870. For the quarter ending April 30th 1960, numbers were UB60 A63625 - A75299. The last serial number for the quarter ending 31st July 1960 was UB60 A85830. An anomaly... factory logged quarters ended with 30th April and 31st July??? 'U' indicates UK. The next letter is the factory, 'E' for Enfield, 'F' for Fazakerley, 'B' for BSA Guns, 'S' for Sterling Engineering.

This was followed by the year indicator, e.g. '55' for 1955, then the serial number commencing with A1 which continued to A999,999 after which it advanced to a B prefix, starting with B1. The year indicator was irrespective of the serial number advance, e.g. the last rifle at Enfield in 1956 may have been UE 56 A2136, the first rifle in 1957 would thus be UE 57 A2137, until A999999 was reached after which the 'B' series was to be used commencing with B1, e.g. UF 68 B1.

Repaired weapons are marked with factory code, year and 'F.T.R.' adjacent to the original serial number. Where two or more types of weapons are manufactured or repaired at the same factor, a separate series of numbers will be maintained for each type of weapon, each commencing at A1. For replacement numbers, i.e. unnumbered or illegible originals, SA prefixes were allocated for Army, SN for the Navy and SR for RAF. An example is an L1A1 returned by police in 1978 with an obliterated number was then engraved SA78 A1.

RSAF Enfield reported production of 103,400 L1A1 rifles, 108,300 L1A3 bayonets and 15,520 L1A2 grenade launchers by the end of the financial year 1961 for the War Office, Admiralty, Air Ministry, Ghana, Rhodesia, Nigeria and Singapore. Enfield FTR'd 10,000 No.4 Mk 2 rifles for Burma in that period, new No.4 rifles were made at ROF Fazakerley.”



15923  - Marlin 1893 Rifle
1/8/2019
Brett Freeport OH.

Maker: Marlin, Model: 1893, Caliber: 4440, Barrel Length: 20 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: 100007

Question:
How old is this gun when was it made and did it shoot smokeless powder.

 Answer:
Brett- About 900,000 of the Marlin Model 1893 lever action rifles were made from 1893-1935 in various centerfire rifle calibers, including .25-36, .30-30; .32 Special; .32-40 and .38-55. Serial numbers were mixed in with other models but run in the range of 81,393 to 355,505 from 1893 to 1906 and much higher after that Yours was probably made in the late 1890s. After 1904 the barrels were marked “Special Smokeless Steel.” Flayderman’s Guide notes that the Model 1893 “was Marlin’s first lever action rifle chambered for the new smokeless powder cartridges” but I am not sure if all were made to smokeless standards or if changes were made in 1904 resulting in the new barrel markings and earlier guns should only be used with black powder cartridges. Folks over at the Marlin Collectors Association may be able to clear that up for you. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15938  - Remington 22
1/8/2019
Arlette, San Miguel, Ca

Maker: Remington, Model: ?, Caliber: 22, Barrel Length: 20'', Finish: Blue, SN: 35663A

Markings:
Patented 1902 on left side of body. Stamped serial number is on bottom of barrel

Question:
what is age and estimated value of a rifle in this age group that is in good condition

 Answer:
Arlette, there is not much that I can tell you without knowing the model of your rifle. It would have helped for me to know what type of action the rifle has.

It may be possible for you to determine the date of manufacture by finding the date code. Most Remingtons manufactured in 1921 and after have a code, usually located on the left side of the barrel near the frame that identifies the year and month of manufacture. The Remington Society of America has a great page that gives information on Remington markings and dates. Marc



15909  - MARLIN 1895 COWBOY DATE OF MANUFACTURE
1/5/2019
Gordon,Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Maker: Marlin, Model: 1895 CB, Caliber: 45-70, Barrel Length: 26'', Finish: Blue, SN: 92039386

Question:
What year was it manufactured? Was it built before or after Rmington took over?

 Answer:
Gordon- Looks like the Marlin 1895 CB (Cowboy) was introduced about 2014. Marlin was acquired by Remington’s umbrella company in 2008 and began to slowly ship production from North Haven, CT to Remington’s home plant in Ilion, NY. (They used to do factory tours, so if you ever get a chance it is about 5 minutes off the NY Thruway, and you can go to the museum entrance on the east side and ask there if they still do. )

Anyway, by late 2010 most of the assembly and other parts were being made in Ilion and North Haven operations shut down shortly thereafter. So, your rifle was made well after Marlins started being made by Remington. Although there were some quality problems during the transition, most of the reviews for the Model 1895 Cowboy seemed pretty positive. Enjoy. John Spangler



15957  - How To Age
1/5/2019
Robert, Fruitvale, Texas

Maker: Winchester, Model: Model 190, Caliber: 22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: B1540428

Question:
How to age

 Answer:
Robert, try the Winchester collectors at the following link: https://winchestercollector.org/dates/



15934  - Winchester Mod 94 32 Caliber DOM
1/5/2019
Mark Austin Texas

Maker: Winchester, Model: 94, Caliber: 32 Win Spl, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 3316137

Question:
What year was it manufactured

 Answer:
Mark, the model 1894 Winchester is one of the world`s most popular firearms, to date over 6 million 1894's have been manufactured and they are still going strong. Winchester guru George Madis indicates that the .32 Winchester Special was first offered in the Model 1894 (94) in 1902 and dropped in 1973. My records indicate that your Winchester was manufactured in 1970. Marc