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16177 - Merry Christmas From John And Marc.
12/24/2019

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

Answer:

It's Christmas again and we hope you are spending time with family and friends, laughing, enjoying each other's company, and eating good food.

Please remember our troops who are still overseas this weekend. Let's not forget their sacrifice as they're away from their families. If you know someone who is serving, please give them a big thank you and a Merry Christmas.

If Santa forgot to bring that special gift, we just might have it! Check all of our catalog pages to see if there is something that maybe you should have asked for... but forgot to. Then let us know and we can do the job when you're in town, or something festive like that.

John and Marc would like to thank all of our visitors, customers, old friends and new friends that we have made this year for helping us have a great 2019. We appreciate your support, business, the questions that you send us and your friendship. We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

16167 - V.Bernardelli Baby
12/21/2019
Ryan Augusta GA.

Maker: V.Bernardelli-Gardone, Model: V.T. .22 Long -Brev, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: 2'', Finish: Blue, SN: 1833

Markings:
None - No Proof Marks

Question:
I recently inherited a V. Bernardelli ``Baby .22`` The left hand side of the slide is labeled: V.Bernardelli-Gardone V.T.-AUT. 22 Long - Brev. Made in Italy On the rear of frame, and underneath the slide (with slide removed) is the serial number 1833. There are no proof marks anywhere on the gun, even looked under the grips. The only other mark on the gun is an ``L`` stamped on the left side of the Barrel (lug?) where it mates to the frame. I`m interested in determining when this gun was manufactured, and why it lacks all proof marks. I`ve seen pictures of several examples online, but none that are missing proof marks and none marked ``Long - Brev.`` (Brev being Italian for short) so also curious if this model fires both long and short, from what I can find online it seems they were made in either .22 long OR short, not both. The gun is also missing the ``disconnector`` a small J shaped piece of steel located under the slide that connects to the safety system and I would appreciate any leads on where to source one so I can get this old gun functional again.

Answer:
Barry, the original Bernardelli is an old Italian company founded around 1721. Most recently three different firearms manufactures have used the Bernardelli name - Pietro Bernardelli, Vincenzo Bernardelli and Santini Bernardelli. Vincenzo Bernardelli manufactured firearms seem to have a fairly good reputation. During the late 1980s, many firearms manufactured by Pietro Bernardelli were dumped in the American marketplace. The Pietro Bernardelli manufactured firearms are said to have been of much lesser quality of than those manufactured by Vincenzo Bernardelli.

The Baby was the first of Bernardelli`s 22 pistols, it was introduced in 1949 and discontinued in 1968. The pistol was a small blowback design similar to the Walther Model 9. The barrel was forged in unit with the frame and the slide is retained by a double locking piece forming part of the frame. Releasing a small spring catch allows this unit to be forced out by the firing pin spring, and the slide can be removed.

My references indicate that pistols were chambered for either .22 Short or .22 Long but not both. You should have the pistol examined by a gunsmith to determine the chambering. If your pistol does not have proof marks there is a possibility that it was never proof tested, this would be another reason to have a gunsmith check it for safety.

For parts, try checking with Gun Parts Corp (the old Numrich Arms people) at the following URL:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

Hope this helps, Marc

16164 - Harrington & Richardson 755 Sahara Bolt Problem
12/21/2019
Steve Farris Staunton Va.

Maker: Harrington And Richardson, Model: 755-Sahara, Caliber: 22 Cal.S.L.LR, Barrel Length: 18 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: ?

Question:
I inherited this Sahara from my grandma as bolt was stuck forward I cleaned and oil till I free it so I took out to clean proper and had to depress spring to be bolt in and now spring is stuck in depress position. is there a trick to get it to release?

Answer:
Steve- I have never messed with one of those, but these were inexpensive guns with rather simple parts. Numrich a good parts diagram available, along with some parts at

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/hr/rifles-hr/755

It looks like most of their springs are coil type, and these usually operate with a rod or plunger in the center, or in a hole. Problems come when dirt from firing or rust builds up keeping the spring stuck in one position. I recommend you take it apart again and carefully clean away all the dirt of rust. If a coil spring is stuck in a hole, you will need some sort of hook to reach down and pull it out. You can make one from a piece of coat hanger by bending the tip, and maybe doing a bit of file work to get a hook edge on it small enough to fit inside the spring, but with enough sticking out to help pull the spring out. Rust can be removed by scraping with a knife blade, or you might need to work on it with a nail file or emery board or sharpening stone. Generally, a good cleaning will fix most problems.

Although not a very valuable gun, it should have some sentimental value coming from your grandmother, and I hope your family appreciates that, and once you get it working again that they can enjoy shooting it. Your section of the country has a very long history of firearms use, in addition to being a truly beautiful area, and you should enjoy it. John Spangler

16168 - Armatage Antique Muzzleloader
12/21/2019
WTAPLIN@sanasys.com

Maker: Armatage, Model: Antique Muzzleloader, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Markings:
Gun is engraved with floral designs and also has engraving of birds on trigger guard. Gun is in poor condition but was purchased in a mahogany case with some acc, nipple wrench, cleaning rod, and cleaning tips.

Question:
I have looked through numerous references and have been unable to come up with any info on this gun. Could you see what you can find out to see if the gun would be worth restoring. I presume from the engraving and the case that it might have been top line when it was made. Thank you for your help.

Answer:
William, Sorry we cannot help much without better information on what the gun is. As a cased piece, it certainly sounds interesting, and probably was a high grade piece at one time. Please send good photos and/or detailed sketches and information on all markings to Box 711282, Salt Lake City, UT 84171. We can then try to identify maker, nationality, and potential for restoration. Sometimes seemingly "poor" guns only need a good professional cleaning, other times seemingly good guns have hidden defects that make them useless except as wall hangers. In general, we would advise against too much "restoration" on a piece like this as it is probably worth more in poor original condition, than it would be after refinishing with inappropriate methods... John

16157 - S&W Mod 10 DOM
12/17/2019
Wayne, Robinson Illinois USA

Maker: S&W, Model: 10-5, Caliber: 38 Spec, Barrel Length: 4 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: D62655

Markings:
C.A.I. Georgia, Vt.

Question:
When was it made?

Answer:
Wayne, the Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights. Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2 in, 3 in, 4 in, 5 in, and 6 in. Barrels of 2.5 inches are also known to have been made for special contracts. Some 6,000,000 have been produced over the years, making it the most popular handgun of the 20th century.

Supica & Nahases excellent book on the subject, ``The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson`` indicates that serial numbers D1 - D90000 were manufactured in 1968. Marc

16144 - H. WARD PISTOL WITH TWO MARKINGS
12/17/2019
Peter

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

Question:
I have a H Ward smoothbore percussion pistol for sale. Is this something worth selling?

Answer:
Peter- I can only find two listings for H. Ward, both in the 1850s, one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the other in St. Louis, Missouri.

Everything has some value, but it will depend on exactly what you have, and the condition, and any verifiable history.

Assuming is an average condition, typical locally made single shot percussion pistol, I would expect to see similar examples at gun shows selling for about $100-200 retail, and more or less as the condition varies or if it is better or less than average quality. Hope that helps. John Spangler

16150 - Shotgun Question
12/14/2019
Christopher

Maker: Franchi, Model: Luigi Franchi Brescia, Caliber: 20 Gauge, Barrel Length: 26 Inches, Finish: Blue, SN: 66432

Markings:
The gun has 2 stars under where the serial number is. There is no choke threads in the barrel. It is over 60 years old as my grandfather brought it to America via boat from Italy.

Question:
My question for this gun is what year was it made, what size shots can I shoot because I would really like to shoot 3 inch shells out of this gun, and what is the make of the shotgun?

Answer:
Sorry Christopher, I am afraid that I can not help with that one. We do not pay much attention to commercial shotguns here at OldGuns.net, our focus is collectible military items. You might want to try one of the shotgun forums, like Shotgun World Forums or The Shotgun Forum. Good luck - Marc

16143 - Remington New Model Navy - Serial Number 30593 And 22562
12/14/2019
Nick

Maker: ?, Model: ?, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: 30593 AND 22562

Question:
A few questions.

1) I read a thread where an individual used a website to find the following information:

``Checked armscollectors.com for the Remington serial Number search and it was limited info. But I did not check the civil war pistol section before. So I checked that out and BINGO!!!!

My baby was born in 1864

she was attached to:

Co. D 1st MASS VOL CAV.``

Is it really possible to find out the month and year of the guns? if so where?

2) My other question would be do you really think someone was able to find that much information on a revolver from that era via an on line link? Seems very strange to me because everyone would have a lot more information it seems. Can you send me to a site where I can find more information like the person found above for my 2 New Model Navy revolvers? Thanks! Nick

Answer:
Nick- It sounds like you are really asking several questions:

(1) When was my gun made and (2) Where was my gun used and (3) Where did the other guy get his info.

Unfortunately, answers to the first two questions are not easy to find, and often can only be deduced from general information There are some exceptions where usage information for a specific serial number has been found in the National archives, usually in unit records at the company level, but for all Remington percussion military revolvers, information only been found for about 1,700 numbers.

Your best source for manufacture dates and initial issue is Donald Ware`s ``Remington Army and Navy Revolvers.

According to his research, New Model Navy revolver number 22562 was probably made in June 1863, and number 30593 was probably made around January 1865.

Usage data almost always comes from the late Frank Mallory`s work at Springfield Research Service. He only lists three New Model Navy number, not enough data points to show even a hint of a pattern. Remington would ship lots of several hundred revolvers to a Navy Yard. Then, the Navy issued small arms to ships in small quantities, and a mix of both revolvers and single shot pistols, along with cutlasses, carbines and pikes. Depending on ship size they might be issued a dozen to under a hundred revolvers per ship. (Remember that the Army was busy arming regiments with 700-900 revolvers at a time. Even when there are nearby numbers, arms were not assembled, shipped, or issued in strict numerical sequence, so nearby numbers may have gone to entirely different units at a different time.

As for the other guy`s info- ``If it`s on the internet it must be true...`` But we all know that is crazy talk.

IF (repeat, IF) his number was one of those in the SRS database, it would have shown a date and usage summary (usually a regiment, sometimes company as well) which would be the date of usage document, not the date of manufacture. I think he he probably thought the date was manufacture date, and likely that was only a few months after manufacture as they were desperate for revolvers most of the war.

A number of years ago, working with the late Frank Mallory, we hosted the SRS database on our ArmsCollector.com site, and had it available to the public. But, after Frank Mallory died, the new owners of the business decided they did not want it on line and directed us to remove it. One of the reasons for that was some unscrupulous people would find a number near the one being asked about, and write a letter saying that the close but unlisted number was used the same as the other one. And, some people, perhaps including the guy you are asking about, simply made very erroneous claims after misreading the data.

Most of the numbers listed in SRS were for Remington Army models, so maybe he got lucky. I have checked probably 3,000-4,000 numbers over the years and gotten maybe 100 hits, but some were VERY good ones! Hope that helps. John Spangler

16156 - FN 1900
12/10/2019
Donna milltown wi

Maker: Brevete S.G.D.G, Model: 1900 ?, Caliber: 32, Barrel Length: 4 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: 14024

Markings:
FN on the handle grips, lanyard ring on bottom of grip, has Fabrique Nationale Herstal Liege (Browning`s Patient) on left side of barrel

Question:
wanting to know about when this gun was made and what would it would be worth today?

Answer:
Donna, the FN Model 1900, was based on American John Browning`s 1897 patents, it was his first semi-automatic pistol design and also was the first design ever to use the 7.65mm Auto (32 ACP) cartridge. It had a four-inch barrel and a seven-shot magazine. The pistol was adopted by the Belgian army in 1900 and then offered commercially. It was used by many European military and police forces.

Early examples had thin grip plates embossed with a representation of the pistol and a small `FN` logo; later grips were more robust, bearing a florid `FN` monogram. The ``Brevete S.G.D.G.`` marking was a French type of patent that ceased to exist in 1968. The name was a common abbreviation for ``Brevete Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement`` (patent without government guarantees). A lanyard ring was added to the left rear of the butt soon after production began. FN manufactured 724,500 Model 1900 pistols between 1900 and 1914.

I did a quick search and it looks like FN Model 1900 pistols have been selling on Gun Broker between $500 and $700 depending on condition. Marc

16142 - MARLIN 1897 VALUE
12/10/2019
Devin

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

Question:
I am looking for the value of an 1897 Marlin serial number 176329. The stock has been replaced otherwise it is in great condition. Thank you.

Answer:
Devin- Sorry, we cannot help with that one. We just do not follow Marlins to have a feel for values. The replaced stock probably cuts the value to a collector by 50%. Check the sold listings on GunBroker.com to see if you can find one in similar condition, but make sure you find one that people actually bid on, not just a starting price with no bids. John Spangler

16148 - Modified S&W 29
12/7/2019
Ed Goodview,VA.

Maker: Smith And Wesson, Model: 29, Caliber: .44 Magnum, Barrel Length: 6 1/2'', Finish: Blue, SN: S284686

Markings:
Target trigger, hammer, and sear installed after purchase in early 70`s. Also replaced factory grips with Pachmeyers.

Question:
What is the value of this used revolver?

Answer:
It is difficult to offer a fair appraisal without being able to see the gun in question. As always, originality and condition are key factors in determining value. In the positive column your gun was produced in approximately 1967, and has the desirable 6 1/2 inch barrel, which was discontinued in the 70`s. In the negative column many components on your S&W have been replaced or reworked, which hurts the value. Assuming that the condition is around 95%, the value of your is in the $800 to $900 range. If it were all original value would be in the $1200 plus range. Josh

16141 - 75mm M309A1 PROJECTILE
12/7/2019
Ned

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

Question:
Hello, I was wondering if I could get some info on what I have here. It is a big projectile marked ``AM-1-1953 75mm, M309A1.`` Photos attached. Thank you.

Answer:
Most artillery shells have smooth copper rotating bands, when only have the rifling grooves formed on them when fired. Recoilless rifles use ``pre-engraved`` rotating bands like yours which are rotated slightly when loading to get the projectile lined up with the rifling.

The recoilless rifle cases are made of steel and have holes about 1/2`` diameter punched all over the sides of the case to allow the propelling gasses to escape through openings in the breech of the gun. The old Newtonian laws of physics mandate that mass of the gases escaping to the rear will balance the mass of the projectile being pushed out the front, so that a relatively lightweight gun on a lightly constructed mount can be used. Hope that helps. John Spangler

16149 - Ranger 103-5
12/3/2019
Terry, Mount Savage, MD

Maker: Ranger / Sears, Model: 103 - 5--, Caliber: .22 Over .410, Barrel Length: 24'', Finish: Blue, SN: 145

Markings:
Checkered Grip and Fore End

Question:
In very good shape for age ! Would like to know approximate value of gun. Thanks

Answer:
Terry, references indicate that the Marlin Model 90 was sold by Sears as the Ranger Model 103-5. The Marlin Model 90 was manufactured from 1937 to 1958. Sears Roebuck marketed the Model 90, under the Ranger line before WWII, and under the J.C. Higgins name after the war. Prewar Model 90s all had double triggers, no top rib, and no ribs between the barrels. Some Postwar guns had a single trigger, and all had side ribs between the barrels. Model 90s had soft iron frames, giving the receivers of some a purple hue.

When first introduced, the Ranger 103-5 was a budget gun, selling for around $30. A quick internet search resulted in a sale that was made on gunauction.com where an example recently sold for $375.00. Hope that this helps. Marc

16139 - DICANATARY GUN?
12/3/2019
Nick

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

Question:
Hi-- I`m reading an old family diary (1912). My great-uncle Will says that he ``traded my 32 rifle and my 42-70 for a Dicanatary that cost 76.00`` He was in a hunting camp at the time. Will was not the best speller or writer, so the letters ``ica`` in the name are iffy. Do you have any idea what kind of gun he might have meant? Thanks very much.

Answer:
Nick- Sorry, we cannot help with that one. Only thing I can think of even remotely close would be that he traded for a ``double barrel`` and a truly superb double might reach that price level. John Spangler

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