Questions And Answers Page

If you have a question about firearms and you want it posted on this page click here.

Return to Collectors Headquarters.

Click here to go to the question and answer monthly index.

Click here to go to the question and answer subject index.


15593  - Remington Model 25
3/28/2017
Valerie,Bayonne,NJ

Maker: Remington pump action centerfire, Model: #25, Caliber: 25-20, Barrel Length: 17 inches, Finish: Don't Know, SN: 22709

Question:
I would like to know if this longarm may be of any interest to someone, and if it has any value, and can be sold. Thank you

Answer:
Valerie, the Remington Model 25/25a was manufactured from 1923 to 1935. The rifle was a slide action design with tubular magazine. Rifles were available chambered in .25-20 and .32-20 calibers and they originally came with a plain pistol grip stock, 24 inch barrel and open sights.

It has been my experience that there is not allot of collector demand for most slide action centerfire rifles, so I was surprised to see that The blue book lists values for this model between $295 and around $1000 depending on condition. The price range in the blue book is higher than I expected and also higher than I remember it being a few years ago. Marc




15573  - .50-70 Ammunition
3/28/2017
Jim

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

Question:
ID head stamp on cartridge. I have a 50/70 sharps carbine age @1875 - with it came a box of ammo with the head stamp of D.W.G. [sic] (at the 12oclock) and 50-70 (at the 6 o’clock ) brass case with silver color primer - I am trying to identify the manufacture of the ammo - Thank you for any info you can provide .

Answer:
I am pretty certain that this is late 20th century ammo made on empty cases sold by Dixie Gun Works. Case quality varied but it is probably fine for shooting. Not really any collector value. John Spangler



15592  - Radom Information
3/25/2017
John

Maker: F.B. Radom, Model: VIS, Caliber: 9mm, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 2775

Markings:
According to some info I've read, the frames of the first 3000 of these handguns were made from a ''special alloy, what alloy I do not know. I've also read contradictory references to this. It appears to be one of the first true Polish examples of this weapon and is in very good shape. No dings or scratches, bluing is aged but still nice with very little wear. It has the original magazine but no holster. I've fired a couple hundred rounds through it and it shoots with amazing accuracy. There's lots of little symbols on all the different parts and has the de-cocker, slot in the grip and loop for a lanyard. The grips are intact with F.B. on one side and VIS on the other. My Dad, a WWII vet, brought it home after the war and gave it to be back in 1978. I had put it away and re-discovered it a few months ago. Thanks! John

Question:
Any insight as to the value or other info would be appreciated.

Answer:
John, from your description you have Polish designed pistol which was the standard side arm of their arm until the German Wehrmacht over ran them in September 1939. The Germans issued captured pistols to their own troops and also kept the model in production for their own troops. Those pistols made for the Polish arm command much higher prices than those made specifically for the German military. If your pistol has slot milled into the back strap it will also be worth more. Marc



15572  - Adirondack Special 12 Ga Hammerless Double Barrel
3/25/2017
Ronnie

Maker: Adirondack Special, Model: ?, Caliber: 12 Ga, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
Well I have an Adirondack Special 12 Ga Hammerless Double Barrel #22944 I need a firing pin for it I have a pic but don't see no way to send it to you. I have been all over the web hunting something about this gun, can't find nothing .. I found a firing pin look like it from cresent Davis but can you help me . Thanks

Answer:
Ronnie- I think this is probably a "house brand" on a gun made by Crescent or Folsom circa 1880-1920.

But, there was an "Adirondack Arms Company" which operated in Plattsburgh, NY 1870-1874 when they were purchased by Winchester in 1874, with no production past that point. Hope that helps. John Spangler




15591  - Premier 22
3/21/2017
Greg, White Castle, LA

Maker: Premier, Model: No Model No., Caliber: 22 Short, Long, Long Rifle, Barrel Length: 23 1/2" Octagonal, Finish: Blue, SN: 37524

Markings:
Pump action, the hammer is not exposed. The buttstock has a crescent steel buttplate, the forearm is round with grooves around the circumference. Both are walnut. It has a tubular magazine under the barrel.

Question:
Who made this gun, when, and where can I find parts?

Answer:
Greg, premier is a name that was used by a number of different companies including Stevens Arms and Montgomery Ward. For parts, we recommend you check with Gun Parts Corp (the old Numrich Arms people) at the following URL: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/. Gun Parts Corp has just about everything. If that doesn't work, try posting on our free "Wanted" page. Marc



15571  - Darne Shotgun
3/21/2017
Mary

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

Question:
I am considering purchasing this gun. Need some information about age, whether it is black powder of regular. Where it was made. I think it is unusual, Hope you can help with the information. Thank you

Answer:
Mary- Darne shotguns with the unique sliding breech mechanism are certainly unusual, but seem to be fairly popular in Europe and have been in production for a very long time. They do not seem to have much interest to collectors, other than for folks who are attracted to mechanical oddities. They do seem to appeal to shooters, but there factors like gauge, barrel length, balance, degree of decoration are probably more important than anything else.

As far as age or value we cannot help. Your best bet might be to check some of the auction sites to see what they have actually sold for. Rock Island Auction has a very good list of past sale catalogs on their site, along with prices realized and their descriptions may help with age. Hope that helps. John Spangler




15570  - 1808 Multi Ball Gun
3/18/2017
John

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

Question:
I was wondering if you know what kind of gun was in use around 1808 in the Vermont area. One was originally described as a cannon but later is described as a heavy long gun. The later description is from the book "Insurrection,Corruption and Murder in Early Vermont" by Gary Shattuck. Apparently it could be filled with several round lead balls. One of my ancestors was murdered at Burlington,VT in 1808 by a member of the smuggling boat "Blacksnake". One shot killed my ancestor,one other and wounded an officer. I am asking you as you seem to know a lot about old weapons. Any info would be appreciated.

Answer:
John- There are several possibilities. However, the best match based on the date, location and your description is that the gun in question was probably the type often called a "punt gun" or "market gun" which was basically a gigantic smoothbore shotgun normally mounted on a small boat and used to hunt waterfowl, with the hopes that a single shot would kill a great many of the birds. These would use lead shot, and while smaller "bird shot" or slightly larger size lead pellets would normally be used for waterfowl, it was just as easy to use a smaller number of large lead pellets, more or less .30 caliber diameter "buck shot" which would be deadly to two legged or four legged mammals.

A less likely candidate would be some sort of blunderbuss, or perhaps a "swivel gun" which was sort of a compromise between a small cannon fitted into an "oarlock" type yoke which would slip into holes in the rail, and a very heavy shotgun, but shorter than a punt gun, which would be aimed with a shoulder stock of some sort, with or without the yoke arrangement.

A quick search shows that the Blacksnake incident was pretty significant with a lot of contemporary and later writings on it.

The Shelburne museum has a punt gun which is probably circa 1880 see: http://www.quiltingpathways.com/shows/showimages/shelburne-2016-s.jpg

A Google image search on "punt gun Lake Champlain" may turn up more information. This also turned up a reference to the Insurrection, Corruption and Murder book where it mentions a punt gun, so I think we are on the right track.

https://books.google.com/books?id=zBd3CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT123&lpg=PT123&dq=punt+gun+lake+champlain&source=bl&ots=yn3WhIlNav&sig=I86CQ7L15kcdJ4IsqAhXoSs_ggE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCtdPP8J_QAhVC2GMKHerCBCAQ6AEIWDAN#v=onepage&q=punt%20gun%20lake%20champlain&f=false

Hope that helps. John Spangler




15590  - Eibar 38
3/18/2017


Maker: Spain Ebar, Model: ?, Caliber: 38 Special, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I have that ebar 38 Special that's been in my family for a while and it says it's a US service ctc On the top of the Barrel and it's made in Spain. And I was wanting to find more information about it?

Answer:
You probably have one of many inexpensive revolvers manufactured in Eibar Spain in the first half of the last century. Many Eibar revolvers were manufactured using inferior quality steel and are not considered safe to fire. Demand for these revolvers is very low, probably in the $150 or less range. Marc



15588  - Late Krag Rifle Restoration
3/14/2017
Jerry, Wills Point, Texas

Maker: Springfield Armory, Model: M1898 Krag-Jorgensen, Caliber: 30-40, Barrel Length: 2, Finish: Blue, SN: 484855

Question:
What is the year of manufacture of the rifle? Also how hard is it to un-sporterize one of these rifles

Answer:
Jerry, you have a pretty late rifle, my serial number information indicates that 1904 was the last year of manufacture for the Krag and that the serial number range for 1904 was 460408 - 477762. Replacement serial numbers started at 477,500 and also at 480,000.

The difficulty of restoration for a Krag rifle to military configuration depends on what kind of modifications have been made to it. Most often, the sporterized Krag rifles that we see have had their barrels and / or stocks shortened and the handguards removed. If you need a replacement handguard and / or stock, they are almost impossible to find. Marc




15569  - William C. Ashmore Shotgun
3/14/2017
John

Maker: Wm Cashmore, Model: ?, Caliber: 12, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
Sir. I have a wm cashmore 12 gu hammer ss #8170. I am trying to find info on this gun. I would say it is about 75%. Who,what, where, etc . Is it worth anything?

Answer:
John- William C. Ashmore was a maker in Birmingham, England circa 1890 who made high quality shotguns, mainly in trap and pigeon grade. I really cannot help with value, but it would be much better than a comparable condition cheap Belgian made export gun. A rough ballpark guess might be $150-200 as a wall hanger, and $300-600 if in really nice shape and safe to shoot. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15507  - Springfield Model 15 .22 Rifle Not Rifled
3/11/2017
Mark ,Warren,PA,USA

Maker: Springfield, Model: 15, Caliber: 22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: ?

Question:
there seems to be no rifling in the barrel other than cross hatch polishing. Would that be normal?

Answer:
Mark- Springfield was a brand name used by Savage-Stevens on their economy grade guns, and had nothing to do with the National Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts. At one time it was not unusual to have .22 rifles offered with smoothbore either for use as snake guns, or perhaps small game hunting or later as miniature clay target guns. Besides those offered by manufacturers, some owners or gunsmiths would modify rifles by reaming out the rifling to make them smoothbore. I have no idea who might have done this to your gun, or when or why. John Spangler



15583  - Old Shotgun
3/11/2017
Craig, Bremen, GA

Maker: Baker Gun Co., Model: Batavia Leader, Caliber: 16 Gauge, Barrel Length: 28'', Finish: Blue, SN: 3440F

Question:
Value & production date

Answer:
I do not have a lot of information on this firearm, it is probably one of a huge number made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and sold through various retail outlets. This type of firearm falls into the category of "old guns" that no one seems to be interested in as shooters, but collectors do not want them either. Generally these were basic inexpensive simple guns which sold at modest prices and still have little interest or value on market today. On the retail market they usually sell in the $25-125 range depending on condition and general appearance for use as a "wall hanger" over a fireplace. Where there is any family history, we encourage people to keep these old guns for sentimental value. Please be warned that most of these are not considered safe to shoot.

Sorry for our lack of information, our main focus at FineOldGuns.com (OldGuns.net) is military firearms. We sometimes list sporting shotguns for sale in our catalogs but we do not have a lot of interest in collecting them and are by no means experts in this field. There are several dealers listed on our links page that specialize in shotguns who would be able to give you a better answer to your question. Marc




15581  - Need Parts
3/7/2017
Wally, Mount Holly , Vt.

Maker: Black Powder, Model: Double Barrel, Caliber: 20 Gauge, Barrel Length: 28 Inch Double Barrel, Finish: Blue, SN: ?

Markings:
Only marking on the barrel is stamped GFM and a 22 stamped on it

Question:
I`m looking for some springs for the double triggers , I do t know the make , it`s a antique , it`s a cap lock and it has a small dog which I`m sure the spring goes on .I have pics I can send if you`d like , appreciate any help , my email is trkeyhnter@yahoo.com , thank you

Answer:
We do not have the parts that you need. Recommend you check with Gun Parts Corp (the old Numrich Arms people) at the following URL:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

Gun Parts Corp has just about everything. If that doesn't work, try posting it on our free "Wanted" page at the following URL:

http://oldguns.net/submitwn.htm

Hope this helps, Marc




15506  - Winchester Model 9410 Shotgun Date
3/7/2017
Darla Hale Marlin TX USA

Maker: Winchester, Model: 9410, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: 24'', Finish: Blue, SN: 21631

Question:
My serial number says made in 1895. When I try to find the serial number on Winchester Guide it points to a Model 1897 (Mod94) What is this telling me?

Answer:
Darla- It tells you that the guide you are using is not set up for this particular model, bur only the very similar but quite different Model 94 (originally Model 1894 until about 1918) rifle everyone knows as “a thirty-thirty.”

The Model 9410 was introduced in 2001 and although it is very similar to the Model 94 rifles, there are a number of mechanical and cosmetic differences to make it function with the .410 shotshells. Reportedly they are a lot of fun and pretty good guns. I have no other date of manufacture information on these, but suspect that they appear and disappear from the Winchester (Browning) line periodically. John Spangler




15505  - Winchester 1873 Sideplates
3/4/2017
Joe Savannah , Ga .

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1873, Caliber: 38wcf, Barrel Length: 2o, Finish: Blue, SN: 477952B

Question:
Can I buy side plates for this rifle ? Used/old or repo because it will be a wall hanger .

Answer:
Joe- The sideplates are basically just covers to keep dirt out of the flimsy toggle linkage used in the M1873 Winchester, so there are no critical dimensions to worry about. However, they are easy to remove, mess up or lose, so originals in excellent shape may be hard to find. Try searching “antique 1873 Winchester parts” and you should turn up some sources. I suspect that even repro parts made by the Italian makers will be close enough for your purposes. Good luck. John Spangler



15568  - Gecado Value
3/4/2017
Mike, Waterville, Ohio

Maker: Gecado, Model: Pistol, Caliber: 22L R, Barrel Length: 2 Inches, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: 161148

Markings:
The caliber is listed on one side of the barrel. The other side of the barrel has the word ''GERMANY'' printed. The gun has a black finish with a white/ivory handle/stock.

Question:
Does this pistol have any monetary value today? I found this among things in my late sister`s estate. It is not rusted and in good condition. I would like to know its value before I send it to auction or sell it outright

Answer:
Mike, Gecado pistols were marketed by the Dornheim company (Dornheim G. C. Dornheim AG, Suhl. Germany). Pre-war Gecado pistols were low quality 6.35mm and 7.65mm 'Eibar' type automatics, manufactured by SEAM (q. v.). They bore the word 'Gecado' in a diamond.

Post-war Gecado models were manufactured in West Germany and they included various .22 caliber revolvers and a blowback operated model much like the pre-war models except for a difference in the location of the safety catch. Your pistol is a post-war model probably imported some time in the 1960s.

Collector interest in this type of pistol is typically low, they often sell in the $50 or less range. Marc