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15431  - Refinished Walter Pistol
6/28/2016
chuck

Maker: Walther, Model: PPK, Caliber: 32, Barrel Length: 3'', Finish: Nickel, SN: 375663 P

Markings:
Has Nickel Finish with two German Eagle Markings on it. One On Receiver the Other on the Bullet Slide !

Question:
Looks Like it`s a Pre-War Issue not sure ? Wondering what it Might be Worth, it is in Great Condition !

 Answer:
chuck, When PP and PPK pistols were first introduced, they shared the same serial number series, some time in 1938 a "P" suffix was added to PP serial numbers and a "K" suffix was added to PPK serial numbers. According to my records your pistol was manufactured in 1944 and it should be a PP not a PPK.

Most collectors agree that no PP or PPK pistols left the Walther factory with a nickel finish so the finish on your pistol is not original. There is not allot of collector interest in refinished Walther PP or PPK pistols, I would expect to see one like you are describing offered for sale at a gunshow in the $400 or less range. Marc



15275  - Swedish Mauser Rifle
6/28/2016
Dave, Covington, Ga

Maker: Swedish Mauser, Model: I Think 98, Caliber: 6.5n55mm, Barrel Length: 29, Finish: Blue, SN: 460378

Markings:
HK in small caps precedes the Serial Number

Question:
Estimated value of this sweetheart. (ALL number match) How do I send you photos ?

 Answer:
Dave- Based on your description it is probably the Model 1896 Mauser rifle. These were extremely well made of quality materials and the 6.5x55mm round is an excellent cartridge. The rifles were not used much (Sweden was neutral during WW2) so they are generally in excellent to new condition. But, they made and later sold on the surplus market, hundreds of thousands of them so there is a large supply, and not a lot of Swedish rifle collectors, so values tend to be modest. When they first cam in about 30 years ago they were selling for about $69.95 and stayed at that level for many years. However, they seem to be running about $400-500 now. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15423  - Rare S&W
6/25/2016
Dave, Pittsburgh, Pa

Maker: Smith & Wesson, Model: Regulation Police Target (1928), Caliber: .32 Long CTZ, Barrel Length: 6 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: 479747

Question:
I am looking to sell this handgun. I am told that it is very rare and collectable but am having trouble locating a true collector for this firearm. Can you recommend anyone that may be interested?

 Answer:
Dave, you are correct about the value of a Regulation Police S&W, but only if the sight were installed by the factory. The Blue Book suggests tripling the price. If the rear sight was installed by the factory it will have a long metal tail going forward from rear sight, held in place with a single tiny screw. The other factor in determining value is the extent of the original bluing remaining and condition of the grips. As you've found, sometimes, there are not many buyers even for a rare pistol. You might want to consider the For Sale section of the Smith and Wesson Forum. Marc



15274  - Hiawatha 521A .22 Rifle
6/25/2016
Dan, Noble Ill.

Maker: Hiawatha, Model: 521 Series A, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: P556XXX

Question:
I recently picked up this .22 Rifle but can find no info on it other than it crosses over to the Savage 120 and is very similar to the Stevens/Springfield 15. I am trying to find Date of Mfg. I tried plugging the serial Number into the Savage Data Base but it came back no record on file. Thanks for any help.

 Answer:
Dan - Congratulations on researching that this is indeed a “house brand” version of the Savage 120. I think these were made in the 1960s-1980s, and since yours has a serial number it was made after 1968. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15380  - Finding The History Of A PPk
6/21/2016
Rebecca, Chapel Hill, NC

Maker: Walther, Model: PPK, Caliber: 7.65, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: 310872K

Question:
I am trying to help a WWII vet who captured two Nazis in Waidring, Austria at the end of May 1945. He found this pistol in a drawer during the capture and has kept it. He was told that he had captured high ranking Nazis, but he was never told their names. He would like to know who the owner of the pistol was. I have been to the library and done online research and have not been able to find out much, except that I don`t think one of the men could have been Julius Streicher. Do you know of any way to determine the owner of this gun? Thank you.

 Answer:
Rebecca, we get this kind of question often from children or grandchildren of WWII veterans. Unfortunately the answer is "no". This is so because of the following. There are no known factor records for the Walther PPK, Many were purchased by gun stores and sold to officers as their person gun. Again there are no known records of these purchases making it impossible to link a pistol to a person. Some PPKs were purchased by the German Army. These will have eagle stamped on the left side with the numbers 359 under it. But again there are no know records of who received the pistol from the military. We also see pistols with nickel plating (bright finish) or engraving, and people claim this made it a gun issued to a General or high Nazi party official. There are a few known such pistols that went to Nazi party officials. These have been documented by historians. Marc



15273  - Savage 1899
6/21/2016
Steve Rohnert Park CA

Maker: Savage, Model: 250-3000 Savage, Caliber: 250-3000 Savage, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 177858

Question:
I have inherited a 1899 250-3000 savage from my Grandfather I would like to know what year it was made and if it is worth anything it is very hard finding ammo for this rifle if you know where to get some that would help.

 Answer:
Steve- Your Savage 1899 was made around 1915-1916. Lots of people really love these, and they are one of the few classic guns that have remained in production pretty much unchanged for over 100 years.

The caliber, .250-3000 reflects the .25 caliber bore and the muzzle velocity which was hyped as 3000 feet per second. It was one of the earliest extreme high velocity small caliber cartridges and quite popular at the time, and into the 1950s, along with the .218 Bee, .219 Zipper and .22 Hornet. While .250-300 ammo is not available everywhere, it can be found if you look a bit. One of the best places to find obscure ammo is a site called AmmoSeek.com which allows you to search by caliber. It aggregates a huge list from many retailers and will show what they have in stock and the prices, so you can compare by brand, price, different bullet weights, etc. A really great site for shooter ammo. As of today they show two places with your caliber available at about $32 per box of 20. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15428  - Refinished Winchester 22 Value
6/18/2016
Don, Santa Clara, CA

Maker: Winchester, Model: 62 A, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: 22.5 inches, Finish: Blue, SN: 148111

Question:
I`m considering buying the above described rifle. The barrel and receiver have been re-blued, and it has a few small scratches on the wood stock but otherwise it looks very nice. I don`t know much about guns yet, but can you tell me what it is worth?

 Answer:
Don, collectors of fine firearms always prefer guns that are in original condition. This means that any type of refinishing or customization is going to detract from the value. Premium Model 62A's are typically seen at gunshows selling around $800 or more. Shooter grade 62 A's will typically sell between $200 and $550 depending on current appearance and level of functionality. I think that a fair price for a re-blued Model 62A would be $450 or less. Josh



15262  - Connecticut Valley Arms Rifle
6/18/2016
Derrick Hazleton, IA

Maker: Connecticut Valley Arms, Model: Unknown, Caliber: .50 Black Powder, Barrel Length: 38'' Maybe, Finish: Blue, SN: 0108321

Markings:
It has a percussion cap container holder in the stock on the right side.

Question:
I just wanted to know what year it might be and maybe value, it is in Excellent Condition.

 Answer:
Derrick- Connecticut Valley Arms, better known as CVA, started in 1971 as a retailer of imported replica muzzle loading rifles and pistols, both as completed guns and as kits. Later they began selling non-traditional “in-line” percussion rifles and pistols which look a lot like modern firearms but instead of taking cartridges they have a nipple for a percussion cap in the “chamber” area and need to have powder and ball loaded from the muzzle.

In 1995-1996 a lot of the new style rifles had quality problems and the company recalled them. In 1999 the company was sold and continues in operation today, apparently making only the “in-line” type guns. (Apparently with many of the original players still involved.) There is a lot of discussion (perhaps even obsessive vitriol by one lawyer type guy who won’t even let you link to his site) about the company and its products over the years. The main issue seems to be the quality of the barrels, and the safety of the threads on the breech.

I do not know anything about their manufacturing dates, but would assume yours was made before sale of the company in 1999. I do not have a feel for value on these, but you could check on some of the auction sites or the Blue Book of Gun Values to see what they seem to be going for. However, my gut feeling is that one like yours might fall into the under $400 range. John Spangler



15421  - Mount Rainer Ordinance Depot Mark On Garand
6/14/2016


Maker: Springfield, Model: MI Garand, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I currently own a MI Garand Rifle built by Springfield Armory. On the outside face of the canvas rifle sling the following wording and date appears to be stamped most likely using a rubber stamp and Black ink - it reads in 3/8" high letter "M R T" the "T" could be the letter I (eye) under the acronym appears a date JULY 1953 in 1/8" size letters. I cannot find any rebuild cartouche marks or other stamps marks such as the MROD or MRM that I have read about as referring to the Mt. Rainer Arms Deport. Can you shed some light on the sling stamp marking? I believe the rifle was issued from the armory for the Korean War but I cannot find any reference to that sling stamp in several sites that I have visited. I thank you in advance of your time and any light you can shed on the sling stamp will be greatly appreciated.

 Answer:
Ray - It looks like you have been chasing down the wrong path, as the sling markings have nothing to do with Mount Rainer Ordnance Depot.

The "MRT" markings are commonly found on web and leather gear and indicate that the item received "Mildew Resistant Treatment" and this is sometimes found alone, or sometimes with a date as on your sling. Slings were not normally distributed and stored with rifles, but rather as separate items. At least until after the early 1960s when rifles began to be packed in VCI wrapping (no, not Viet Cong Industries) which was "Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor" material where rifles were packed dry instead of the traditional gooey cosmoline method. This allowed basic issue items to be packed in the same package with the rifle, such as a sling and cleaning gear.

On the rifle, in addition to markings on the stock somewhere (and there were several locations used) rework markings are sometimes found marked on the right side of the receiver leg using an electric pencil.

Hope that helps. John Spangler



15410  - High Standard Victor
6/11/2016
Ralph Chelsea, Alabama

Maker: High Standard, Model: The Victor, Caliber: 22LR, Barrel Length: 5 1/2, Finish: Blue, SN: 2398252

Question:
My wife inherited this pistol from her father. in my research I see there are two ''Victor'' models, how do I tell which one she has? What year manufacture is this pistol? Great shape, no rust, any idea of value? And where I might get Manual?

 Answer:

Ralph, the High Standard Victor was Manufactured in Hamden, CT from 1972 to about 1981, my records indicate that your Victor was manufactured in 1973. When High Standard first introduced the Victor it was their top of the line (most expensive) production target pistol. The Victor was built on a military push-button takedown type frame, it had walnut grips and stippled front and rear grip straps. Victor barrels were slab sided and had "THE VICTOR" stamped on left hand side. Barrels could be ordered in 4.5 and 5.5 inches and rectangular barrel weights were available. When first introduced the Victor was all steel construction with a steel vented rib running the length of the barrel. In 1974 the vented rib was changed from steel to alloy. Early Victor rear sights were located at the rear of the barrel on the rib, the sights were later moved back to the slide.

If you would like more information about High Standard firearms, here are some good links to try.

Good Luck - Marc





15419  - Mismarked Cartridge Headstamp?
6/11/2016


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

Question:
I have an old rimless cartridge which is easily recognizable as a .25 Remington however, it is stamped (on the head, from the factory) Western 30-30. Which, of course, would have a rim. Would this be of any interest to a cartridge collector?

 Answer:
Sir- If it is actually a factory error, there is some collector interest in such oddities, but probably only modest value- maybe $2-3 or so.

Actually, I think that this may be an example of where a custom cartridge maker has used a .30-30 case and trimmed off the rim and cut a new extractor groove to make a .25 Remington case. Such conversions are fairly common for obsolete caliber ammo. Not really much collector interest if it is one of these. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15383  - Was It Issued To US Soldier
6/7/2016
Marc, Lavalette, WV

Maker: Pearl Berretta, Model: ?, Caliber: 380, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: G33951

Markings:
The gun has a S stamp on the left side just under the barrel. Also on the left side an eagle with a crown above it.

Question:
When was this gun made? Was it issued to US soldier?

 Answer:
Marc, you did not tell me what model your Beretta is, without that information there is not much that I can tell you about the manufacture date. If the pistol is a model 1934, it is possible that itl was captured in WWII by a U.S. soldier but Beretta .380 pistols were not issued to U.S. military personnel. Marc.



15418  - Gun Value Mind Reading Skills Test
6/7/2016


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

Question:
I’m sorry I don’t have access to these guns. They are part of an estate in storage in another state, The person handling the estate wants to know if I would be interested in buying them. He indicated to me that they are in really good shape. I just need an estimate of value to determine if I am interested in buying them. Thank you

 Answer:
Rodney- Seriously? It is impossible to put a value on something you have not seen. In our experience, a lot of people cannot even identify the correct model of a gun, and "really good shape" seems to vary from new in the box to rusty junk, depending on who is describing it.

Without photos, I cannot even guess on values. Pretty much like if I asked you to make an offer on my house, sight unseen. With photos, or at least a list of what they are, I can help, otherwise I cannot. John Spangler



15405  - Need Parts
6/4/2016
Joey, El Paso, Texas

Maker: Marlin, Model: 90, Caliber: 16 Gauge, Barrel Length: 26, Finish: Other, SN: 8230

Markings:
Bird dog engraved checkered on top of barrel and solid between upper and lower barrels

Question:
Looking for internal parts

 Answer:
Joey, for parts, try checking 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

Good luck, Marc



15417  - 1938 German Marked Ammo
6/4/2016


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

Question:
Hi- I have 10 Nazi marked ww2 ammo. boxes. Each holds two 5rd metal clips of 8mm rifle ammo. The box are marked; 10 Stuck...8mm M.30 scharfe...S-Patronen...B..1938. All in very good condition. I tried one rd. in my K98 German Mauser and it was too FAT. Also, will you be at the Louisville, Ky. Show of Shows this month? I wish to sell the above.

 Answer:
Bill- Your ammo is NOT for the K98k or other German Mausers in 8 x 57mm (or 7.92 x 57mm) caliber, but are for the Hungarian and Austrian Model 1895 8 x 56mm Rimmed caliber Mannlicher rifles.

This ammo is relatively plentiful on the collector market, and there seems to be little shooter interest in it, so prices are modest and sales are slow. If someone offers $10-15 per box, I would accept.

I do not get to Louisville, but hear it is a good show. Hope that helps. John Spangler