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.


15276  - “ Chicago Cub ” Folding Trigger Revolver
7/30/2016
Debi, Estill, S.C.

Maker: Chicago Cub Folding Trigger, Model: Revolver, Caliber: 22 Short, Barrel Length: 1 To 2 Inch, Finish: Blue, SN: 35601

Markings:
Germany Chicago Cubs Hollywood Ca. no.62

Question:
bought this recently at a gun show and I need to know as much about it as I can especially the proper way to clean it and how to get the shell chamber loose to clean it.

Answer:
Debi- Your pistol is an inexpensive “Saturday Night Special” and while we know a little about the history, we really do not know anything about the mechanics of these. “Chicago Cub” was one brand name used on guns sold by Hy Hunter of Hollywood, California on the cheap imported guns they sold in the early 1960s. According to “Pistols of the World” by Ian Hogg and John Walter they were actually made in Germany by Karl Arndt Reck Sportwaffenfabrik KG Lauf/Pegnitz, Germany. The revolver sold under the Chicago Cub name was chambered for only .22 short, and importation ended in 1968 when the Gun Control Act banned importation of handguns unless they met certain silly criteria. I think the Chicago Cub name was also used on an inexpensive semi-auto pistol as well. John Spangler



15436  - 1898 Krag Value
7/30/2016
Jessica Shockley

Maker: Springfield Armory, Model: 1898, Caliber: 30 40, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 252005

Question:
Can u help me determine the value

Answer:
Jessica, it sounds like you have an 1898 Krag. Values for these rifles can range from less than $100 to well over $1000 depending on condition, markings and whether the rifle has been altered or sporterized. Marc



15427  - Nickel HSc
7/26/2016
James, Sugar Land, TX

Maker: Mauser, Model: HSc, Caliber: 7.65 Mm, Barrel Length: 6 Inches, Finish: Nickel, SN: 854807

Question:
What year was this pistol manufactured? Does this pistol shoot .380 ACP too? What is the value of this pistol? Is this gun considered an antique?

Answer:
James, it is hard to say what you have from the information that you provided. The Mauser HSc was chambered in 7.65mm (.32 ) or .380 ACP but .32 and .380 rounds are NOT interchangeable, it will fire one or the other but NOT both of them. The HSc had a 3.4 in. barrel, if yours is 6 inches long, it has to be a replacement or customization of some sort. War time HSc pistols were manufactured from 1938 until the end of the war, then R. Gamba of Italy started manufacturing them around 1996. You did not mention any German markings so maybe your pistol is one of the modern Gambas. Marc



15448  - VPT Marked 9mm Cartridges
7/26/2016
Frank New Mexico

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

Question:
I have found several rounds of ammunition around the rubble of a Homestead Era House on a historic New Mexico ranch. The ammo appears to be 9mm or at least by the naked eye seems to be the same dimensions. The Head-stamp reads VPT and in smaller case opposite 44. Any idea what this is?

Answer:
Frank- It is almost certainly 9mm Luger caliber (9mm diameter mouth of the case and 19mm long).

VPT 44 would indicate it was made in 1944 by "Valtion Patruunatehdas", Lapua, Finland. A lot of Finnish surplus ammo got imported into the U.S. in the late 1960s and 70s, so I suspect that is the date it arrived, and it could have been fired and left at this site any time after that. Hope that helps. John Spangler




15447  - Trapdoor Springfield .50-70 History
7/23/2016
Warrior boy

Maker: US Springfield, Model: Trapdoor, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I have a 1863 US Springfield trapdoor I am trying find out more information on. it is a model # 31917 and I think it is a 50-70. any help? I was told it was given to my grandfather from an Indian from the Wounded Knee Indian battles.

Answer:
Sir- There is no documented history available on that number.

Your rifle is a Model 1868 .50-70 caliber rifle. The 1863 date reflects the original date of manufacture for the lockplate during the Civil War. These locks were salvaged from the obsolete muzzle loaders and reused to make Model 1868 rifles. Of all the rifle mad with surplus Civil War locks, only the Model 1868s were serial numbered with numbers getting into the 30,000 range, which helps identify the model.

With only oral history of prior ownership or use, it is impossible to be certain what is true, and what might have been added or lost from prior tellings of the story over the years. Sounds like a neat gun with an interesting and plausible history that would be a great family keepsake.

While it is possible that this rifle was present at Wounded Knee, but that incident took place December 29, 1890, and the Army has completely switched over to .45-70 rifles long before that. Perhaps some of the Indians had .50-70 rifles captured in earlier battles or sold by deserters. Wounded Knee was not a battle. It was a case of government troops being sent to disarm people who had been lied to for many years and were fed ip with being mistreated. After being herded along for many miles and setting up camp in freezing weather, the troops moved into seize arms from the Indians. At some point there was a scuffle and a shot was fired, and the troops and Indians all opened fire. About 150 Indians and 25 soldiers were killed. Some might liken it to the colonists at Lexington and Concord resisting the British forces sent to seize their arms, but with a different ending.

John Spangler




15462  - What`s It Worth
7/23/2016
Jack

Maker: Walther, Model: P-38, Caliber: 9 Mm, Barrel Length: Std, Finish: Blue, SN: ?

Markings:
byf 43

Question:
sale value

Answer:
Retail value can be anywhere between $0 and about $950 depending on condition. Marc



15459  - Police Positive ( First Issue )
7/19/2016
Benny, Kingstree, SC

Maker: Colt, Model: Police Positive, Caliber: .38, Barrel Length: 4'', Finish: Blue, SN: 175797

Question:
Want to know what year my gun was made and the worth.

Answer:
Benny, your revolver is what collectors call a Police Positive (First Issue). This model was manufactured from 1907 to 1927 and could be ordered with 2.5, 4, 5, or 6 inch barrels in .32 Colt, .32 New Police, .38 New Police, or .38 S&W calibers. Revolvers manufactured before 1923 came standard with hard rubber grips, checkered walnut grips became standard in 1924. My references indicate that your revolver was manufactured in 1926. Police Positive (First Issue) values in the blue book range from about $200 to over $1000 depending on condition. Marc



15446  - 1935 Chilean Mauser
7/19/2016
Steve

Maker: Chilean Mauser, Model: 1935, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I'm somewhat enamored with the 1935 Chilean Mauser in 7mm....why are these so difficult to find? I've been searching now for several years. I've found only a few but in unfavorable condition. Thanks. Steve

Answer:
Steve- I don't know why they are hard to find, but suspect that since they were bought for the National Police, not the Army, it was a much smaller number than for the usual military deal. Also, police weapons probably got carried a lot more, and thus saw more use and abuse than army arms locked up in a barracks. A quick check shows prices running about $600-1100 depending on condition.

Best bet is to watch the auction sites, not just the GunBroker.com stuff, but also the big auction houses like Rock Island.

I like South American military rifles, but the police arms never turned me on, so I am not competing with you for this one.

For just shooting purposes, the Model 1912 is probably just as good. Hope that helps. John Spangler




15445  - Jezail Rifle From Afghanistan
7/16/2016
Pete

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

Question:
A friend has a collection of old guns. One of them is a Jezail from Afghanistan with what looks like inlaid ivory. Its not mother of pearl. He got the rifle in the late 50s or early 60s in Afghanistan. I have no idea of its age or worth. I would like to buy it.

Can you give me an idea of what its worth or how to check it out for how old it is before making an offer? Thanks for any assistance. Pete

Answer:
Pete- I would expect to find ones matching your description offered at a gun show at prices in the few hundred dollar range. There is not a lot of demand for these, other than as souvenirs for troops who got them in Afghanistan, and many (or most) of those are largely recently made for the tourist trade. That availability and dubious originality has carried over to the total (and saturated small) market for this sort of gun.

I think I saw two or three in a major firearms auction recently that sold for prices around $200-300 in groups of two or three at a time.

Your friend's gun MAY indeed be a genuine old one, but the Afghans are not to be trusted when dealing with infidels, so I would assume it is a clever fake, or at best a genuine old one that has been decorated "for the tourist market."

Hope that helps. John Spangler




15440  - Spanish 25
7/16/2016
Eric, Wilmington, Delaware

Maker: Colonial, Model: 1919 Automatic Pistol, Caliber: 6.35/.25, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 10142

Markings:
Colonial is on the grip below a photograph of a Face. In original box with Remington ammunition in a old metal case.

Question:
Where can I find information on this handgun? A neighbors father, a neighbors had this in the Vietnam war and then as a police officer.

Answer:
Eric, this pistol was most likely manufactured by Extezagarra y Abitua of Eibar, Spain. Extezagarra y Abitu pistols often carry makers monograms, on the grips or stamped inside a circle on an inconspicuous part of the frame. It is likely that while some guns were made by Extezagarra y Cia, many others were made by one-man workshops in Eibar.

Two pistols bear the Colonial name, a 6.35mm blowback of the usual Eibar type and a 7.65mm blowback resembling the 191O -pattern Browning externally. The markings on the 6.35mm version read CAL 6.35 1913 AUTOMATIC PISTOL MODEL COLONIAL, while those on the 7,65 read FABRIOUED`ARMES DE GRANDE PRECISION COLONIAL PATENT DEPOSE 393912. Both have COLONIAL on the grips. The 6.35mm gun gives no indication of the manufacturer, the 1913 date is suspect, as the name was not registered as a trademark until 1920 and `1913` may be no more than a fictitious claim to long-established design. The 7.65mm model frequently displays makers` monograms; the most common is `EC` on the slide and a medallion in the grips; `LC` (or CL) has also been seen.

There is not much collectors interest in cheap Spanish pistols like this, I often see them offered at gunshows in the $100 range. Marc




15439  - Information Overload
7/12/2016
Canada

Maker: ?, Model: ?, Caliber: 22 FI 22 C, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: ?

Markings:
34 SYMBOL? SYMBOL'' FL 22.C SYMBOL OF A FISH

Question:
We have had this gun in our family for 60-70 years. there is no serial number, only markings. How do I find out how old it is or value based on markings?

Answer:
There is not much that I can tell you based on the information that you have supplied. Try posting a picture of the gun on one of the gun forums. Marc



15444  - 1862 Sharps & Hankins Navy Carbine
7/12/2016


Maker: Sharps & Hankins, Model: Navy Carbine, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I have recently purchased a 1862 Sharps and Hankins Navy Carbine, serial number 9042 with a 24" leather covered barrel. There are not a lot of places where I can research for information about the carbine. For example, date of manufacture, which Navy yard it was sent to, maybe what ship it was assigned to. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you,

Answer:
Mike- The diligent research in the National Archives by Springfield Research Service under the late Frank Mallory did not turn up anything on that number, and very little on Navy guns in general. There are records of some of the early rifles being inspected at Washington Navy Yard in July 1862, and only two other entries for Navy carbines. Carbine serial number 3365 was delivered at the WNY November 15, 1860. Serial number 9987 (another carbine) was lost in action on Formosa on November 30, 1867 by the USS Wyoming. A landing party from the ship had engaged in a punitive expedition against natives who had murdered the crew of an American ship which wrecked on the coast there.

While it will not have any info on your specific carbine, the best source of information on usage of various small arms by the Navy and Marine Corps during the Civil War is a book by John McAulay with a name similar to that.

Hope that helps. John Spangler




15438  - Rossi Model 62
7/9/2016
Alan

Maker: Interarms, Model: 62, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: 18 1/2, Finish: Blue, SN: G235543

Question:
When was it made?

Answer:
Alan, I have owned a couple of these and I thought that they were pretty nice rifles. The blue book indicates that the model is a copy of the Winchester 1890 gallery. Rifles were with available with takedown action, blue or nickel finish, round or octagon barrel, 12 or 13 shot tube mag. Importation of this model was discontinued in 1998.

I suggest that you try the Rossi web site at the following link: http://www.rossiusa.com/find-model.cfm for more information. Marc




15443  - 1873 Winchester Value
7/9/2016
Shane, Philadelphia

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1873, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I am sending you this message in to see how much this Winchester is worth I have hands several offers for several thousand dollars on this rifle and I just want to know the true value before I go song is a very fine rifle and find it several times very very I seen some on the sites I've looked on going for $37,000 I'm not looking for that much for it but I am definitely interested in finding out what the value is for this product and if you guys would like to buy more than willing to sell do as long as I get money but please contact me back ASAP if you want to contact me by phone is 215-xxx-xxxx

Answer:
Shane- When you sell this gun, perhaps you should take some English classes to learn about punctuation and grammar. Sorry, we cannot help with that one.

If you have already shown it to several people and received several offers that should be a good indicator of what it is worth. Value depends on many things, including which exact model of the 1873 it is, any special features, any documented history, if it has any repairs or alterations, and especially the condition. It really requires a hands-on inspection to determine many of those things.

Your best bet, if you think it is a really valuable one might be to put it in one of the major firearms auction houses and it will bring what it is worth. Of course, there are fees and commissions involved so you do not get as much as if you sell directly to a collector at retail price, but as you are discovering that can be a lot of work. br>
Good luck. Sounds like a nice gun, but we do not do a lot with the old Winchesters. John Spangler




15441  - Remington Model 33 Rifle
7/5/2016
Dave

Maker: Remington, Model: 33, Caliber: 22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I have a bolt action single shot .22 remington rifle,model 33, serial number 188398. Can you tell me how old it is?

Answer:
Dave- The Model 33 was only made circa 1932-1935, but in that time they made about 263,000 of them, so they are not scarce. John Spangler



15450  - Pre-64 Winchester Model 88 In .284?
7/5/2016
Jerry, Florence, Co. , USA

Maker: Winchester, Model: 88, Caliber: .284, Barrel Length: 22, Finish: Blue, SN: ?

Question:
Did Winchester make any model 88s in .284 prior to 1964?

Answer:
Jerry, The Winchester model 88 was manufactured from 1955 to 1973, and was offered in several calibers including .243, .308, 284 and .358. The Model 88 differed from other Winchester lever action rifles in that it made use of a box magazine instead of the customary Winchester tubular type. Because of it's box magazine, the Model 88 could fire pointed-nose cartridges which are dangerous to load in tubular magazines for obvious reasons. My references tell me that Winchester made the .284 chambering available in 1963. The only difference between pre-64 and post-64 model 88 Winchesters is that Model 88-s manufactured prior to 1964 had diamond cut checkering, while examples produced after had an impressed basket weave pattern type checkering. Marc



15433  - Determining The Caliber Of A Rifle
7/2/2016
Gary, Johnson, Vermont

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1894, Caliber: .32 WS, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 190902

Markings:
This has a curved but plate and short magazine

Question:
My father owned this rifle. I think I remember that he got it either in Mass. or Conn. back in the early to mid 1960`s. When he got it he was told that it was chambered for .32 WS. Is there any way to verify this using the serial number?

Answer:
Gary, the Winchester collectors tell me that your rifle was manufactured in 1903. The caliber of your rifle can not be determined from your serial number but it should be marked on the barrel. If the caliber marking is not present,, there is a possibility that the rifle does not have the original barrel. The best way to determine the caliber of your rifle is to take it to a qualified gunsmith and have him do a chamber casting. If you are planning on shooting the rifle, I would advise you to have the gunsmith check your rifle for safety while he has it in his shop. Marc



15442  - Royal Scout .22 Boys Rifle
7/2/2016
Ernie

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

Question:
I recently acquired a Kids [Boys] Rifle with only two markings on it. It has a Falling Block action with takedown screw with oblong ring on the bottom front of the receiver. On the top left side of the receiver are the words ROYAL JUNIOR in all caps, in the upper left corner of the receiver to the left of ROYAL SCOUT is a Capital I in a circle. The words .22 LONG RIFLE in caps, are centered on the barrel, approximately 3/4" in front of the rear sight. It also has the Capital I in a circle approx. 3/4" from the left rear side of the barrel. Also, it has a Stevens front blade sight and a Stevens rear sight. You can lay the ROYAL JUNIOR rifle beside a Stevens Little Scout Model 14 1/2 and they are duplicates of each other, including all screws, except for the markings and the forearm. This little gun has a Schnabel forearm which is original to the gun. Could you tell me anything about this little rifle. Thanks a lot! Ernie

Answer:
Ernie- I suspect you are correct that this is a variation of the Stevens 14 1/2 Little Scout.

However, I cannot find any mention of "Royal Scout" my reference library. I admit my library is skewed towards military arms, but neither Jim Perkins' "American Boys' Rifles" nor Frank Sellers' "American Gunsmiths" have even a mention of the name, and I would not know where to look next.

Sounds like a nice collector piece, or a family keepsake. Just as a reminder, the Number 14 1/2 Little Scout was discontinued due to problems when fired with high velocity ammunition, so if you ever fire it, avoid high velocity ammo, and you should get it approved by a competent gunsmith anyway.

Stevens made something over a half million of the Little Scouts between 1910 and 1932, and it was the "first gun" of many youngsters-- including me some 60 years ago. (And, I still have it!)

Hope that helps. John Spangler