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15780  - Belgian Rim Fire
3/31/2018
Melynda

Maker: ?, Model: ?, Caliber: 38, Barrel Length: 5 '', Finish: Nickel, SN: UNKNOWN

Markings:
Belgian, rim fire, engraved, no other markings, brought back from WWII Canadian soldier

Question:
Any information as to value, rarity, would be appreciated

 Answer:
Melynda, there is not allot of information that I can give on this gun, 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". 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.



15763  - M.S. Sanderson 1857 Target Rifle #113
3/31/2018
James

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

Question:
I've had no success finding any info on this rifle.Its stamped 113 M.S. Sanderson 1857 on top of octagon barrel. Has under hammer patch pocket on stock, lyman site. Anything you find would be help to me in identifying this rifle. Thank you. James

 Answer:
James- According to Frank Sellers' "American Gunsmiths" M.S. Sanderson worked in Proctorsville, Vermont and made underhammer rifles and pistols, and worked with George V. Seaver in 1858. The info on Seaver is that he worked at Vergennes, Vermont circa 1855-1860 making underhammer pistols, in addition to his association with Sanderson. .

The underhammer design was very popular in the Vermont/upstate NY region, and much less so elsewhere. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15779  - Remington Model 34 Value
3/27/2018
John

Maker: Remington, Model: 34, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 121377

Question:
I inherited this .22 from my father that got it when he was a boy. I would like to get some idea of how old it is. It is in great shape and still shoots very good groupings. I have been offered some money for it and I want to get some idea of what it is worth. It is worth more to me since my father owned it to sell it, but I would like to have an idea of the value.

 Answer:
John - Remington manufactured about 162,941 Model 34 rifles between 1932 and 1936. The rifle was an improved repeating version of the earlier Model 33, with a modified action and a tube magazine beneath the barrel. Early 34 stocks had finger grooves in the forend which are not found on later guns.

Remingtons made between 1921 and 1972 have a code located usually on the left side of the barrel near the frame that identifies the year and month of manufacture. The following letters correspond to the months of the year, for example B=January, L= February and so on [ B - L - A - C - K - P - O - W - D - E - R - X ]. The following letters correspond to the year of manufacture starting in 1921 and ending in 1972. [ M - N - P - R - S - T - U - W - X - Y - Z - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - J - K - L - MM - NN - PP - RR - SS - TT - UU - WW - XX - YY - ZZ - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - J - K -L - M - N - P - R - S - T - U - W ].

Model 34 blue book values range from $110 to about $300 depending on condition but old Winchester and Remington 22 rifles are quite popular so value may be a little higher, especially for rifles in excellent condition. Marc



15762  - Info On Springfield Trapdoor Carbine, 45-70
3/27/2018
Jake

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

Question:
I have an 1884 model trapdoor, serial number 334224, which your site indicates was made in 1886. The NPS folks at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site place its date of manufacture as between July-September, 1886, so that's a good match. The letters N.Y.M.P. are stamped on the left side of the stock. I plan to disassemble it and clean it up - and to shoot it with the correct loads, as well - and I'd like to make sure I'm not monkeying with an important gun. Can you tell me anything about this individual firearm? If there is another site or place to check, kindly let me know that. I also have three complete 20 round boxes of unfired 45-70 ammo made by the Lowell Cartridge Co., July 1879, another box of the same without a lid, and some fired empties. Is there any demand among collectors for these, if you know? Many Thanks, Jake

 Answer:
Jake- There is no surviving usage information found in the records at the National Archives by the Springfield Research Service. .

Nearby numbers reflect a mix with lots of rifles, a few carbines and even one of the scarce 1886 experimental carbines with 24 inch barrel and full length stock. Usage varied greatly, so there is not even a clue where yours might have been. .

The NYMP marking could be some sort of New York police marking, or a movie studio, or some sort of veterans group, but I have no positive ID and have not encountered that marking before. .

The 1870 dated boxes are collectable, and full ones in nice condition are usually found at gun shows priced around $100-125, open or partial boxes less than that, and fired cases having little value. .

Trapdoors are a lot of fun. The place with all the trapdoor knowledge is run by Trapdoor historian and author Al Frasca at http://TrapdoorCollector.com Friends there know a lot more about shooting these, but the usage info is about all that anyone has. .

Hope that helps. John Spangler



15761  - Pre Model 11 Remington 12 Guage Semi-auto Shotgun
3/24/2018
Terry Lake Worth, FL

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

Question:
Good afternoon. I own a pre Model 11 Remington shotgun. Very nice weapon. There are no barrel markings signifying a date. The serial # is (98564). Are you able to (relatively) accurately, calculate a date of production? Thank you. Terry

 Answer:
Terry- The best information I know of about Remington Model 11 shotgun dating is on the Remington Society of America site where the topic is thoroughly discussed. Note that the letter codes on the barrel for dating all models of Remington was not started until 1921 so guns made after that are best dated by the barrel code. .

For Model 11 serial number 98564 it looks like the date of manufacture is around 1910. .

For the full discussion go to http://www.remingtonsociety.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17069 Hope that helps. John Spangler



15778  - Arminius Value
3/24/2018
Tom, Jensen beach, FL

Maker: Arminius, Model: 10??, Caliber: Kal 7.65, 5-shot, Barrel Length: 60mm(2 5/16''), Finish: Blue, SN: 87623

Markings:
DEUTSCHE-INDUSTRE, ARMINIUS(with an arrow pointing towards each end of the word), KAL 7.65, N(with figurehead above, two places:on frame ahead of cylinder, and first part of the barrel), 87623(on base of butt), the grips are wood, look like walnut, and appear to be original. There are three numbers, 6, 2, and 3, between 3 of the five round openings on the face of the cylinder. The trigger is foldaway.

Question:
I am doing this as a favor for a lady friend at the American Legion. She has kept it in a cigar box for 30 years. She would like to sell it. I am trying to help her find a fair price for it, and a place to sell it. An unusual fact about this pistol it the barrel. I have looked at many pictures online, and all of them either have an all octagonal barrel, or all round barrel. This pistol has the barrel start out out of the frame as octagonal, this converts to round, then goes back to octagonal. I don`t see where I can attach a photo on this website. If anyone would like to see a photo, text me at: 772-882-8594. Give me your phone number, and I will send you a text back, with a photo.

 Answer:
Tom, the Arminius name was taken from a German hero of the first century AD, all Arminius firearms had a warrior's head embossed in the grips. Arminius manufactured many types of inexpensive firearms, in great quantities. The basic Arminius pattern of revolver was a gate-loaded solid-frame design with rod ejector mounted beneath the barrel. Some revolvers had removable cylinders and folding triggers. Revolvers were double-action or self-cocking hammerless with a concealed hammer that struck a floating firing pin. Safety catches were standard on the hammerless models. Some revolvers had a trap in the bottom of the butt which had space for five or six spare cartridges.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Arminius revolvers were marketed through many retail outfits, under many trade names. Some of the names that I can remember for Arminius were Dickson, Herter, Kessler, Omega and Gecado.

Collector interest in Arminius firearms in general is low, values tend to top out at around $150. Marc



15776  - Another WWII German Officer`s Gun
3/20/2018
Steve, North Royalton, Ohio

Maker: Beretta (PB), Model: PB?, Caliber: Cal.9, Barrel Length: 3.5, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: G38477

Markings:
WWII German officer`s gun

Question:
What year was this manufactured?

 Answer:
Steve, from your description, it is hard to say for sure what you have. The most commonly encountered Italian W.W.II Beretta military pistol is the Model 1934. The Beretta models 1934 and 1935 were Italy's main service sidearms during W.W.II. The two models were basically the same except that Model 1934 was chambered for 9MM Corto (380) while the Model 1935 was chambered for 7.65 mm Brevettata (.32 Auto). Military Model 1934 pistols were marked on the left hand side of the slide "P. Beretta Cal 9 Corto - Mo 1934 Brevet Gardone VT" followed by the date of manufacture. The date of manufacture was marked in two systems (except on late wartime production models), the Christian calendar (1934) and a Roman numeral denoting the year of the Fascist calendar which began in 1922 (XV). For example, a date marking might read 1942 XX or 1937 XV.

You do not mention any markings at all except for a serial number that starts with the letter `G`. The book Axis Pistols by Jan C. Still indicates that 1934 Beretta serial numbers range from 000lAA - 9999AA (late 1943 to mid-1944) and 000lBB to 9803BB (mid-1944 to April 1945). Some of these bear the full slide legend, while others have a blank slide. A very few have the 4/UT stamp on the left grip tang. It is likely that 1934 Berettas captured by the occupying Germans from the Royal Italian armed forces were reissued to the occupying Germans, and that a portion of the blank slide and 4/UT 1934 Berettas produced during the occupation without AA or BB serial suffix were issued to the German armed forces.

Still does not mention a `G` serial number and this leads me to question if this pistol is a Beretta military issue pistol at all, there is no way for me to tell you with the information that you provided. Marc



15760  - Erl Svendsen Revolver
3/20/2018
Bob

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

Question:
I would like to send some photos to learn more about 22 Cal revolver made by Erl Svendsen of Chicago IL

 Answer:
Bob- We don't know much about those, or deal in that sort of thing, but you got me curious, so I did a quick search.

There is quite a bit of info on Erl Svendsen on one of the forums(two pages, so be sure to click on to the second page): .

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/who-knows-about-erl-svendsen-guns.233794/page-2 .

Looks like he moved for Chicago and ended up in Brownsville, TX, and his guns also wore the names Itasca or Four Aces. These would be an interesting collecting niche, but not our area of expertise. I could not add anything even with photos, so please do not bother sending them. .

Hope that helps. John Spangler



15775  - Walther Gopemode II?
3/17/2018
David Hull Tx.

Maker: Walther, Model: Gopemode II, Caliber: Single Shot 22, Barrel Length: 25'', Finish: Blue, SN: 31889W

Question:
Any info. A friend`s father brought it back from Germany after WWII. It was damaged in house fire and needs a stock.

 Answer:
David, I have never heard of a Walther Gopemode II, possibly you have a Walther Sportmodel? Rifle shooting was a traditional sport among German civilians, and encouraged even more after Hitler's rise to power. I suspect that similar types of rifles were used in anything from the Munich Beer, Bowling, and Rifle League to the local Boy Scouts, to the equivalent of the VFW`s shooting team, as well as Hitler Youth. The .22 cal Sportmodell Rifle was a military style .22 trainer, they had full length stock and military type sling attachment and bolt disassembly washers in the butt. These are well made and accurate rifles, suitable for a WW2 German collection, or a Walther collection. Nice examples are tough to find and values can go higher than $1000.00.

I am afraid that a new stock will be tough to find, 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

Good luck, Marc



15753  - 1836 HALL CARBINE ROD BAYONET FROM MODEL 1880?
3/17/2018
Fauto

Maker: Springfield, Model: 1880, Caliber: 45-70, Barrel Length: N/A, Finish: Rusty, SN: NONE

Question:
I have what appears to be an 1880 rod bayonet blank. It was given to me as part of a collection of pieces for an 1836 Hall carbine, with the suggestion of machining it for that weapons missing bayonet. I am reluctant to do this if it has any significant historical or cash value. It is only shaped with no point or grooves or threads. Do you have any suggestions. I have bought several things from you over the years and I have always been pleased.

 Answer:
Fausto- Good to hear from you again. First, some people may not be familiar with the “Model 1880” which is a very scarce variation of the .45-70 trapdoor, made with a sliding rod bayonet, similar to those first used in the Model 1833 and 1836 Hall carbines. The model 1880 bayonet was triangular in shape, with the sides flat, not fluted as they had been in the Halls with rod bayonets. Only about 1,000 of the Model 1880 Triangular Rod Bayonet rifles were made, followed by 1,000 more in 1884 with round rod bayonets, and finally the common Model 1888 round rod bayonet with about 65,000 made. There are a lot of unfinished Springfield Armory gun parts floating around the scrap/surplus/collector world. I have a large collection myself because I find them interesting, even though most people think I am crazy (and that’s before they learn I collect that stuff). I don’t think there would be any harm in using an unfinished M1880 triangular rod bayonet as a starting point for making a repro M1836 Hall carbine bayonet. Remember, the unfinished ones are still in a soft state and should be hardened at some point. .

Getting a good long straight cut for the flutes on a triangular object will require a good machinist and equipment as holding odd shapes can be a real challenge. .

The 1836 carbine bayonets are very deeply fluted and a snug fit in the guide or latch near the muzzle. If you like, contact us by email again and I will take some measurements to help you. A better idea would be to purchase the M1836 carbine we have for sale and you won’t need to mess with making a bayonet! John Spangler



15770  - INA Revolver
3/14/2018
Charles, Argos, IN

Maker: I.N.A. (Ind. Nac De Armas) Brazil, Model: Tiger Revolver, Caliber: .38, Barrel Length: 6'', Finish: Blue, SN: 039744

Markings:
left side of frame has etched ''pouncing tiger''. Right side of barrel has ''38 Special''. Right side of frame has ''I.N.A. Made in Brazil''. Inside of frame as well as on the swing arm has ''78'' over a ''7'' stamped in it.

Question:
What happened to ''INA''? How can I tell a year of manufacture? How rare are these guns outside of Brazil?

 Answer:
Charles, I was unfamiliar with I.N.A. so I tried a Google search which resulted in the following Wikipedia Article:

The National Arms Industry was a light weapons factory established in São Paulo, Brazil.

Its foundation dates back to World War II. Upon the invasion of Denmark by the forces of the Third Reich, an officer of the Brazilian Army, Plínio Paes Barreto Cardoso, undertook a course in the armaments industry of that country. This officer removed important arms projects from Denmark, preventing them from being used by the Nazis. After the war ended, he returned the projects to Denmark, which, in gratitude, ceded the manufacturing rights to his 1946 submachine gun.

In the 1950s, the National Arms Industry manufactured a .32 S&W Long caliber (at the time, the most popular among civilians in Brazil) and a 6.35mm caliber pistol named "Chanticler" which was a modified copy of the Czech CZ-45 pistol. These handguns have an 'INA' medallion in the grip and an engraved trademark of a springing jaguar on the left of the frame.

That is all that I could find, I hope it helps. As for the rareness, outside of Brazil, a Google search brings up allot of results so there must be quite a few of them out there. My guess is that value would be in the $100 to $200 range if you could find a buyer at all. Marc



15749  - KRAG 1896 CARBINE WITH 1901 REAR SIGHT
3/14/2018
Steve

Maker: Springfield, Model: 1896, Caliber: 30/40 Krag, Barrel Length: 22'', Finish: Blue, SN: 68520

Markings:
JSA 1897 on stock, P under grip

Question:
My 1896 has a 1901 sight that has been installed. The muzzle end of the sight butts into the barrel band, which has been notched, so the windage lever will not hit the band. Is this common? Who would have done this? Value of gun? I could email pics. sdduranso@aol.com

 Answer:
Steven- The good news is that your gun is in a range of numbers which are Model 1896 carbines, although this number is not listed. The M1896 carbines were made for the Model 1896 rear sight, and the stocks were made shorter than the rifle stocks with the barrel band butting up against the front of the M1896 rear sight base. Later model rear sights with improved windage adjustment needed longer bases, which was not a problem on the rifles since there was plenty of room between the sight and the band. The Model 1899 carbine changed from the early “short” stock to one which was longer, using the same distance to the band as the rifles, and any model sight could be used. .

On your carbine, someone wanted a M1901 rear sight so they had to notch the barrel band to clear the sight. While this hurts the value some, it would be easy to replace the barrel band, although finding an original can be hard and finding an original handguard and M1896 carbine rear sight will be hard and expensive. Too hard to guess at value without seeing the gun, but it is fairly desirable, even with the boogered sight issue. John Spangler



15774  - Marlin Model 18 Chambering
3/10/2018
Britt

Maker: Marlin, Model: No. 18, Caliber: .22, Barrel Length: Unknown, Finish: Blue, SN: 9547

Markings:
None

Question:
I got this pump .22 rifle SN 9547, but it will not take a .22 LR. What type ammo was a it made for.

 Answer:
The Marlin Model 18 pump action .22 rifle was Marlin's first pump action rifle. It was made from 1906 to 1908. It could only shoot .22 shorts, or long rifle cartridges, but not interchangeably. You had to change the cartridge lifter inside the gun for one size cartridge or the other.

The Model 18 was called the Baby Feather-Weight Repeater in Marlin advertising of the period. It had a large headed tang screw to allow the user to remove the buttstock in order to make the gun easier to carry. The Model 18 first sold for $13.00 in 1906 with an octagon barrel. The price was reduced $1.00 in 1907 & 1908.

You will need to take your rifle to a gunsmith to determine which cartridge your rifle is set up for. Marc



15747  - P.T. BARNUM SHOTGUN*
3/10/2018
Government/Law enforcement

Maker: Black Powder Shotgun, Model: 12 Gauge, Caliber: 12 Gauge, Barrel Length: Double Barrel, Finish: Blue, SN: NONE 1800`S LAW ENFORCEMENT

Markings:
Gov`t Emblem stock underside

Question:
Would like to know more about it. Maker & model, age, approx. value. Someone guessed William Beck.... I have photos

 Answer:
Sir- In my opinion all the old shotguns with various law enforcement or stage coach or wild west show stuff stamped on them, or especially if “badges” are added, are the result of someone enhancing an otherwise unremarkable, undesirable and unsellable old gun with a fantasy history for a quick buck. Some are easily proven to be other than what they appear to be, and others are much harder to detect. A few, a very few, may actually be real, but the odds are very much against the prospective .buyer. Without actually seeing this gun in person I really cannot say more about it. As far as value, that is between buyer and seller, but most buyers overpay in my opinion. (* “There is a sucker born every minute”- P.T. Barnum) John Spangler



15773  - Marlin DOM
3/6/2018
Louis Azle,Tx.

Maker: Marlin, Model: 336CS, Caliber: 33, Barrel Length: 30, Finish: Blue, SN: I7042825

Question:
The year this rifle was made, please

 Answer:
Sorry Louise, we can not help with that one, try checking with the Marlin collectors people at the following link: https://marlin-collectors.com/forum/. Good luck, Marc



15746  - M1 GARAND VALUE
3/6/2018
Richard, Lewis, NY USA

Maker: Springfield, Model: M1 Garand, Caliber: 30, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 654335

Question:
What would be a value for this weapon? It is in excellent condition, was donated to Honor Flight to be used as a fund raiser. I understand value varies greatly, but can you give me a range?

 Answer:
Richard- First, thank you for your work with Honor Flight, which works to get our surviving WW2 vets to DC to see the memorial honoring THEM! .

Your rifle was made in early 1942. As you know, the value varies considerably depending on condition and how many parts have been updated over the years and if there are any import markings added. A rough range would be $600 for a rebuilt, import marked gun, maybe $800-1000 for an average condition mostly correct gun, to $2,000 for a mostly correct matching 1942 gun in nice shape. Hope that helps. John Spangler



15772  - Parts Needed For M1917 Restoration
3/3/2018
Fritz

Maker: Eddystone, Model: M1917, Caliber: 30-06, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Markings:
Eddystone and barrel says JA with an ordnance bomb under it.

Question:
I have a 1917 enfield that has been sporterized. It still has the metal butt plate and it appears the only thing that has been changed is the stock has been cut in front right in front of the lower band assembly. I bought a new OEM stock from Boyds. What pieces will I need to add in order to make the gun complete like it was originally? From what I can tell, it is just needs the stacking swivel, upper band, and upper band screw. Can you help me to find outif there is anything else I need.

 Answer:

Fritz, Good luck on your project, I always like to see people bring old military rifles that have been sporterized back. The barrel you mention is a WWII replacement that was made by Johnson Automatics, the company founded by Melvin Johnson who was the designer of the Johnson rifle and machine gun.  Johnson Automatics made replacement M1917 barrels during WWII.

Your M1917 should have an upper and lower handguard.  If the stock has been shortened it is a pretty sure bet that the upper handguard is missing.  You did not mention if the lower handguard is still present.  Even if the lower handguard is present, it may have been modified when the stock was shortened.  I have seen many lower handguards that looked good at first glance only to find that they were modified upon closer inspection.  In the spirit of thoroughness, here is a list of everything that you may possibly need:

  • Handguard Ring
  • Handguard, Lower
  • Handguard, Upper
  • Lower Band
  • Lower Band Screw
  • Sling Swivel
  • Stacking Swivel
  • Stacking Swivel Screw 
  • Upper Band
  • Upper Band Screw

If the front sight has been modified or replaced you will need these parts:

  • Front Sight Blade
  • Front Sight Carrier Base
  • Front Sight Pin
  • Front Sight Spline

Hope this helps, Marc





15745  - Bacon-Hopkins Revolver?
3/3/2018
John, Chanute, Kansas

Maker: Bacon Manufacturing Company, Model: Model 4 Naval Revolver, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: 7 1/2 Inches, Finish: Blue, SN: 19

Markings:
Bacon Mfg Co., Norwich, Conn. on top of barrel. C.W. Hopkins patented 186something on side of barrel.

Question:
Do you know anything about this pistol? I believe it to be Model 4 based on the patent mark and the push button cartridge release.

 Answer:
John- This is tough to answer without examining the gun. I am certain that you have correctly identified it as one of the .38 caliber rimfire revolvers made by Bacon Manufacturing Company, known as the “Navy Model” due to their caliber and optimistic hope that they would be adopted for Navy use. All of these should have the Bacon markings. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values describes both a “first type” with a removable cylinder having three variations, and a “second type” with a swing out cylinder. .

Flayderman notes for the approximately 325 of the second model they are usually marked on the barrel “C.W. Hopkins/ Patented May 27, 1862” and on the cylinder “Pat April 3, 1855.” These help date the production of these guns as being after Bacon lost the lawsuit by Smith & Wesson over the Rollin White patent on the bored through cylinder. I am not able to identify C.W. Hopkins, but I do not think he is the Hopkins and Allen guy. .

For an exhaustive coverage of all of the Bacon arms, see the excellent article by the American Society of Arms Collectors at- http://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/B048_Wagner.pdf .

Hope that helps. John Spangler