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16265 - SPRINGFIELD ARMORY .50 CALIBER M3 MACHINE GUN
5/30/2020
Alex Celina Ohio USA

Maker: Springfield Armory, Model: M3, Caliber: 50, Barrel Length: NA, Finish: Blue, SN: 292497

Markings:
M303688A and 08E161

Question:
I`m just trying to find out any info I can on this weapon.

Answer:
Alex- It appears that you have a.50 caliber M3 machine gun made at Springfield Armory. These were a slightly modified version of the basic .50 caliber machine gun invented by John M. Browning in 1921. The basic M2 heavy barrel .50 caliber fires at about 450-600 rounds per minute. The M3 modification was made for use by aircraft, mainly the wing guns in fighters where the target was likely to be engaged for only a very brief opportunity. These had a rate of fire of 1100-1300 rounds per minute, greatly increasing the number of rounds fired in that brief period of time, increasing the chances of getting a hit.

Now, the bad news. Since this is a machine gun, you need to have paperwork from the BATFE to show that it is legally registered to you. If you found it, inherited from a relative, or bought it at a flea market, without going through the required BATFE approval and transfer process, you are not allowed to own or sell this. There is no way to retroactively register it, if it is not on the BATFE list. If you inherited it, there is a slim chance it was registered and one time and you MAY be able to get BATFE to do a retroactive transfer from a deceased relative to you. If it was not registered to them, then you are out of luck. A legally registered example would probably sell for about $25,000-45,000 at auction. Hope that you have the papers!

There is a great article on the M3 .50 BMG at http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1489

John Spangler

16218 - Marlin 39A Serial Number 22253205 DOM
5/30/2020
USA

Maker: Marlin, Model: 39a Golden, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 22253205

Markings:
SERIAL NUMBER 22253205

Question:
WHAT YERA WAS THIS 39A GOLDEN MADE

Answer:

It looks like you may be having problems with your caps lock, one can sometimes fix the problem with Caps Lock simply by changing your keyboard settings. In the Mouse and Keyboard center select Click here to change Microsoft keyboard settings. Scroll down to the Caps Lock and click it.

The Blue book Of Gun Values indicates that the 39A Golden is similar to Model 39A but it has a gold-plated trigger and sling swivels. The Blue Book indicates the 39A Golden was manufactured from 1957 to 1987.

Marlin's year of manufacture for the 39A can be determined from the following list of letter/numeral prefixes to the serial number:

1939 - no letter prefix
1940-1941 - B
1945 - C
1946 - c (lower case)
1947 - D
1948 - E
1949 - F
1950 - G
1951 - H
1952 - J
1953 - K
1954 - L
1955 - M
1956 - N
1957 (early) - P
1957 (late) - 1958 (early) - R
1958 (early) - 1959 - S
1960 (early) - T
1960 (August) - 1961 - U
1961 (August) - 1962 - V
1963 - W
1964 - Y & Z
1965 - AA
1966 - AB
1967 - AC
1968 - AD or 68
1969 - 69
1970 - 70
1971 - 71
1972 - 72

Starting in 1973, the year of manufacture maybe determined by subtracting the first two digits of the serial number from 100 so serial number 22253205 would have been made in 1978 (100 - 22 = 78). Marc

16294 - M1903A3 USAGE HISTORY
5/26/2020
Steve Sanger

Maker: Remington, Model: O3-A3, Caliber: 30-06, Barrel Length: From End Of Receiver To End Of Barrel Is 23``., Finish: Don`t Know, SN: 3566930

Markings:
P under barrel, on barrel near muzzle. P inscribed in circle near rear of trigger guard.

Question:
What unit was rifle issued to, could it have seen combat?

Answer:
Steve- Unfortunately, military records on small arms start off with supply stuff- orders to manufacturers with serial numbers to be used, and then delivery records with serial numbers to verify items were delivered so the maker will be paid. Even those records are spotty, as once the bills were paid, they were filed away and after some years deemed no longer necessary to keep to prove the money was properly spent and the items received. They do the same process for everything from toilet paper (less serial numbers), to coffee, paint, lumber, uniforms, charts, bombs, ships, aircraft, rags, bed pans, bandages, etc. Over the course of a war, or even a few years in peacetime that adds up to a LOT of paper to be filed away, filling entire warehouses. So, these records are eventually destroyed instead of building more warehouses.

After delivery to the government`s receiving officer, small arms are then shipped to various distributions points (Springfield Armory`s supply officer- not the manufacturing side of the operation), Naval Supply Centers, Army Supply bases, Marine Corps Logistics Bases Barstow or Albany, etc.) in large quantities. From there, they are shipped out as needed to various units- a new ship being outfitted, a new Army or Marine or Air Force unit, or to replenish or augment stocks at existing installations. Once again, records were kept by the sending activity, and the receiving activity to confirm what was sent and received, and to be able to track down anything that was lost, missing or stolen. Again, these records accumulated and after a few years they were no longer needed and were destroyed.

At the unit level, some officer signed for receipt of the stuff, by serial number, and was responsible for it and would be held accountable if it was not turned over to his relief, or written off as lost in combat, damaged beyond repair, etc. Same process for aircraft, missiles, stop watches, life jackets, etc. When stuff was written off it was ``surveyed`` (in Navy terms, not sure what the Army or Chair Force call it) with a written survey report signed by a board of officers who approved the report. These records were sometimes kept longer. (I know of one from USS Hornet prepared shortly before the ship was sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea, surveying a number of M1911 pistols ``lost in combat``, but one of which is in the hands of a collector- almost certainly shipped home with personal effects of aviators lost at the Battle of Midway.)

Small arms signed for by the officer would then be turned over to the armory, unit arms room, run by an enlisted man, and then issued for short term to watchstanders (aboard ship) or specific individuals for their duties of a few hours, days, or months. Records were kept, but on a much less formal basis, often in a log book, or notebook kept by the soldier or sailor running the armory, or first sergeant, etc. In most cases there was no requirement to retain these records, and they were trashed when a new book was started, or the items turned back in to the armory, or the ship or unit disbanded and the arms shipped back to the next higher level of supply.

Sometimes serial numbers of small arms turn up in correspondence records of items shipped back with a complaint about problems, or confirming that they had been replaced with newer items, questions about stuff found by police in the hands of crooks, etc.

Before the time when every desk in the military had a computer on it, all these records were paper, filled out by hand, sometimes typed into correspondence, and filed away in file cabinets or drawers. There was no comprehensive database listing all the numbers and tracking them. No centralized daily inventory record, or even an annual report showing where every gun was by serial number. The records were for accountability of military property, not for historical reference by collectors.

That is a long way to explain why records are so scarce with any detailed information. IN the case of M1903A3 and M1903A4 rifles, there are only about 2,010 pieces of usage information for about 1.5 million rifles made. And, about one third of those data points are just notes that the rifle was in CMP inventory on a certain date.

Frank Mallory`s decades of digging in the National Archives, as Springfield Research Service, is the only comprehensive listing of U.S. Martial Arms Serial Numbers, published in 4 volumes now out of print, covering everything he found from Civil War era arms up through WW2 era. God bless him for his superb work! For several years, working with Frank Mallory, we here at OldGuns.net made the basic usage information from those 4 volumes available for public access on line. However, after Mallory`s death, the new owners of SRS directed that it be removed after various idiots insisted on misusing the SRS data to claim historical connections for guns that were not supported by the data, or writing letters using SRS data denying SRS income from the results of their diligent research.

I have checked the SRS data available to us, and your number 3566930 is not listed, so there is no way to know what unit might have used it. From the sparse data available, there are several somewhat close numbers associated with various Navy units in 1945, so it MIGHT have been used by the Navy, or maybe not. The prevalence of Navy connections may be skewed by the absence of any Army records found to show what the Army was doing at the time. Of course, thousands of M1903A3 rifles were never issued to any unit for use, and remained in storage until sold off to NRA members for $14.50 in the 1960s by the DCM program, with some sold earlier at higher prices.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

16291 - REPLICA COLT REVOLVER
5/23/2020
Cisco New Mexico

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

Question:
My grandfather recently acquired a black powder revolver. I am hoping and wondering if someone may be able to help me figure out if it is authentic or a replica. It is an 1851 colt navy revolver. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. I will send some photos.

Answer:
Cisco- Thanks for the photos, they help a lot.

Your 1851 Colt Navy revolver, serial number 19702 is what is known as a ``second generation`` made between 1971 and 1976, probably around 1973-74. These are considered to be genuine Colt guns, as they were finished there and are also known as ``C- series,`` with the beautiful finish, square back trigger guard and silver plated gripstraps. Not to be confused with the subsequent ``F- series`` which fell in a higher serial number range and had a lesser quality finish.

These are collectible guns, far more desirable than the much larger number made in Italy and sold under the Uberti, Armi San Marco, or a dozen other trade names requested by American sellers. The Italian guns are not finished nearly as well as the ``C-series`` and while fun shooters, have much less collector interest.

Unfortunately your gun has picked up some minor nicks and dings which really hurt collector interest or value. It will still appeal to a living history or reenactor user, or even a collector looking for a less expensive example than a new in the box gun.

I don`t follow values on these, but think the used Uberti and other non-Colt replicas in the condition of your gun can be bought for $150-250. However as a Colt ``C-series`` I think yours would be at least double that, maybe even 3 times that. Nice gun. Hope that helps. John Spangler

16297 - M1 CARBINE DOM
5/23/2020
PAUL GRANDRAPIDS MI

Maker: WINCHESTER, Model: M - CARBINE, Caliber: .30, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: Blue, SN: 1147183

Question:
DATE MADES

Answer:
PAUL - NORMALLY I JUST DELETE QUESTIONS THAT COME IN WITH ALL CAPS. FINDING THE MANUFACTURE DATE FOR AN M1 CARBINE CAN BE TRICKY, CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT THE THE U.S. CARBINE CALIBER .30 WEB SITE HAS POSTED. MARC

16227 - High Number Krag Rifle
5/19/2020
Mark, Corpus Christi, TX

Maker: Springfield, Model: 1898, Caliber: 30-40 Krag, Barrel Length: 30'', Finish: Blue, SN: 488848

Question:
I recently purchased the above firearm. Do you know the year of manufacture? Thank you, Mark OBrien

Answer:
Mark, the U.S. Army was searching for a new rifle in the early 1890s to replace the Springfield Model 1873 ``trapdoor`` single-shot rifles that were in use at the time. A military trials competition was held in 1892 at Governors Island, New York where around 40 different designs of rifle were compared. A Norwegian-designed bolt action rifle, the Krag-Jorgensen won out. The Springfield Model 1892-99 Krag-Jørgensen rifle was adopted in 1892 as the standard United States Army military longarm. It was chambered in U.S. caliber .30-40 Krag and approximately 500,000 `Krags` were produced under license at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts from 1894 to 1904. The Krag was the U.S. Army`s primary rifle from 1894 to 1903 when it was replaced by the M1903 Springfield rifle.

The short service life of the Krag design has been attributed in part to it`s complex mechanism which proved to be ill-suited for use in tropical climates such as Cuba and the Philippines, and the higher volume of fire that contemporary military rifles of the time could sustain because of their use of stripper clips.

The Krag was completely phased out of service in the Regular Army by 1907, as more M1903 Springfields became available, however, the Krag was used for many years with National Guard and the Army Reserve units, including service in World War I with rear-echelon U.S. troops in France and as training arms at various Stateside bases. Later, many Krags were issued to veterans` organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for use in military ceremonies. Still others were sold to civilians through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

My serial number data for Krag rifles comes from William Brophies book, ``THE KRAG RIFLE``. Brophy indicates that Krag production ended in 1904, around serial number 478,000. There are a number of rifles with serial numbers above 478,000 listed in official Army records. A few extreme cases may be transcription errors or misreading of deeply stamped numbers, but 488,848 is not impossible. Krag serial numbers are sometimes hard to read, check extra carefully under good magnification, and it may be that the 488 is not actually 438 or something like that. If you are reading your number correctly, it is a good bet that your rifle was made in the 1904-1905 time frame. Marc

16266 - WINCHESTER 1885 WINDER MUSKET WITH SET TRIGGERS
5/19/2020
Steve, Leesburg GA USA

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1885 Low Wall Winder Musket, Caliber: .22 Short, Barrel Length: 28'', Finish: Blue, SN: 124431

Markings:
US & flaming bomb

Question:
This rifle has a single set trigger and a target front sight. This is not the standard military configuration for these rifles. Did the military set up rifles like this for competition purposes? Cody Firearms Museum records are not available on this serial number. All metal looks original. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer:
Steve- The Winder muskets, a .22 short caliber version of Winchester`s popular single shot M1885 Low Wall rifle, were purchased during WW2 for use as training weapons. Many, if not most, ended up with various high school shooting teams after WW1. They were all delivered in the same configuration, with a long musket style forend, and standard single triggers. Many were sold off in the 1920s and 1930s through the DCM program, where civilian owners would alther them to their own perverse tastes.

The lower tang holds the trigger and is easily changed out for one with a double set trigger. But, There is more to it than just replacing the lower tang (trigger assembly). If the rifle does not have a set trigger, you also need to replace the hammer, and the hammer fly. It takes someone who really understands what they are doing to convert from a non-set trigger to a fully functional set trigger. But, all the parts were available in the past, so such a conversion for a serious target shooter is a reasonable assumption.

At least that is my understanding. Bert Hartman is the expert on the Model 1885 and has been keeping records on all he can find, so he can probably confirm, or correct, my statements above. The Wyoming Armory makes parts for the M1885, and they have excellent drawings showing the differences between the single normal trigger, the single set trigger and double set trigger: http://www.wyomingarmory.com/gun-parts.html

16267 - WINCHESTER 1897 SHOTGUN C PREFIX SERIAL NUMBER
5/19/2020
Ron, Ventura, Ca.

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1897, Caliber: 12ga, Barrel Length: 30â€, Finish: Blue, SN: LL6726

Markings:
There`s a C above the serial number. Does this denote civilian/ commercial model?

Question:
I just inherited this shotgun and was wanting to know when approximately it was made

Answer:
Ron- This is a case where a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but you certainly deserve credit for thinking of a logical explanation. Colt used a ``C`` prefix on serial numbers of the Model 1911 pistols made for the civilian market (and also some W for British contracts) while those without any prefix were for U.S. military contracts. Of course, leading up to WW2, Colt shipped a bunch of C prefix guns to fill military orders, so there are exceptions to every rule. Still C for Civlian is a good guess when you see it on a Winchester.

However, Winchester used a letter prefix on many of its models, including from A to at least F on various models. While an official explanation has been elusive, the consensus seems to be that Winchester added or changed the letter when they made some changes in parts from earlier production. Presumably such things as redesign of some parts which were then non-interchangeable with earlier versions, or differences in metallurgy or heat treatment. That way, they would know what repair parts to use, or be able to track how well the new stuff held up compared to the failure rate of the old parts. Bottom line is, the leter is not that big a deal and collectors don`t seem to value them differently.

By the way, your serial number is actually 116276, but the number ``1`` in the leading part of a serial number often is misread at ``L``. John Spangler

16271 - HSC Identification
5/16/2020
Anders Welin Sweden

Maker: Mauser-Werke A:G Oberndorf A.N, Model: HS C, Caliber: 7.65, Barrel Length: Unknown, Finish: Blue, SN: 758.255

Markings:
On the right side of the trigger guard an eagle over the letter N. Very good condition.

Question:
Date of manufacture? What branch of the German armed forces used this? Value?

Answer:
Anders, Nazi HSC pistols were made from 1941 until the end of the war, serial numbers began at 700,000 and ended at 951,000. Pistols used by the German armed forces will have an Eagle over "WaA135" markings on the left side of the trigger guard where it meets the frame. This marking is the German WW-II Heerswaffenamt inspector's mark on arms produced at Mauser Werke AG, Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany. The Eagle over the letter N marking that you describe is a commercial test proof and it should be located in 3 places. 1- on the right side of the chamber (barrel), 2 - on the right side of the trigger guard, and 3 - on the right side of the slide near the muzzle. HSC's issued to the police have an eagle over an x inside a circle with the letter L to the right stamped on the left side of the trigger guard. If your HSC does not have Heerswaffenamt inspector's marks, it is doubtful that it is of military issue. Normal HSC values are in the $500 to $800 range depending on condition and markings. Values for special variations like Political Leader or Kreigsmarine pistols can be well over $3000. Jan Still wrote an excellent book "Axis Pistols" full of good information on the amazing variety of handguns used by German forces, both German made and from over-run countries. Marc

16248 - Marlin Model 1889
5/16/2020
Randy, Sebastian, FL

Maker: Marlin, Model: ?, Caliber: .32.20, Barrel Length: 24, Finish: Blue, SN: 45390

Markings:
Patents Oct 11, 1887 & April 2, 1889

Question:
What is the model of this rifle? My Grandfather said it was a mod 1894, but I understand the rifle was shipped in 1891, 3 years before the 1894 was marketed.

Answer:
Randy- I am not sure exactly when your rifle was made, but having only those two patent dates, this has to be the Model 1889. This was the first of the Marlins to have a solid top on the receiver, and side ejection, which were the basis for nearly all the later Marlin lever action rifles. The 24 inch barrel and .32-40 were pretty much the standard rifle configuration. It is easy to get the many Marlin models mixed up, and being lever actions, it is also easy to confuse them all with the vastly more popular Winchester Model 1894. John Spangler

16251 - MARLIN SHOTGUN VALUE
5/12/2020

Maker: Marlin, Model: 43, Caliber: ?, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Question:
I have a Marlin Model number 43 12 gauge pump shotgun Patent dates 1908 1909 1914 1915

I would like to know what it is worth. Thanks

Answer:
Sir- Sorry, we cannot help with that one. We just don`t do much with any of the Marlins. You can check GunBroker.com to see what people are asking, but check the advanced search- completed sales to see what people are actually bidding, not just what an optimistic seller might ask. John Spangler

16261 - Colt 1849 Pocket Pistol
5/12/2020
Australia

Maker: Colt, Model: 1849 Pocket Pistol, Caliber: .31 Caliber, Barrel Length: 4 Inch To 6 Inch, Finish: Don`t Know, SN: NOT KNOWN ?

Markings:
6 shot cylinder

Question:
Of the total production of the pocket 5 shot pistol from 1849 to end of production how many of these pistols were produced as 6 shot pistols?

Answer:
Everything anyone would ever want to know about the Colt 1849 Pocket Pistols is in the great book by Robert Jordan and Darrow Watt, ``Colt`s Pocket `49; It`s [sic] Evolution Including the Baby Dragoon and Wells Fargo,`` published in 2000, with 300 pages. It gets into minutiae that few have ever dreamt of. And, it exhaustively studies each of several major categories, mainly by barrel address, and makes estimates of how often certain features appear in that grouping. But the totals are not summarized, and I am too lazy to go back and do the math. A quick scan showed that the 5 shot cylinders seemed to predominate in the early guns, with production of both 5 and 6 shot continuing throughout production, and the six shot being most popular as production went on.

R.L. Wilson`s excellent ``Book of Colt Firearms`` indicates that 5 shot cylinders were standard until about serial number 187,000, then mixed for a while, with 6 shot predominating after that point, pretty much what Jordan and Watt confirmed in their study.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

16268 - Luger Unit Markings
5/12/2020
Dave

Maker: Erfurt, Model: Luger, Caliber: 9mm, Barrel Length: ?, Finish: ?, SN: ?

Markings:
I have an ERFURT ARMS P-08 9mm Para. Double date, 1920-1918 in very fine condition, all serials on all parts match. The weapon is very tight. Here's my ? Inside the grip the unit # has been struck by a single line. P.St.Z.65. What kind of unit would this be in WW1 era German Army, police, whatever. Maybe artillery? It has a lanyard loop behind the rear sight. Thanx Dave

Answer:
Dave, The marking that you describe sounds like a Weimar police unit marking. Many Weimar police unit markings start with a P (Polizei) followed by a code that identifies the area that the pistol was assigned to (St.Z.) followed by a weapon number (65). A double dated Erfurt Luger would be the correct type of pistol to have a Weimar police unit marking. I have been unable to identify what the St.Z stands for, maybe one of our readers can help... Marc

16258 - WINCHESTER MODEL 1885 SINGLE SHOT
5/9/2020
Dan Atco, NJ

Maker: Winchester, Model: 1885, Caliber: 22lr, Barrel Length: 28, Finish: Blue, SN: 117446

Question:
It is a high wall take down model that has a Lyman flip up peep sight. It is in 100% working order. Is this rifle collectable ? is it sought after? It`s been in my family over 65 years. Thank you

Answer:
Dan- Your rifle was made sometime after 1913 (which ended at 100352) and before 1923 when production ended at 139700. These are excellent guns, invented by John M. Browning, and the first of many of his designs bought by Winchester. It entered production when Browning was only 30 years old. It has been made in more calibers than any other Winchester rifles, ranging from .22 rimfire to .50 caliber centerfire. It was offered with five different barrel weights (round or octagon or part round part octagon); many different lengths; and with a variety of stocks ranging from plain hunting stocks to elaborate schuetzen style target stocks to full length military style. It was made with the sides of the receiver either “high wall” or “low wall” configuration, and initially only in solid frame but in 1910 theyadded the takedown model.
These are very collectible with pretty good demand, especially for rare variations. A great many of the rifles were converted by amateurs to use various new cartridges circa 1940-1970, and those will bring a lot less than factory guns. The .22 rimfires tend to bring lower values than the larger calibers. Of course, condition is especially important in determining value. Based on your description I would expect to find similar rifles at gun shows or auctions selling for $750 and up.
There is an excellent article on “Variations of the Model 1885 Winchester” by the late Larry Jones on the American Society of Arms Collectors site in the reference section, with a lot more info on these fine rifles. Hope that helps. John Spangler

16264 -
5/9/2020
Joshua, Tacoma, WA, USA

Maker: Remington, Model: 11, Caliber: 12 Gauge, Barrel Length: 28 Inches, Finish: Blue, SN: 257713

Markings:
Full 0 (left side barrel) (REP) (right side of barrel) Remington UMC butt plate

Question:
Bought a Remington model 11 at a pawn store and curious on the year it was made. Did some research but nothing with the serial number I have.

Answer:

Joshua, 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. A quick Google search provided me with the following information from the Remington Society of America (remingtonsociety.org)

There is an extrapolated serial number list in James Tipton's article on these guns that appeared in the 2nd Quarter 2000 issue of the RSA's magazine. The magazine is sold out. He actually improved the list for a later version of the article that was on the Remington Arms Co. web site, but unfortunately I didn't print off a copy. His list is the best we have for the early guns, but on the Remington Society's web site is the old factory ledger from between the wars. It gives by month, the highest serial number receiver put into production, but doesn't tell when the gun was actually finished or when it was actually shipped/sold.

175X Bottom -- 1905
743X Bottom -- 1905
7149X Bottom -- 1909
7521X Bottom -- 1909
10330X Bottom -- 1911
10660X Bottom -- 1911
15240X Bottom -- 1913
18593X Bottom -- 1915
19705X Bottom -- 1917 from James Tipton's list. He says 1917 goes to 204161. The factory ledger gives 199611 as the high number on Sept. 30, 1919?!?
28865X Side -- October 1924
33571X Side -- late June 1928
76033X Side -- After WW-II, probably 1947.

For the guns made after 1921, you can look for a two- or three-letter date code on the left side of the barrel, usually between the front edge of the receiver and the choke marking. Also probably an inspector's mark or two in that area. Remingtons manufactured in 1921 and after have a code, usually located on the left side of the barrel near the frame that identifies the year and month of manufacture. The Remington Society of America has a great page that gives information on Remington markings and dates.

Hope that this helps, Marc

16259 - FLINTLOCK WITH MIDDDLE EASTERN WRITING
5/5/2020
Nick, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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

Markings:
Arabic writing and an engraved lion and crown

Question:
Would just like some information on identification, maintenance and value. Can I send photos?

Answer:
The rampant lion holding crown in its fore paws is the mark of the British East India Company, adopted in 1808. Prior to that they had mostly used a marking with the letters VEIC (for United East India Company) in a heart with a ``4`` on the top.

The East India Company became more or less the rulers of British Colonies in the Indian subcontinent, and supplied arms for their employees and for indigenous forces they raised there. Tens or possibly hundreds of thousands of guns were shipped to the region between Persia (Iran) and Tibet, including what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

In that part of the world, nothing is ever thrown away, but salvaged, reused or repurposed. As a result, parts from East India Company muskets often ended up repaired or totally rebuilt in local styles. Some retained their western style, while others are more of the ``camel gun`` style. Most are marked in some way in unreadable script from the many dialects spoken in the region. (At one time, a friend of ours who had been a CIA Station Chief in the region was able to decipher some of them for us, but he has passed away.)

These crude guns were used at various time for actual use fighting against other families, klans, tribes or arbitrarily delineated nations, or foreigners, or members of opposing religions or ethnicity. When too used up for even minimally hostile actions, they have become popular bit and pieces to make replica guns for sale to tourists, both civilian and military. Some are genuinely old guns, but many are cobbled together scraps augmented with brand new bits as needed to make a more or less complete and salable gun. Most of these have very minimal value to arms collectors, although individuals may still be very eager to have them as a souvenir of time spent in a far away place. Values tend to be modest, when you can find anyone interested in purchasing one.

As far as care, they really do not need much more than an occasional wipe with a lightly oiled rag, or you can use some automotive paste wax (the kind you rub out of a round can, not the liquid stuff) over the whole gun. Most of these are not fireable. I would not attempt to disassemble, and if you do you may find it held together with monkey dung or similar unidentifiable substances.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

16262 - DWM P-08 Questions
5/5/2020
Peter

Maker: DWM, Model: P-08, Caliber: 9 MM, Barrel Length: 4", Finish: Blue, SN: 7XXX K

Question:
Any information that you can provide me would be greatly appreciated. I'm very intrigued with the history of my Luger. If you can give me any additional information on it I would be very appreciative. I think this luger was manufactures in 1916. The serial number falls in the range listed in "Imperial Lugers" by Jan C. Still page 15.Below the serial number is stamped GERMANY. I understand that A.F. Stoeger & Company of New York imported a large number of refurbished luger to the United States after WW I. There is no date on top of the receiver as shown with most Lugers. Did commercial Lugers not have this date, or was it ground off? All numbers seem to match with the exception of the barrel witch appears to have been replaced. The two numbers on the barrel are 479 and 8.82. I understand that one deals with the hardness of the barrel and the 8.82 is the bore size. I enjoy shooting and I have a problem with this Luger. The pistol, when fired, will not recycle. The pistol will fire, the spent cartridge will be extracted, and the pistol will be cocked, but a new round will not be loaded. I have tried a number of different manufactories of ammunition but the best results I have had ,is with my old clip and then the pistol recycles only about 25% of the time. I have had the pistol looked at by a local gun dealer and he could not find anything wrong with it. He indicated that the ammunition used during the war was much hotter. Is this the case with all Lugers of this era? They wont recycle using today's ammunition? Is there commercial ammunition available that would eliminate this problem? Is there a modification that can be made to use today's lighter loads?

Answer:
Peter, I am afraid that there are only a few things that I can tell you about your Luger that you don't already know. You are correct about the barrel markings and I concur that your barrel is probably a replacement because it does not have a matching serial number. I have several early Lugers and have fired them all, I have never had problems caused by modern loads being too light. Luger carbines were designed to fire hotter loads and do not function properly when firing normal 9 MM ammo, but your Luger should work. It is hard to diagnose why your Luger is jamming without seeing it, but it sounds like your hold open device is not functioning properly. When your Luger locks open can you feel the hold open disengage when you remove the magazine and pull back on the toggle? A different magazine might make your problem go away, try several different magazines and see what happens. You can tell if a Luger chamber date has been removed or changed by looking at the top of the chamber. Chambers that have been modified no longer have a true radius at the top, chambers that are in original condition have a smooth radius. Compare your Luger with one that is original, if your chamber has been changed, the difference will be obvious... Marc

16260 - Albion No. 2 Mark 1 Revolver
5/2/2020
Daryl, Santee, Ca

Maker: ALBION, Model: MK I 1943, Caliber: 38, Barrel Length: 6¨?, Finish: Blue, SN: UNKNOWN

Question:
Llooking for history on this pistol.

Answer:
Daryl, The No. 2 Mark 1 revolver was officially adopted by the British government on June 2, 1932. No. 2 Mark 1 ** revolvers were made by Enfield and by Albion Motors at Glasgow. Singer Sewing Machine of Great Britain made No. 2 Mark 1 ** parts, which were assembled into complete revolvers at Enfield. In 1957, No. 2 Mark 1 ** revolvers were dropped as standard service issue and replaced by the FN Browning Hi-Power semi automatic pistol. No. 2 Mark 1 ** revolvers are still in extensive use in former British territories and are considered a reserve weapon in the United Kingdom... Marc

16250 - Looking For Information On Jefferson 410 Model 358 Shotgun.
5/2/2020
Fred

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

Question:
I was wondering who made the barrels on Jefferson .410 Model 358 shotguns.

It seems that Jefferson Rifles Jefferson Shotguns and Jefferson Rifles, and my sister`s gun- the Hawthorne 410 Model 110 all have what looks like a script ``JP`` stamped on them.

Thank you for any help you may provide.

Answer:
Sir- Sorry, we cannot help with that one. I have no information at all on the ``Jefferson`` brand name. Hawthorne was one of the brand names used by Montgomery Ward, before they got out of the gun business circa 1970.

Since it is a .410 it is probably no older than the 1920s. Including a Model 358 in the markings sounds like it is circa 1950-1970. Most of the :store brand`` guns in that time frame were made by Stevens-Savage, or by Marlin, but a few by Winchester or Remington. There were a lot of regional mail order or department or discount stores which sold gun under various :store brand`` names prior to 1968, and I suspect Jefferson fits into that category. Perhaps in Virginia, or in a sate with a prominent Jefferson city.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

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