# 14809 - “Rough Rider” Krag Model 1896 Carbine
4/29/2014
Tracy, Copley, OH

I have inherited my Great-Grandfathers carbine. I was told it was part of the Rough Riders, however, I have no evidence to justify that claim. The Rifle I have is a US Springfield .30-.40 Krag Model 1896 (Serial #69550). This weapon is in original condition with the stock saddle-ring in tact. Every piece of this weapon is functional and in very good condition including the stock. I would sincerely appreciate your assistance in finding out the history of this rifle and the original owner of same and an approximate value if possible. Where would you suggest I go to find out the history of this weapon? Thanks in advance! TD tracy.sweeten@abcsupply.com

Answer:
Tracy- First, the good news. This is almost certainly an authentic Model 1896 Krag carbine, as all the documented serial numbers on either side of that number are listed as carbines.

Now, the bad news. Although some records for the Teddy Roosevelt’s famous 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the “Rough Riders” have been found, I am not sure that all survived. That means that some guns can positively be linked to the unit, while others which may have been used by them might not have documentation remaining to prove it. There is NO surviving documentation on serial number 69550.

I suspect this may be a case of family oral history getting slightly confused over several generations. Sort of like this:

Grandpa fought in WW1. This was Grandpa’s gun. Therefore, Grandpa must have used this gun during WW1. in some cases this might be true, but in others, it may be a case of Grandpa buying “a gun like he used” when he saw one at a gun or surplus store. Or, frequently it turns out that the gun was made long after the war in which Grandpa participated and could not have possibly been used in that war, although Grandpa certainly owned it.

While not as good as official documentation, it would be good to get family members who heard the story to make out a detailed statement about the history they were told about the gun, including serial number, owner’s name and unit history and then having the statement notarized. Finally, keep the document, or at least a copy WITH THE GUN, not stored in a file cabinet where it will be lost.

Incidentally, service record information on members of the Rough Riders is available from the National Archives, and I think the Army Center for Military History as well. There is also a list of personnel in Teddy Roosevelt’s book “The Rough Riders.” It would be easy to track down if your ancestor actually served, and to confirm what company he was in, and then to check to see if that company is one for which serial number records have been found which might rule this out as being his service issue carbine, or confirm it is still a possibility.

It would be best if this stayed in the family if anyone has any interest in history. Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14905 - Burgo Value
4/29/2014
Raymond, Athens, Tennessee

Approximate value

Answer:
Raymond, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Burgo was an inexpensive (cheap Saturday night special type) revolver manufactured in the 1960's by Karl Burgsmuller of Kreiensen, West Germany for export to the United States. U.S. import of his type of revolver was banned by the gun control act of 1968. There is no collector demand for Burgo revolvers and values fall in the $25 to $50 range. Marc

# 14804 - Belgian Mariette Brevete Pepperbox
4/26/2014
Marta, Shawnee, Ks

under handle strap is Mariette Brevete, 5 long barrel, elg in oval above that a Gwith a crown above that. ebony handle with filigree. Has two firing(?) caps missing. Seems everything is there. Barrels numbered 1-5. I have pictures if you want just tell me how to send. I am out of a job and need to know what this gun is worth and where would be the best place to sell it? Quick return, I love eating and sleeping indoors.....

Answer:
Marta- It sounds like a nice pistol, and the photos you sent confirm that. The ELG in an oval are Belgian proof marks, so we know where it was made. The Mariette Brevete indicates it was made by Mariette, and implies that it may have included some features he patented (“brevete”). I have passed info on this to a friend in Kansas and also made some recommendations direct. Someone will like this one, but it does not fit our market niche. John Spangler

# 14904 - Valor Cry Baby
4/26/2014
Chad Highland Ks

P.O.E. Co St Joesph MO. This is a pocket gun that shoots tear gas. The owner is 98yo and it was his fathers as a city marshal in Troy Ks in the 1920s and 30s. I appears to still be functional but not even going try to fire live round. What is this and what's the value? Doing the research for the owner. Thank you

Answer:
Chad, I remember these from the late 1960s but they may have been around longer than I know of. If I remember correctly, Valor is a name that was used by RG - Rohm GmbH of Sontheim/Brenz Germany. RG produced cheap revolvers, starting pistols, gas pistols and alarm pistols for sales in the U.S. These were sold in the USA prior to being banned by the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. I often see this type of item selling at gunshows in the $25 - $50 range. Marc

# 14798 - Colt Dragoon Third Model Or Third Generation?
4/23/2014
Kevin, Cottonwood, AZ

My family has had this pistol for many, many years and we have not been able to find out much info about it. I took it to a gun shop and they were able to tell me that the serial number and look of the gun seemed like a 3rd Gen. Dragoon but does not have the engraved cylinder or markings on the left side. I was just wondering if there were certain ones that they didn't engrave or if this might be a parts gun. Thank you for your time in this matter.

Answer:
Kevin- There have been so many replicas of Colt percussion revolvers made (more than were originally made by Colt!) that it is very hard to keep track of all the makers and variation. As far as I know, all the original Colts and the “third generation” or modern Colt brand replicas had the rolled engraving on the cylinder. I am not sure about the non-Colt brand replicas. I really do not know enough about Colts to say anything more. However, someone with experience in old guns can probably tell if this is an old original, or a replica. The originals are worth pretty good money, even in rough condition, while the modern replicas are worth very modest amounts. John Spangler

# 14898 - SVW P.38
4/23/2014
John

On the left side of the slide is P.38 followed by SVW. underneath the SVW is the number 45. On the right side of the slide there is a small star. The grips are metal. I would like to know what countries other than Germany manufactured the P.38 and this firearm in particular. Thank You

Answer:
John, SVW is a WW-II German ordnance code that was assigned to Mauser-Werke, Oberndorf on the Neckar, Germany in January of 1945. The 45 beneath the SVW is the year of manufacture. Your P.38 should be stamped with two military acceptance stamps (eagle over WaA135) on the left side of the slide with a military test proof (eagle over swastika) in between. The right side of the slide should also be stamped with one military acceptance stamp. I am not sure what the star stamping is, but it was probably added after the war (maybe one of our readers can help with this). P.38 pistols were mainly manufactured in Germany, and after the war in France by Manurhin as the P-1... Marc

# 14797 - Remington Rolling Block Rifle Date
4/16/2014
John, West Palm Beach, FL

32 stamped on underside of octagon barrel front of stock. Patent dates on side of receiver. Patent dates on side of receiver list month & year, from 1860 - 863 (approx. 5). Would this confirm manufacturing date being the most recent? I inherited the gun and am doing research to determine its value...

Answer:
John- It is hard to be sure exactly what you have, or when it was made without seeing some photos. I am pretty sure that at .32 caliber it is one of the sporting rifles made by Remington. However, Remington’s rolling blocks were made from about 1865 through the 1920s, and all of them traced their basic designs back to the patents granted in the 1860s, so the patent date really does not tell us much about actual date of manufacture.

Perhaps the best information is this rather lengthy introduction by Norm Flayderman in his superb “Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values.” We recommend that EVERY collector make this the first purchase for their reference library. I would encourage you to check your rifle against those shown in Flayderman for more information.

“The Remington Rolling Block Action

One of the most famous and prolifically produced of all American arms is the famed Remington Rolling Block. So many were made over such a long period that they are almost taken for granted on the collectors' market and very little in detailed/in-depth studies have ever been published to systematically categorize each and every model. The author will not attempt to do so here, but will try to put them in perspective. The basic principle for the so-called rolling block breech was patented by Leonard M. Geiger in 1863. The action was improved by Remington's own genius, Joseph Rider, and first produced as the "Split Breech" carbines (q.v.). Rider continued to develop the mechanism until finally perfected in 1866 with further improvements patented in April, 1866, August, 1867, and November, 1871.

The rolling block was an interlocking system of hammer and breech determined to be one of the strongest actions of its era and capable of handling any ammunition then produced. Popularity was due not only from its tremendous strength, but the simplicity of action: (a) Hammer cocked; (b) breechblock very simply rolled backward and downward by pressure of thumb on the projecting ear-like lever on the side of the block; simultaneously the spent cartridge was extracted; (c) by merely rolling breechblock into place, gun was ready to fire (in its final refinement the hammer was also locked at the full cock position). The rolling blocks are divided into two basic styles for collector purposes: (1) Military, (2) Sporting. Each group, especially the latter, has its own subcategories. Production was over a remarkably long period, 1867 to 1934 (in one form or another) with over a million of the military models and carbines made.

The rolling block was produced in four basic action sizes or types which, in many cases, are also model number designations. The largest of these actions was the No. I, first introduced in 1868, and the smallest was the No. 4, introduced in 1890:
No. 1 Action: l 1/4"wide. Largest of the rolling blocks; chambering from small bores to the largest and heaviest calibers.


No. 1 1/2 Action: About identical in profile and dimensions to the No. 1 above but narrower in width and lighter in weight. Not chambered for the heavier calibers. No. 2 Action: 1 1/8" wide. Chambering generally for the less potent cartridges of medium sizes with several for pistol size cartridges. Easily distinguished by the arched or curved contour at rear sides of action where it joins [the] stock.
No. 3 Action: Not a rolling block type. This was the Remington-Hepburn, falling block breechloader.


No. 4 Action: Made in rimfire calibers .22, .25/10 Stevens and .32. A lightweight rolling block action quite short size; the forward section of the receiver (especially the receiver ring into which the barrel is screwed) is noticeably narrower than either of its predecessors (the Models No. 1 or No. 2).


No. 5 Action: Large action similar to the No. 1 size, but designed for "Smokeless High Powered Cartridges" and first introduced in 1898. Has the extraction device for rimless cartridge cases. The last of the large frame rolling blocks.” Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14897 - Austrian Marked Luger
4/16/2014
Vance, Fort Lauderdale, FL. USA

Front of grip 3/.R.R.16.70. 8435 on left of barrel & front of frame. 35 on rt side frame/toggle above trigger/rear of sight/extractor/top toggle. Rt side barrel eagle crest with odd stamp and 2356.60. Frame above trigger eagle crest with odd stamp and 2356.60. 1918 / 20 top of barrel. Top toggle has other stamps I cannot decipher. Mag in non match #9735 with odd O, dagger?, eagle with 83 under it. Under barrel is marked made in Austria. ''Holster has a crown stamp with III under it on back, pull up strap works. How rare is this piece & value.

Answer:
Vance, your Luger has some interesting markings, there are some that I can identify, but there are others that I have never seen on a Luger before.

The "1918 / 20" markings lead me to believe that your Luger is one of a type commonly known as a "Double Dated" Lugers. The Double Dated Lugers are usually WWI German military issue pistols that were factory reworked and reissued after WWI to German Army and Police units, as permitted by the treaty of Versailles. 1918 is the original year of manufacture. The 1920 indicated that the Luger could be legitimately issued to the new German army, the Reichswehr, or issued to the police. It may have been reworked or modified during this time. If the pistol was issued to the German police it may have been modified with a small metal bar on the left side of the upper receiver to prevent if from firing when it was partially disassembled.

"3/.R.R.16.70" is a unit marking, it stands for one of the two following definitions, depending on if first R is written in a script like, or regular font:

Infanterie Regiment 3 Rekrutendepot Kompagnie 16 Waffe Nr. 70

Reserve Infanterie Regiment 3 Kompagnie 16 Waffe Nr. 70

The markings that I can't identify are "Austria" and "2356.60". I am guessing that 2356.60 may be some sort of police - weapon, or rack number. Austria is an unusual marking to have on a Luger. It sounds like an import marking for the Luger's country of origin, these were applied in accordance wit U.S. laws to foreign manufactured firearms when they were imported into the United States. I have seen allot of Lugers that are marked "Germany" but I have never seen one that is marked "Austria". The Austrian police typically used pistols designed and made by the Steyr company. The Austrian Army was absorbed into the German Army after the Anschluss in 1938. The Austrian police continued to used Austrian manufactured weapons, but many were marked with the Nazi eagle.

For more information, a good place to look would be the Jan Still Luger forum at http://luger.gunboards.com/. Good luck, Marc

# 14866 - Finnbear 30-06 Value
4/12/2014
Michael, Needmore, PA

engraving on trigger guard and floor plate This rifle has never been fired and has been kept in perfect condition. No scratches or rust. What is the value???

Answer:
Michael, values in the blue book range from around $500 to over $1000 depending on condition. Marc

# 14796 - Krag Rifle Cut To Carbine Length
4/12/2014
Dewey ,Hamilton Ohio USA

What can you tell me about this carbine ?? I read on your site that a lot of these were cut down or modified for hunters .. Was this one done like that.. This link has pictures of it. http://sdrv.ms/1bYH2hi Can get better pictures if needed

Answer:
Dewey- Your rifle was made as a full length rifle with a 30 inch barrel and later cut down, probably for use as a hunting rifle. The barrel band is from a German Model 1898 Mauser rifle and still has the German Army unit markings stamped on it. The front sight looks like it is also from a Mauser. Several details confirm that it is cut down, mainly the fact that the serial number range was used for rifles, not carbines, the incorrect front sight and barrel band, and the presence of a butt sling swivel, and the lack of a band spring, Collector value is minimal, but it probably is still a good hunting rifle. John Spangler

# 14795 - A Picture Is Worth 10,000 Words
4/8/2014
Steve, Powhatan, VA, USA

Octagonal barrel. Single shot, muzzle loader, not breech loaded. 2 triggers. No name anywhere on it. Some engraved scroll work on the metal. Looks like a Sharps 50 Cal, but the stock is butted directly against the trigger set. Doesn't have a long tapered piece on the sides back into the stock like most Sharps rifles. ''143'' stamped on top of barrel, back side of the hammer and inside the trigger set cover. This rifle has a solid steel forestock, unlike the pictures I've seen of most Sharps. How can I determine what this gun actually is, manufacturer and when it was made? email is spfish@eaglestrategies.com

Answer:
Steve- Your gun sounds interesting, but I cannot visualize what it is. I really need to see some photos to even guess. Best I can do now is to guess that it is a fairly typical circa 1830-1860 muzzle loading hunting rifle or target rifle, maybe even a Civil a sniper rifle. But, I really cannot say. John Spangler

# 14890 -
4/8/2014
George, Charlotte, NC

It's a top break. Thought it was an Iver Johnson because it looks the same. The barrel is marked with ''Secret Service Special'' on the side, and Howard Arms Co. Chicago USA on top. When was the gun made and is it worth having repaired? Any assistance would be helpful.

Answer:
George, Secret Service Special was a trade name used on inexpensive revolvers that were sold by Rohde-Spencer Company of Chicago. The Howard Arms Co name was distributed by H&D Folsom, usually on shotguns made by their subsidiary company, Crescent Firearms, or imported from Belgium. Marc

# 14794 - Diamond Headstamp On Rimfire Ammunition
4/5/2014
Amanda, Hehzibag, Ga

Diamond on Headstamp area. A friend of mine has some old bullets. They have a diamond on the headstamp and that's all. From the pictures that I pull up, I want to say they that they are .41 short rimfire ammo . But I'm not positive. So my question is how do I find out what year they are from? If its really a .41, The manufacturer would be good to know also. Where we found them was pretty interesting . So if I could find out more info that would be great. Thanks

Answer:
Amanda- The diamond headstamp on rimfire ammunition indicates manufacture by the Western Cartridge Company, which first used this mark around 1910. The .41 short rimfire was used in the popular Remington double barrel derringers, along with dozens of other small pocket guns. However, production of the ammo ceased around the time of WW2 and it is very hard to find any more. Navy Arms Company made a small run probably 30 years ago, but even that has pretty much vanished off the market, so even a few loose rounds have some value and appeal to collectors who have one of the .41 short rimfire guns and wants a few rounds to try shooting it or for display. John Spangler

# 14889 - Post 64 Mod. 94 Value
4/5/2014
Beth, Louisburg KS

How old is it? What is it worth? It is in mint condition- not sure it has ever been fired.

Answer:
Beth, is it a 22 or is it a 30-30? My guess is that it is a 30-30. Your rifle was manufactured in 1976. There is not much collector interest in post 1964 Winchester rifles but they are still popular with shooters. The blue book lists prices for this model in the $400 range. Marc.

# 14787 - Spanish American War 1893 Mauser 1896
4/2/2014
Gary, Belle Chasse Louisiana

Mauser espanol modelo 1893 manufactura Loewe Berlin Stamped on side of reciever. Spanish crest Berlin 1896 on top of reciever. Spanish crest with 1896 on stock. Hello, i have recently aquired a model 1893 spanish mauser, the rifle has matching serial numbers including bolt. Believe it could be a captured rifle from spanish american war. Would rate rifle to be in good condition. What price range could i expect this rifle to be worth. Thank you, Gary.

Answer:
Gary- I agree that your rifle was probably one of the ones captured in the Spanish American War. Some of the captured arms were brought home as personal souvenirs, but most were just sold off as surplus, with Francis Bannerman Sons the successful buyer of the lot. They sold these off circa 1905-1920. From the scarcity of these rifles on the market, my estimate is that there were no more than about 5,000 of these rifles, perhaps only half as many which survive. Compared to the roughly 150,000 Krag rifles the opposing side’s weapons are surprisingly hard to find. However, the number of collectors wanting Span-Am War stuff seems to be small, so prices remain somewhat modest despite their scarcity. Exact value will depend on condition, and if this number can be found on the handful of official documents listing captured arms which give a bit more specific history. A rough rang would be in the $500-1000 range, while the post 1898 Spanish Muaser rifles sometimes go for $100-250. John Spangler

# 14888 - E.N. Santa Barbara 1858 Remington New Model Army
4/2/2014
Chuck , Richmond Ky.

engraved and cased What is the worth?

Answer:
Chuck, a quick search on Gun Broker shows the cased and engarved model selling for $450 or less. Regular models seem to be going in the $250 range. Marc