# 14844 - Harvard And Yale 1910 Shooting Trophy
5/31/2014
Susan

Hello, I have a shooting trophy between Harvard and Yale dated May 1910...it resembles replica of a large size ammo....It very heavy ( 1 lb. or so)...I would like to send you a few pics if you are interested in helping me identify it?

The base reads: U.M.C Co. Bridgeport, Conn USA, Driggs Ordinance Co., 2-94. Here are the dimensions- the base is 24 1/2mm ( 4 inches ) and the height is 33mm ( 5 1/2 inches tall ).

Thanks Very Much,

Answer:
Susan- Unfortunately, your metric and inch measurements conflict with each other, so I am unable to identify the exact origin of the shell casing from which the trophy was made. It was probably made for a 47mm or 57mm (3 pounder or 6 pounder respectively) single shot cannon, but it really is not important.

Driggs Ordnance and Engineering Company was a maker of small to medium size cannons both for shipboard use and on wheeled field carriages for land use circa 1880-1920. They concentrated onteh guns, and had regular ammunition makers provide the ammunition built to their specifications and marked with the Driggs name. For this item, the cartridge case was made by Union Metallic Cartridge Company for Driggs in February 1894. It was almost certainly much taller when made, but later cut down (circa 1910) to its present length and the handles added and given a silver or nickel plate finish. Surplus artillery shell casings would have been available, and most people would think them to be a suitable basis for a shooting trophy, and obviously the work is less costly and ornate than some prestigious solid silver trophy, which may have been deemed appropriate for high visibility sports. Shooting teams have always been rather poorly funded step-children of the athletic world.

Since it has a single name on it, I assume that would be the high scorer of the winning team, or perhaps they made several of these and each team member got one with their own name inscribed.

Marksmanship competition between Harvard and Yale goes back to circa 1882-1883, and there has always been an intense rivalry between the schools in all athletic events. Shooting competition in 1910 was probably strictly small bore rifle, but today the events likely include smallbore rifle and pistol, and probably clay target programs (trap or skeet), and maybe air rifle and air pistol.

Both schools still have shooting teams, apparently resurrected after being banished in a surge of political correctness by the gun control extremists in the post Kennedy assassination era.
Yale- http://www.yale.edu/pistol/index.htm
Harvard- http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~shooting/

As a piece of shooting memorabilia, the condition makes this one hard to read and it just does not look all that wonderful, so I think it would sell at a gun show or auction for a modest amount- well under $100, probably under $50. I don't think that in a market for Ivy League memorabilia that the value would be much different, but that is just a guess.

My suggestion would be to send a letter to BOTH Harvard and Yale Shooting teams, and offer to donate this to the team which won the 2013 competition with the understanding it would be transferred each year to that year's winning team. They would probably think this is really great with the 100+ year old history and provide an opportunity for bragging rights. They probably don't get much, if anything from their respective schools, and this might provide a "hook" for some positive publicity, and the age and history would add some respectability and heritage to the shooting teams on campus.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14921 - Remington 541-S
5/31/2014
Brian, Pisgah, AL

Scroll engraving on receiver and trigger guard. Supplied w/o sights. Checkered walnut stock w/rosewood-finished forend tip 20 The rifle I have has screw in plugs were the sights are suppose to be, was this done at the factory or has someone added this? If you could, please give me a close value of this rifle and the year it was built. Thank You!

Answer:
Brian, this may be more than you wanted to know. The Remington Model 541-S Custom Sporter was first introduced in 1972. The Model 541-S was an attractive .22 caliber bolt action rifle which looked a lot like a bigger center fire hunting rifle. The 541-S was based on the Model 540-XR action and came equipped with a tapered twenty-four inch barrel and a one piece American walnut stock with cut checkering and simulated rosewood buttplate, forend tip, and grip cap. Other special features included a five-shot box magazine, dual extractors on the rear lock-up bolt, adjustable trigger and fancy scroll engraved receiver. When introduced in 1972, the 541-S retailed for $134.95. In answer to your question, Model 541-S rifles came without sights, they were factory drilled and tapped for custom aperture sights or scope mounts. The Model 541-S was discontinued in December 1983, after about 31,000 rifles had been manufactured. In 1986 the 541-S was reintroduced with slightly different features as the Model 541-T, Remington added a heavy-barrel version 1993. Blue book values for the 541-S range from $275 to over $600 depending on condition. Marc

# 14843 - U.S. Cartridge Company .22 Ammo Circa 1911
5/28/2014
Alex

I have an original box of US in top left side with circle around it, marked 50 CAL.22.LONG RIFLE TARGET CARTRIDGES Manufactured BY "UNITED STATES CARTRIDGE CO, Lowell, Mass., U.S.A also says RIM FIRE! Bottom of the box has May 16 1911 stamped in red. If someone could help me get a full understanding about this box I would appreciate it very much, from my searching the internet I did run across a collector some time back his page mentioned that he in his lifetime had seen a box that held the bullets but had never seen not even one of the bullets that went inside and I sent that gentleman an email but never received a reply. I sure know that there are some truly odd items and claims of various people that say they have certain things but in fact do not as some type of a scam but I am not one of those people. I truly do have the original box with the 50 bullets inside and stamped on the bottom of the box is MAY 16 1911 SO IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH SOME INFO IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

Answer:
Alex- We cannot help much with that one.

The field of .22 box collecting is highly specialized, and frankly is not an area that interests me, so I really don't know a lot.

U.S. Cartridge Company was a major producer until about 1920 when they were bought out by one of the other big makers. The .22 Long Rifle had been introduced about 1887, so it had been on the market for a long time before your box was made. The date is probably the equivalent of what we would call a "lot number" now, or it may just be a date stamped on the box by a dealer or buyer at the time so they could keep track of their ammo and use the older stuff up first.

Being "target" cartridges may add to the value, but I really don't have much feel for value. My guess would be maybe $10-20 range.

Two places to seek better info would be on the International Ammunition Association forum http://iaaforum.org/forum3/viewforum.php?f=8 or checking with advanced collector Guy Hildebrand at http://www.oldammo.com/orders.htm

Remember, shipping of ammunition has to be done by UPS ground, NOT by Post Office, and that will run about $12-16 depending on addresses involved.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14920 - Bauer .25
5/28/2014
Michigan USA

White pearl-like grips What year was this made

Answer:
References tell me that the Bauer .25 is an exact copy of the Baby Browning, except that it is made from stainless steel. The blue book indicates that Bauer manufactured the .25 ACP from 1972 to 1984 but no further information or serial number records are available. Values for this model in the blue book range from $80 to a little over $200 depending on condition. Marc

# 14826 - Confederate Spiller & Burr Revolver
5/24/2014
Angel Idaho

Just the number 42 under the grips on frame We are having a hard time figuring out what the value is on this gun we been told by two different gun collectors it's in museum quality and excellent condition. The only markings on it is the serial number 42 on the farm under the grips when taken off the grips are in perfect condition very little shrinkage. All the ones I find have cs on the sides and mine don't or say anything else at all anywhere but I have been told by even a museum it's the real deal but they want me to send it to them to give me a price on it. Any info would be very much welcomed and thank u for your time.

Answer:
Angel- If it is an authentic Civil War Confederate Spiller and Burr revolver, then it has considerable collector value. For that reason, there have been many replicas made, and many outright fakes made. Some of these are now 50+ years old and can fool even experienced collectors. Therefore extreme caution is advised when someone is considering purchase of one of these. Or, when attempting to put a value on one.

The best indicator for value is to find similar condition examples which have sold at auction in the last year or two. These do turn up fairly often with the big auction houses. Just as a rough guide, Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values lists these as worth about $17,500 in NRA antique fair condition and $40,000 in NRA Antique Very Good condition. That is for the standard “second model.” Thee is an even rarer “first model” with only about 50 made, and the number 42 on yours suggest it MAY be an early one, although sometimes numbers are just assembly or batch numbers, not serial numbers. A “first model” is “very rare and worth premium over values shown above.”

If a museum is offering to put a value on something, that should be a warning sign, as it is a strict museum ethics policy that museums do NOT place value on things. Perhaps they can refer you to someone who can, but for the museum to do it may indicate that their ethics are questionable, which might raise questions about the value they provide.

I can recommend several reputable auction houses if you are considering selling this. Use the links on the page to send me an email for further discussion. Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14918 - Lee Jurras 200 International Automag
5/24/2014
Lori

Hi, I need some information on a collectors gun that I'm hoping you know something about. . I have a custom Lee Jurras 200 International Automag that is one of twelve made. It is the only Bicentennial one made also. Do you have any information or an idea of the value. It has been confirmed as authentic. Thanks.

Answer:
Lori, our main focus at FineOldGuns.com (OldGuns.net) is military firearms. I have not had an Automag in over 10 years, so any information that I can provide is based on research from reference materials and the internet, not personal experience. The Blue Book of Gun Values has a section on Lee Jurras Custom Models, they confirm that only 12 of the 200 International model were manufactured. When it comes to pricing, they are not very helpful, they tell us that "because of the rarity factor, these models with 12 or less mfg. are difficult to price accurately, and must be evaluated and appraised individually."

I suggest that you contact someone who specializes in Automag, a quick internet search provided me with the following links that may be a good place to start:

• amtguns.net
• AutomagHeaven

# 14821 - Throwing Good Money After Bad Winchester 1895
5/21/2014
Paul, Clinton Twp. Mi

I was just given this Win Mod 1895 receiver only (no barrel). Stock is there and in good shape. It appears that it was blown up as there is some disfigurement on the bolt top where it would lock into the barrel. Question is I would like to restore it and need some parts. Any clues as to where I may acquire a bolt, barrel, fore end? How can I determine what caliber is was? Gun was manuf`d in 1901.

Answer:
Paul- That is one of the sillier ideas I have heard in a long time. The damage you describe indicates that any attempt to fire this gun after restoration would qualify you for a potential Darwin Award. Aside from that, there are the economics to consider. Model 1895 parts are hard to find, and expensive when you do find them. You can easily expect to invest another $500 in parts to assemble a gun that will be worth about half that, besides being dangerous.

If you just want to add enough to make it look okay for hanging on a wall or something, then just about any barrel will work. Turn the shank or threaded area down to slip into the receiver, and you can secure it there with Bondo or epoxy. Find a junk lever from any Winchester, and you can modify it to look okay, even if you have to use Bobdo or a tack weld to hold it in place. For the bolt, a simple piece of wood will be easy to work with, and once in place, a bit of black paint will make it less obvious.

Frankly, my suggestion would be to put your part up for sale to some other person looking for a project. John Spangler

# 14916 - Psychic Question
5/21/2014
michigan

XL 5460 I want to find out who this gun was issued to and who he was and the history of the weapon

Answer:
michigan - I am afraid that if this all of the information that you can provide, you are going to have to contact a psychic. With so little information, we are not able to help. Marc

# 14915 -
5/21/2014
Jackie, Holly Hill, Florida

What is the manufacture date (Month & Year) for a U.S. Remington 1903A3 rifle with serial# 3806071?? Thank you for your help!

Answer:
Jackie, you must have missed the link on our main page, here it is: http://oldguns.net/sn_php/milmods.htm Marc

# 14820 - Unidentified Cartridges
5/17/2014
Brad, Easton PA

I recently found a cartridge in a drill bit cabinet I bought. The head stamp has these markings: ''4'', ''40'', ''1'' & ''SF'' Can you tell me any info in this bullet? My return email is bradjacob71@gmail.com Thanks so much - and I hope I'm doing this by the proper means...

Answer:
Brad- The headstamp markings sound like typical French military markings to me. Beyond that, I have no idea, but I doubt if they have any real value. John Spangler

# 14911 - Very BAD Idea
5/17/2014
Richard

Sights leave lot to be desired. Are adj. sights available ? What is available ?

Answer:
Richard, your P.38 is a WWII German military pistol, made by the most desirable maker (Walther). The pistol is over 70 years old and there is allot of collector interest in P.38 pistols if they are in original condition. If you change the sights, you will also change your collectable and potentially valuable wartime P.38 into a cheap shooter worth about $200 at most.

If you are looking for a something with better sights, I would advise you to sell the Walther and get a modern 9MM. With a modern pistol, you will not only have the benefit of being able to select whatever type of sights that you want, you will also be able to get a higher capacity magazine. Marc

# 14817 - Engraved Civil War Era Colt Army Revolver
5/14/2014
Christopher, Fredericskburg, VA

Wolf head Engraving on the hammer. Engravings all over the barrel , cylinder and handle. I am trying to find out as much as I can about this firearm. All the S/N match across all pieces. It has a Colt Patent on the cylinder and the ''Address Col Sam...'' on the top of the barrel. I showed a collector named Udo (you may know him) and he informed me that there are no markings indicating that it was used in the military, implying commercial use. I was thinking it may have been engraved by Gustave Young because of the Wolfhead Hammer. This is not a replica and is in perfect firing condition. We were also thinking it could have possibly been used by the South in the Civil War since it was commercial, but did not know how to track that. Thank you, Chris

Answer:
Christopher- It certainly sounds like a nice gun. However, it is outside our area of expertise, and I could not authenticate the engraving as being original, or identify the engraver even if holding this gun in my hand while you held another to my head.

The starting point to research this one will be to pull out your wallet and credit card and contact Colt for a factory letter. Their prices for percussion revolvers, especially engraved ones, can get VERY pricey, so either man up and buy the letter, or take your chances that you might find out something for free elsewhere. But, the Colt letter should tell if it was delivered on a military order, or if on a civilian order, possibly if it was factory engraved, or shipped “in the white” for engraving by one of the big resellers, and possibly the shipping destination. If it authenticates this as a factory engraved gun, the cost of the letter will be well worth it. Hope you have a winner! John Spangler

# 14910 - US Model 1917 Enfield
5/14/2014
Jerry

It has a small birds head, a star with a circle around it, a circle with wings on left. Is it special in any way, when was it used?

Answer:
Jerry, your rifle is a US Model 1917 Enfield. During WWI, US Government armories were unable to produce enough M1903 Springfield rifles to keep up with war time demands. The need for greater rifle production led to the adoption of the Model 1917 Enfield .30-06 rifle. The Model 1917 Enfield .30-06 is a slightly modified version of the British Pattern 14 which was already being produced by Winchester Remingtin and Eddystone in .303 British. Enfield rifles are noted for their accuracy, durability and ruggedness. One problem with the Model 1917 is that some rifles have been found with cracked receiver rings, rifles made by Eddystone are the most prone to cracking. Cracked receivers sometimes are not easily detected so you should have your rifle checked out by a competent gunsmith before firing it. As a collectors item your Winchester is more highly sought after than ether a Remington or an Eddystone, if it is in original condition. The bird's head is an Eagle head (usually with a few tiny numbers underneath) which was used as a U.S. Ordnance inspectors' mark during WWI. The Circle with a star is found on most Winchesters on the left side of the receiver, but its significance is not known. Other makers seem to have used a flaming ordnance bomb mark instead. The circle with a wing to the left is a flaming ordnance bomb, usually found on the bolt handle, as another U.S. inspector's marking. All these are pretty normal, and do not indicate anything exotic. About the only exotic variation on the Winchester M1917s are the few very early ones marked W on the receiver instead of the full Winchester name. Even those attract little interest except by advanced U.S or Winchester collectors. The Model 1917 over the years has been a popular rifle to ''sporterize'' and if your rifle has been sporterized it has lost most of it's collectors value... Marc

# 14909 - Iver Johnson 32
5/10/2014
Tim, Forest, VA

It has an owl head level across the top of the grip. The owls head is not facing top to bottom of the grip like in pictures online I've seen. The number under the trigger guard is 11715. Under the left grip is the number B11715 & on the right grip is the number 1. I would like to knew the age, if there's paperwork I can get and is it worth selling or keeping?

Answer:
Tim, values for Iver Johnson firearms, especially the old .32 revolvers, are usually modest. I often see them at gunshows selling in the $150 or less range.

If you would like to find more information on your Iver Johnson, I recommend an excellent book by W. E. Bill Goforth. The name of the book is "Iver Johnson: Arms & Cycle Works Firearms 1871- 1993", it is available on Amazon, here is a link:

Iver Johnson: Arms & Cycle Works Firearms 1871-1993

Hope that this helps, Marc

# 14907 - Frame Conversion From 1911 To 1911A1
5/7/2014
Craig

No rebuild markings The frame was converted from the original form of the WWI M1911 to the M1911A1 was this done before WWII and how many was this done to? and the gun also has a mixture of blue and Parkerizing finishes with no rebuild markings, very interesting piece. Craig

Answer:
Craig, the 1911 was the standard US military sidearm from 1911 until about 1925. There were several improvements made to the 1911 that resulted in the 1911A1. To make aiming easier, the 1911A1 has slightly larger sights, to reduce the chances of hammer bite, it has a shorter hammer spur and a longer grip safety, an arched mainspring housing is to give a higher natural point of aim for snap shooting, and a shorter trigger with finger clearance cuts in the frame is to gain a better trigger finger position.

The conversion of a 1911 frame to 1911A1 configuration, would require the milling of the clearance cuts behind the trigger. I have never heard of anything like this ever being done, and it seems to me like it would much easier and more cost effective to just start with a 1911A1 frame then to convert a 1911 frame.

My references indicate that a frame with serial number 337115 was manufactured in 1918 by Colt, this frame would not have had any clearance cuts. If your frame has the clearance cuts, my suspicion is that is a replacement or an after market frame of some sort. The mixture of different parts with different finishes that you mention would be consist with a gun built from spare parts on a replacement frame. Marc

# 14815 - German Flintlock 1846 Zella
5/7/2014
Jeff, Santa Cruz ca

Crown over Zella over 1846, crown over S Any idea who made it.

Answer:
Jeff- the city of Zella-Mehlis in Thuringia, Germany is one of the areas where guns have been made since the 1600s, and at one time was the home of the famous Carl Walther factory. The city of Suhl, another famous gun making town, is only about five miles away.

I am pretty sure that your gun was made for German military use (although prior to 1870 these were still a loose confederation of independent states rather than a unified country). Typically at that time, arms were often the joint effort of several artisans (a barrel maker, a lock maker and a stock maker, etc) working together to end up with complete arms which would be inspected and when accepted marked with the government inspection marks. That would be the crown over S mark you mention.

Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14908 - Iver Johnson Shotgun Value
5/3/2014
Joe, Bridgeport, WV, USA

Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works, Fitcgburg, Mass. U.S.A. Is imprinted on the side Is this gun worth anything and approximately how old would this gun be?

Answer:
Joe, I can not help with the date of manufacture, but I can tell you that in general Iver Johnson shotguns sell in the $100 or less range. Marc

# 14906 - Gold Cup Value
5/3/2014
Philippines

I am overseas and found this gun. Adjust rear, with what I think are early Pa kmeyer hard plastic grips. Could you please tell me the date of manufacture or any other history? Thank You

Answer:
My serial number information for Colt Gold Cup pistols ends around 1970 so I can not be of much help with the date of manufacture for this pistol. The description that you sent brings up some questions in my mind. I have had several Series 80 Gold Cup pistols over the last few years, I checked my records and all of the serial numbers for those pistols were a combination of letters and numbers. I have never had a Series 80 Gold Cup with a serial number that is only numbers. It makes me wonder if the frame of this pistol is a real Colt? I think that you should check the frame to make sure that it is stamped with the Colt verified proof. If it is a Colt frame, the stamping will be on the left hand side where the trigger guard meets the frame at the top. Here are a couple links to a pictures of what a Colt verified proof looks like:

Picture 1
Picture 2

The slide markings that you sent are different than any of the pistols that I have had. All of my slides have been marked on the left hand side with ``SERIES`80 COLT MKIV / GOLD CUP NATIONAL MATCH`` and with ``GOLD CUP / NATIONAL MATCH`` on the right.

As for pricing, we will be happy to sell you a very nice Gold Cup National Match in new condition with box and papers for $1295. Marc

# 14810 - Sharps New Model 1863 Carbine
5/3/2014
Jamie, Tucson, AZ

Not sure the letters but looks like 3 letters stamped on the stock. Just inherited this great gun and saw in a forum that you have records on SN`s. Any information would be greatly appreciated and thanks.

Answer:
Jamie- Sorry, no history on that one. Other nearby numbers indicate that guns in this range were reaching volunteer cavalry units in the field in late 1863 and in use through the end of the Civil War. But, by what unit, it is impossible to say.

The three letters stamped on the stock are inspectors initials, usually found in an oval, or a wavy ribbon type border which indicate who inspected the carbine for the government. John Spangler