# 14308 - Winchester DOM and Value
11/29/2011
California

I would like to know how old the guns are and how much are they worth, these were my dad's guns I also have a Winchester serial 1784314 Model 94 with a 19'' barrel

Answer:
You can find when your Winchesters were manufactured by using our Winchester date of manufacture link. The link is a little over half way down on the FineOldGuns.com menu bar. My records indicate that the year of manufacture for 1142878 is 1941. Value can be anywhere from around one hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars depending on condition, custom options and type. Marc

# 14300 - .30-06 Headstamp information
11/29/2011
Terry

I WANT THE HEADSTAMP INFO FOR ALL 30-06 AMMO USED IN WWII. CORROSIVE AND NON-CORROSIVE FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE A LARGE LOT OF: "DM AND EW 42" AMMO I WANT TO IDENTIFY

Answer:
Terry- Perhaps no one ever told you that it is impolite to "shout" using ALL CAPS, or that words like "please" or "thank you" are appropriate to use when asking people to help you, especially for free. Maybe you are an Obama voter who thinks that you are entitled.

All .30-06 ammunition made during WW2, and nearly all made prior to 1952 was corrosive primed. (The only exception being a few lots of Canadian made .30-06 ammo which are extremely scarce) Here is a table showing the exact changeover to non-corrosive. http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/30-06intro/ammo-nctable.htm You can check headstamp meanings at: http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm

I hope that others may benefit from this answer as well. John Spangler

# 14174 - Restoration Of French MAS-36 Rifle
11/26/2011
Bill Floral Park NY USA

I have a MAS-36 which I personally captured and brought back from Vietnam in 1967. I have all the required paperwork for it: registration as a war trophy, export license, etc. It is now in very poor shape: broken front handguard, missing front band, missing front sight. I realize these rifles are cheap on the surplus market and have very low value, but this one is very special to me. I would like to have it restored for my grandson, but I have had no luck in finding anyone willing to do the work. I live in Floral Park, Long Island, NY. Can you recommend anyone, anywhere, who could fix it up for me? Thank you. Bill Doherty WAPD02@yahoo.com. retired NYPD captain, proud former U.S. Marine.

Answer:
Bill- Thank you for your service to our country, and we understand your desire to preserve this souvenir, despite the doggy condition. I don’t know what you have in mind for “restoration” but I would advise against any refinishing of the metal or wood. Maybe just a gentle cleaning of any recent surface rust, and replacement of critical missing or broken parts. Frankly, if that it the condition when you captured it, I would strongly advise leaving it as is. We have seen many souvenir guns brought home by WW2 vets which have been refinished, or sporterized or otherwise altered. It is certainly their right to do as they please with something they obtained themselves while defending our country, often paying a price in blood or memories others will never understand. If it satisfies the owner, that is great. However, to just about anyone else, the historical and cash value is drastically diminished by refinishing or alterations.

These are pretty simple guns, and you should be able to Google disassembly instructions. Best bet would be to keep an eye on the auction sites like GunBroker.com or AuctionArms.com and buy a “donor” rifle for the parts you need. If you don’t think you can do the work, any gunsmith can do it, and while they might turn down the job initially, they may accept it if you already have the parts in hand.

If you really get stuck, contact me again in a few months, I know a USMC vet, retired cop who will soon finish his gunsmith training, and may be willing to help out a fellow Marine. John Spangler

# 14310 - Arisaka Sporter
11/26/2011
Johnwayne, Rusk County, Texas

Japanese writing on the breach above bolt. I believe I have inherited a Japanese Arisaka, but not sure. It has a wooden Monte Carlo stock and can find nothing on the internet. If this is a 6.5x.257 my next question would be, is it a Roberts cartridge or not? Great looking weapon and would love to shoot it, but NOT before I get answers. Thank You

Answer:
Johnwayne, if you like Arisaka sporters, you should get another. At the present time, we have a nice one listed in our sale catalog at an excellent price. We also have several Japanese barreled actions that you could use as a starting point for more sporter projects.

When there is any doubt at all about what type of ammunition that a rifle is designed to fire, you should pay a competent gunsmith to do a chamber casting to verify the correct caliber. Marc

# 14291 - Winchester Value
11/22/2011
Jared, Front Royal, VA

What is the age of this gun and how much is it worth for insurance. It was given to me so I really have no Idea.

Answer:
Jared, the most valuable Winchesters are those that were manufactured before 1964. Your rifle was manufactured in 1974 so it is too new by 10 years to be a real collectors item. As a shooter I would expect to see a rifle like yours offered for sale ones the $300 range. Marc

# 14172 - English Lee Enfield Rifle
11/22/2011
Damian, Cocoa Beach, Florida

Not sure when this type of bolt action was made or used for. My grandfather bought this rifle in Clinton, Iowa in and around the 1950`s but just trying to see which type and year it was. Thanks for any help with this, new to gun collecting.

Answer:
Damian- In the 1950 and 1960s the British government disposed of hundreds of thousands of obsolete .303 caliber Lee Enfield rifles at scrap metal prices. Many of these ended up being imported into the U.S. and being sold via gun dealers and even department stores at bargain prices. The usual price was $9.95 for the Numb 1 Mark III; $14.95 for the No. 4 Mark I, and $29.95 for the No. 5 Mark I “jungle carbine.”

Your rifle is almost certainly the No. 1 Mark III which had a full length stock and a heavy upper band flush with the muzzle and a large stud that protruded for attaching the bayonet. These are usually marked on the butt socket (piece of metal at the back of the receiver that the butt socket is attached to) with a crown, the maker, date and the model designation. The general range of production dates for these was circa 1908-1945. Hope that helps. The definitive reference on the subject of Lee Enfield rifles is Ian Skennerton’s “The Lee Enfield.” John Spangler

# 14176 - Lefever Shotgun
11/19/2011
Gayle

There was an old gun that my late husband used for hunting among his things. I know he got it from my uncle who is also deceased. Might it have some value or should it just be discarded?

Answer:
Gayle- Lefever shotguns were well made and rugged, reliable field guns. Most were rather plain, but some of the fancier guns have more collector interest. Even the well sued field guns are still in demand by shooters with values in the several hundred dollar range. Collectors will pay a bit higher for ones in excellent condition and less finish wear. Another option might be to keep it for a family member who has an appreciation for family history or may want to take up hunting some day. John Spangler

# 14299 - More On The South African Webley
11/19/2011

Information from a kind visitor in South Africa.

Answer:
Hi Marc, With regard to the above question in your Q&A section, although I am not a Webley Collector or expert, I can advise that the Webley WG Army that this person has is considerably scarcer and more valuable than the regular MkV or MkVI Webleys currently found there in the USA. Here in South Africa, the regular Webleys are indeed very very common and worth nothing. But the WG Army model would have value and be sought after in good condition. They are pre-1898 and rare in good condition.

Anyways, just for the info. If the person would like more info on it and a local valuation, they might consider getting hold of Mr Peter Smith who can be found through: http://www.highpowerrifle.co.za/contactus.html as he is one of SA's leading Webley enthusiasts and collectors. Hope this helps. Brian

Thanks to Brian for his good insight about the value of Webleys in South Africa. Marc

# 14292 - South African Webley
11/15/2011
South Africa, Cape Town,7441

Army issue in the 60s, its a [0410]45 6 shot Want to know value, if any, and want to sell to a collector

Answer:
One big factor that determines value is the scarcity of an item. We don't see allot of .455 Webley revolvers offered for sale where I live in Utah, so value and demand for nice examples tends to be pretty high. I have an idea that in South Africa Webleys may be more common, so my ideas of value may not be appropriate for your circumstances.

When I have a nice .455 Webly for sale, I usually price it at $650 or more depending on condition and whether the cylinder has been trimmed to accommodate .45 ACP rounds. I just picked up a nice un-trimmed .455 Enfield revolver which is even more scarce than the Webley, we will probably ask close to $1000 for it. Marc

# 14298 - Springfield Rifles (2) Model 1884 .45-70
11/15/2011
GORDIE

I need complete information/ history on these guns. When they were manufactured, specs, etc. Thanks.

Answer:
Gordie- Would you believe 10:47 AM June 25, 1887, and 3:30 PM July 3, 1884? I didn't think so, but the years are about right, even if I had to make up the times and dates. (Hey, I might have fooled somebody.) There was originally an inspector stamp ("cartouche") on the left side of the stock, opposite the lock, with script initials (SWP) and the date, but these may have been sanded off, or the stocks switched at some point in their history. I cannot find any specific reference to when or where these two rifles may have been used, but they are typical of those used in the latter stages of the Indian Wars, and by volunteers troops in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the subsequent Philippine Insurrection. They used .45 caliber ammunition with 70 grains of black powder (that's by weight, not counting the grains) and a 500 grain lead bullet. Ammo guys call that ".45-70-500" ammo and the sights were calibrated to about 1800 yards. You probably wouldn't be hit at that range, but you don't want to get hit by a 500 grain bullet at any range. The black powder produced big clouds of smoke, so troops could not see the enemy after a few rounds. The clever Spanish were using smokeless powder, which didn't block their view, but allowed them to aim nicely at the big clouds of smoke marking position of US troops. They used a triangular socket bayonet with 18 inch blades, which were actually surplus Civil War musket bayonets with the sockets "squeezed down" to fit the smaller .45 caliber barrels. Okay- any more details, check Frasca & Hill "The .45- 70 Springfield" or Ernst & Waite "Trapdoor Springfield". Or, for a research fee of $50 per hour, I could tell you lots more myself.............. They are very collectable, and average specimens start about $350 and like new examples can bring over $1 Grand... John Spangler

# 14296 - Old Fowler Muzzle Loader
11/12/2011
boutros@ix.netcom.com

My father gave me an old muzzle loader in very poor shape cracks, paint speckles, the only part in decent shape is the rod of the ramrod! He has no idea were it came from and would really like to know something about it. The barrel is close to three feet long and the bore is about .75 inches. The first eleven inches of the barrel is octagon but the rest is round. There is some engraving at the very beginning of the barrel, on the hammer (it's a percussion, not a flint lock), along a strip of metal on the right side of the grip, and along the trigger guard whose base plate runs about half the length of the but stock. There is checkering along the grip, about 14 lines per inch, with a double border. The only writing I can find is London stamped on the top of the octagon section of the barrel. Over all length is about 53 inches. It seems to me that this may be a tough one but any info would be great.

Answer:
Justin, while I can't be certain without seeing your gun, it certainly sounds like a "Fowler" probably made circa 1840-1870, which has had the barrel shortened at some point in its history. The London marking on the barrel usually indicates it was made in London, and the barrel would have two proof marks near the breech. However, some foreign makers of low grade guns applied English looking marks to fool unwary buyers. Normally these had barrels about 38-44 inches long, and were smooth- bored. (However, some were originally shorter, and some were longer). Typically the barrels were very thin construction, and intended mainly for shot, rather than round balls. Approximately .75 caliber is close to 12 gauge, popular as an all around gun at the time, which could be fired with balls at larger targets (deer, people, etc.) if necessary. Fowlers usually were "half stocked", often with a rib running up the bottom of the barrel and provisions for a "thimble" near the muzzle to hold the ramrod. Barrels were usually fastened to the stock with one or more "pins" or "wedges" instead of metal bands used on many military arms of the period. The trigger guard and butt plate are usually the same material (both brass, or both iron) but sometimes mixed parts were used. While some "fowlers" were very high quality guns, most were inexpensive, and intended for hard use by farmers or other non-wealthy people. Think of them as the equivalent of today's cheap single-shot shotguns. Again, without seeing your gun, and lacking further information, it is impossible to assess its value, but generally fowlers do not bring much on the collector's market. They are valued mainly as decorators, but if they have a history of family use, the sentimental value can be much more significant. One word of caution. A great many old muzzle loaders are found to be LOADED! Please use the ramrod and see that the barrel is clear to about 3/4 inch short of the distance from the muzzle to the back of the barrel. If it has an obstruction in the bottom inch and a half or greater, it may be loaded. (Or someone may have stuffed rags or sticks, or who knows what into the barrel at some time in the last 150 years.) If you think it is loaded, have someone familiar with muzzle loaders remove the load for you. To care for your gun, a little gun oil (or WD-40) will keep the metal parts from rusting, and a little linseed oil on the stock will preserve it. Please don't sand the stock or otherwise "clean things up" or you will destroy much of the value and the charm of it's appearance as an antique gun. I hope you enjoy it, and that it finds a home where it is appreciated... John

# 14282 - Grey Eagle Magnum Value
11/12/2011
Lonnie, Roscommon, Michigan

Double Trigger, Over and Under, Ribbed, Modified choke,3 Inch What is the approximate value of this gun, for insurance purposes?

Answer:
Lonnie, 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. I was unable to find any information about the Antonio Zoli Gray Eagle Magnum in my blue book but a quick internet search indicates that value is between $2500 and $5000. Marc

# 14267 - Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited
11/8/2011
Dreama, Sissonville, WV, USA

we bought this gun new about 14 or 15 years ago. Was wondering how many was made and how much they have increased in value.

Answer:
Dreama, the blue book indicates that the Marlin Model 1894 (.45 LC) Cowboy Limited was a Roy Rogers/Dale Evans & Dusty Rogers Tribute. Original issue price was $1850.

I am not a big commemorative fan, in my opinion, commemorative firearms are poor investments and I almost never willingly purchase them. Although some commemoratives have pretty hefty book values, actually selling them for listed prices is about impossible, even for the relatively scarce models like yours. Since I don't handle commemoratives, I don't have a good feel for what yours will sell for so I did a quick search on the GunBroker.com firearms auction site. I came up with one that is listed at $495.00 with no bids. There are two listed on Guns America in the $800 and $900 range. Unfortunately it does not look like value has increased. Marc

# 14164 - Snaphaunce
11/8/2011
Stephen

Snaphaunce has Three dot in a circle on stock in a piece on white material. What's it worth and Who made it.

Answer:
Stephen- Sorry, I just don’t know much about those, and trying to ID maker marks is a very difficult and time consuming job that requires and expensive reference library. Even with photos, and possibly a “please” or “thank you” as part of the question I don’t think I could figure this one out. John Spangler

# 14167 - FNA Mexico 1918 Repeating Rifle
11/5/2011
Dick, Centennial, Colorado

On Breech, F.N.A. MEXICO 1918 - Left side of receiver, Fusil ''Mexico'' 7m/m Mod.B Pat. 17183 - Left side of stock FNA MEXICO. This is a swivel breech repeater with side loaded magazine. Barrel and locking lugs swivel clockwise and move forward to extract and eject, move rearward and swivel counter clockwise to cock and lock. Also has ''take down'' ability. Was gun experimental or for ord. field trials ? Pictures available, e-mail campbelldick@yahoo.com

Answer:
Dick- It appears that this is a “pull apart repeater” designed by Rafael Mendoza, a brilliant Mexican firearms designer. The act of partial disassembly allows movement of the butt and barrel sections to load a round from the box magazine. This has been described as sort of a “reverse pump action” concept. About all we could find on this can be seen at http://vintagesemiautorifle.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=otherrifles&action=display&thread=74 0 Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14279 - Tanfoglio 380
11/5/2011
Mike Fond du Lac, WI

Recently my brother-in-law picked up this pistol from a guy that owed him some money. He wants to shoot it at my local sportsmen club. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Value?? Thanks

Answer:
Mike, Pistols Of The World indicates that Tanfoglio Gardone started business in the late 1940s or 1950s. The company is said to have a confusing history. It is now run by the founder's sons as Fabbrica d'Armi Guiseppe Tanfoglio (a name used since 1958), in conjunction with Fabbrica d'Armi Fratelli Tanfoglio SpA (dating from 1980). Guiseppe Tanfoglio marks appear on commercial pistols; Fratelli Tanfoglio makes the military weapons.

The GT-380 is supposed to be a scaled down variation of the larger TA-90 which is a CZ-75 copy military-style pistol chambered in 9mm Parabellum.

I was unable to find any values for the GT-380 in my blue book, but I if I had to guess, I would say that $200 would be a fair price. Marc

# 14170 - Winchester M1885 Single Shot .22 Training Rifle
11/1/2011
Will

Pat. Oct. 7th 79this is right behind hammer, on barrel is ''Manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. New Haven, Conn.U.S.A. Patented 7.79. May 28.07 I was told that this was used by the National Guard at one time. Having the weight of a real rifle and the economy of shooting 22`s. Like to learn Model and history. It is a single shot lever action with a rolling block. Can be broken down into 2 main parts with a slide button underneath. Has pop-up rear sights for long yardage and wind adjustment. Thank you for your time looking into this Will Hall

Answer:
Will- one of the many variations of the Winchester model 1885 single shot rifle was the “Winder Musket” which was used for a while in the WW1 era as a military training rifle. Those are usually marked with a hand stamped U S and ordnance bomb on the top of the receiver, just behind the hammer.

However, those were not a takedown rifle, so either it is a civilian sale gun made as a takedown, or possibly a military used rifle that someone converted to takedown at a later date. John Spangler

# 14261 - Remington 141
11/1/2011

Has a brass- looks like the end of a bullet casing with 30 rem umc on it, on the reciever, on left side of barrel it has stamped ED and a symbol like an upside down u What year was it made and how much is it worth

Answer:
Remington firearms that were manufactured between 1921 and 1972 have a two or three letter code on the left side of the barrel that identifies the month and year of manufacture. The first letter identifes the month and the other letter or letters identify the year. As the years passed, some of the code letters were reused so a marking may have one or more possible meanings. The "ED" marking on your barrel would indicate that your rifle's barrel was manufactured in October of 1935 or October of 1957. Since the Remington Model 141 was only manufactured between 1936 and 1950, your rifle was probably manufactured in 1936.

Values in the blue book for Remington Model 141 rifles range from around $150 to a little over $450 depending on condition. It has been my experience that slide action centerfire rifles do not have allot of collector or shooter demand so you may find that your rifle is difficult to sell.

BTW:
I have always thought that an upside-down "u" would be the letter "n". Marc