# 14800 - FEG PA6 ?
11/30/2013
Made in Hungary

FEG 9MM. MAK .PA6 Cal 9mm This was made during WW2 I was told. I was also told that this was not a true 9mm maybe a 9.18 mm? I would like to know so I can purchase the right ammo. Also the appx value, it is in mint condition.

Answer:
I can not be sure without seeing your pistol, but I do not think that it was manufactured during WWII for two reasons. The first reason is that Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság" ("Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company) has been around for a long time, but if I remember correctly, they have only been making arms under the FEG name since after WWII. The second reason is that The 9×18mm Makarov round was designed by B.V. Semin in 1946.

I have never heard of a FEG PA6 and I was unable to find any mention of one in my reference books or on the Internet. My guess is that you have a PA63. Here is some information on the PA63 that I found on the Internet: Fégarmy Arms Factory of Hungary started producing Walther PP/PPK clones in the late 1940s starting with their Model 48 which differed from the Walther PP only in minor details. By the late 1950s FÉG began making broader changes resulting in the PA-63, which uses a 9x18mm Makarov round. It quickly became standard issue to both Hungarian military and police forces. Due to its popularity and relative durability FÉG later issued models using .32ACP and .380 ACP caliber rounds (FÉG AP9 and PMK-380 respectively).

The Military standard PA-63 version sports a two-tone polished aluminum frame with black slide, grips, trigger and hammer assembly.[1] While unusual for military issue in that a reflective polish was used, it was chosen due to its relative cheapness as well as quicker build time.

We have sold several PA63 pistols at OldGuns.net over the last few years. They usually sell in the $200 to $250 range depending on features and condition. Marc

# 14696 - M1 Garand Barrel Markings
11/30/2013
David, Wiggins, MS

Barrel - SA 6535448 12 65 BU27 P M (followed by a symbol in a box that looks like a five point star with the top point shorter than the rest, there 3 dots aligned from left to right above the star) I have matched all easily visible serial numbers to the date of original manufacture with some replacements parts from post war SA and some HRA but I have been unable to find much of anything on these barrel markings. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer:
David- First a correction to your nomenclature. The numbers on Garand parts are not “serial numbers” but rather they are “Drawing Numbers” to identify the part, and usually the specifications it was made to, reflecting numerous small design or production changes made over the years. The best source of information on “matching” the drawing numbers for a rifle would be the excellent books by my friend Scott Duff, or information found in the Garand Collectors Association Journals. I hate the nonsense in some books by Jesse Harrison, and do not think very highly of the “For Collectors Only” book on the Garand either, so I would not use those as guides.

The barrel markings are fairly easy to understand. SA indicates it was made at Springfield Armory. 6535448 is the drawing number for the standard service grade barrel (there were different numbers for some of the National Match barrels and the 7.62mm versions). 12-65 is the date of manufacture, December 1965, when they were pretty much only making spare (repair) parts for Garands. BU27 is probably a code to indicate the “heat lot” of the steel used in the barrel. P and M indicate the barrel was proof tested satisfactorily and passed a magnetic particle inspection (not 100% sure on the exact name) to check for hidden flaws. The mystery symbol is the Department of Defense Acceptance Stamp (DODAS) which is an eagle with outstretched wings having three stars over the head, surrounded by a box. This indicates the barrel has been turned over as government property after passing all the tests. Remember, all M1 Garand parts are 100% interchangeable (except some early “gas trap” parts) and your rifle even with the mixed vintage parts is a good representative example of a U.S. military arm, which was not intended to be locked up with all “original and correct” parts for a collector, but to be a functional weapon with all parts in fully serviceable condition, ready to be handed to a soldier to make some other poor SOB die for his country. John Spangler

# 14695 - Brazilian Krag Johansen
11/23/2013
Canada

cool symbol stamped on top of receiver with ''brazil'' and other words under it and 1889 date. side of barrel stamped ''mod 1908'' I've been told its not a johansen? I cant find any history or value to this gun. What is its back story?

Answer:
Sounds like a bit of cabin fever breaking out in the great white up. The cool symbol with the 1889 date “Brazil” [sic- probably actually Brasil on the crest, their spelling] sounds like it is the crest of the nation of Brazil. Mod 1908 is the model designation stamped on the side of Model 1908 Mauser rifles made for Brazil, which usually had the crest on the receiver ring. Therefore, I am going to declare that your rifle is not a Krag, but a M1908 Mauser. You can Google that term and learn a lot more about them, and compare to be sure I got it right. These were made in 7mm Mauser caliber, although some were converted to .30-06 later, but I have never heard of one converted to .30-40 Krag caliber.

Perhaps being cooped up in the cabin has you hallucinating about Scarlett Johansson, but otherwise I do not see how “Johansen” fits into this unless maybe you were thinking of Krag- Jorgensen. John Spangler

# 14799 - Kolb
11/23/2013
USA

Baby hammerless with pearl hand grips working, no rust. With leather holster ( not the best shape) Who much is this gun worth?

Answer:
Baby Hammerless was a name given in general to "Saturday Night / Suicide - Special" type revolvers manufactured by Henry M. Kolb of Philadelphia, so there is a good chance that your revolver is one of these.

Most Kolb revolvers were a five shot .22 Short RF, design with ribbed barrel and a frame latch that used two knurled buttons, they were similar to the system used on more modern Iver Johnson revolvers. Early Kolb revolvers had a knurled axis pin beneath the barrel, with a vertical spring catch on the right of the frame, which allowed the pin to be withdrawn for removal of the cylinder.

References indicate that Baby Hammerless revolvers were manufactured from about 1911 to the early 1920s. In 1930, Kolb became R. F. Sedgeley & Co.

Values for Baby Hammerless revolvers depend on condition, I would expect to see most examples at a gunshow selling in the $100 to $200 range. Marc

# 14685 - Herters Reloading Press Color
11/19/2013
Joe Farmington , Iowa

What paint would best match the brown color of the Herters reloading press ? RCBS old lighter green ? RCBS newer darker green ? Thank you ! Joe

Answer:
Joe- The Herters reloading presses were originally finished in a dark brown color with a “crinkle” type paint finish. You might be able to find that at some place that caters to people who restore cars or electronic gear, or just sell a bit more of a paint assortment than your local home store. If you want to change the color to something you like better, go ahead. John Spangler

# 14793 - Nazi IRS
11/19/2013
bruce

R.F.V. No 4033. I am trying to find the meaning of the RFV No4033. engraving on the pistol just above the handgrip on the left side of the gun

Answer:
Bruce, RFV stands for Reichs Finanz Verwaltung or Reich Finance Administration. The RFV was the Nazi equivalent of the IRS here in the United States. The Reichs Finanz Verwaltung were also responsible for Customs Collections and Border Crossings until the end of WWII. Hope this helps. Marc

# 14668 - Bayard .22 Caliber Rifle Parts
11/16/2013
Brent, Cheyenne, WY

Belgium Brevete S.G.D.G Patented Jan 12, 1909 Located on breech word Bayard under symbol Knight on horse Attempting to restore, in need of parts for the bolt and a parts list, any suggestions?

Answer:
Brent- I think that will be a hard one to find parts for. Many Belgian made arms at that time were still mostly hand finished work, not fully interchangeable parts, so even if you can find parts, they may not work. The only two places I can think of that might have any part are Gun Parts Corp, or Jack First gun parts. Good luck. John Spangler

# 14792 - Colt 1911 Collectible?
11/16/2013
Jerry Ft Collins Co

Looks NIB no wear visible walnut grips look un used marked U S Army is this a collectable weapon

Answer:
Jerry, when dealing with old 1911 and 1911A1 military pistols, it is not uncommon to find examples that have a mismatched slide and frame. The slides are marked with a manufacturers name, but the frames are not. This makes it important to check the serial number stamped on the frame to verify that the frame was made by the same manufacturer as the slide. My records indicate that your frame was manufactured in 1918 by Colt.

If the walnut grips that you mention have large diamonds left in the checkering that border where the screws go through, they could be correct.

There are some aspects of your description that are inconsistent for a Colt 1911 manufactured in 1918. The finish of the pistol should be dark blue/black in color. If this pistol is Parkerized, the finish is not original. It is possible that the pistol could look like it is in brand new condition because it has been re-finished, this and the brand new condition of the grips makes me wonder if the grips may be replacements. Since I have not been able to see the pistol in person, this is all conjecture on my part. If the pistol does not have it's original finish, it is still collectable but the value is much less, by 50 percent or more. Marc

# 14790 - Carcano With Finn Markings
11/12/2013
Walt, Seymour, Missouri USA

This rifle was made in 1939 and has markings 1939XVI or KVI. Above the Q5765 in a box is SA. It also has what appears to be a crown stamped on the barrel. On the left side of the Butt there is two screws placed vertically and I suspect was for a sling. I could not find a place on the barrel for a sling mount. What kind of rifle is it and the correct nomenclature. How much might it be worth?

Answer:
Walt, without pictures, I cannot be absolutely sure, but Mussolini's government was the only one that I'm aware of that used Roman numerals. The numerals indicated the manufacture date by the year of Mussolini's reign.

The boxed SA sounds like the property mark of the Finnish government. The facts seem to fit because Mussolini's government sold some Carcano rifles that were chambered for the 7.35 mm cartridge to Finland during (or shortly after) the so called "Winter War". This was the war in which Stalin decided he wanted a piece of Finland and bumped into some opposition.

I did a quick internet search which revealed that the going rate for Carcano rifles with Finn markings is generally in the $200 or less range. Marc

# 14667 - R.F. Sedgley Sporter Model 1903 Springfield
11/12/2013
Jeff Mansfield Ohio

I recently acquired a 1903 Springfield 30.06 rifle converted to a sporter, by R.F. Sedgley, Inc. I’ve read he only offered these conversions from around 1929 to sometime around WWII. The original serial number was removed, so I assume it was done before ‘34. The rifle has a serial number of 719 stamped inside the back of the receiver, in the race track. I’d be curious to know if this means it was a very early conversion, maybe ‘29? Also somebody added a Redfield 4X scope and mount, in what I would guess was the early sixties, based on what I have seen of early Redfield scopes, and white line spacers. What really concerns me about someone adding stuff later, are the white line spacers, which I detest. I’ve made handmade knives as a hobby for about twenty years, so removing these spacers, won’t be a problem, provided they were added later. Any information you care to provide in confirming or correcting my assumptions will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Jeff Clutter

Answer:
Jeff- R.F. Sedgley company of Philadelphia made a wide variety of guns and gun related items, and in large quantities, probably mostly in the 1920s-1960s. Besides cobbling together cheap “plant guard” M1903 rifles for sale during WW2 from salvaged scrap and pot metal parts, they also made thousands of flare guns for the Navy, and repair parts for the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition, they had a long career making M1903 style sporting rifles. Most of these apparently used “low number” M1903 receivers which had been scrapped. While I personally would not risk firing ANY OF THESE, they do not seem to have a reputation for failure, so maybe buyers go lucky, or maybe Sedgley figured out some what to tell good low number receivers from bad ones, although I have no confirmation that is even possible.

The Sedgley sporting rifles range from very modest quality plain guns up to exceptionally well made and highly decorated arms with all the sportsman desired bells and whistles and the latest (circa 1930s) sights or scopes, etc. I really do not know much about these other than having seen a few over the years, but there was an excellent display of them at the Colorado Gun Collectors show in Denver this year. If you can track down the guy who did that, I am sure he could tell you a lot more.

If it were my gun, I think I would trash the white line spacers, even if they are original. John Spangler

# 14665 - Bernhpaatzwaffenfabrik Zella-Mehlis/ Thursday
11/9/2013
Dwight Kent Tornado wv

Looks to be top shelf gun missing Bolt Would like to find bolt or any info leading to parts

Answer:
Dwight- Sorry, I have no info on that maker. I can only tell you that Zella-Mehlis is a German city in the state of Thuringa, that is famous as a center of gun making for several hundred years. Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 14789 - Globe 308
11/9/2013
Bruce, Kindred, ND

Made in Austria on one side, Special Boehler Steel on the other. Model 888 and Cal 308 Wcf on top. I purchased this rifle at an estate sale, and am wondering about it's background and any other info I can find about it. Thanks.

Answer:
Bruce, none of my reference books mention Globe so I tried an internet search, where I found that there is a Globe company that operated in Ottawa, Ontario Canada from around 1952 to about 1960. Globe seems to have been importers of military rifles that had been sporterized by an Austrian firm in Europe.

As is typical of internet reviews, some people like their Globe rifles while others did not. One individual mentions that he purchased a Globe Model 888 for $90 so values do not seem to be very high. Marc

# 14664 - Thompson SMG Case By Federal Laboratories
11/2/2013
Mitchell, Greenwood SC

This question is about a Federal Laboratories Inc metal box that once held a police dept Thompson submachine gun. The box is all metal and blue felt lined. I'm looking for info on this item as well as a possible value. Any Ideas?

Answer:
Mitchell- This is a bit out of my field of expertise, and I have not yet had time to Read Tracie Hill’s definitive book on Thompsons and all their related stuff.

My guess is that this is one of two possibilities: (a) Made for use with a Thompson and sold as such. This would have excellent collector interest and value.

(b) Something made for use with one of the Federal Laboratories “gas guns”, roughly the same size as a Thompson, and possibly used with a Thompson by a police department that decided not to use the case for a gas gun anymore. This would have a lot less demand or value. John Spangler

# 14785 - Universal Carbine
11/2/2013
Jerry-Paoli, Indiana

None I have an M - .30 Carbine, manufactured by Universal - Hialeah, Florida. SN 56673. It is in very good condition. Can you tell me the value and anything else about it. I am 83 years old and got it from my Uncle. Thanks!

Answer:
Jerry, Universal Firearms Corporation was the successor to the Bullseye Company, they produced copies of the U.S. M-1 Carbine for sales on the commercial market, rather than government contacts. The quality of Universal carbines for the most part was not bad, but not up to the standards of government issue carbines. Initially the bulk of the components Universal used in their carbines were government surplus except for the forged receivers which were made by Repp Steel Company of Buffalo. Surplus slides and trigger housings were used as long as possible but toward the end of the Korean Conflict, the surplus part market dried up and Universal started manufacturing all of their own parts including barrels, die cast trigger housings, recoil plates, recoil plate screw, and springs. Universal was purchased by Iver Johnson in January 1983 and the manufacturing facilities were moved to Arkansas in the summer of 1984. Iver Johnson continued to sell Universal-branded Carbines as late as 1988. Values for Universal carbines are not as high as they are for their government issue counterparts, I often see them selling at gun shows for under $250. Marc