# 13447 - New Zealand Victory Model
4/28/2009
Gerald, St. John's, NL, Canada

''United States Property'' on top of frame over cylinder. N arrow Z, 9529 beneath (New Zealand Broad Marking) on back of butt-stock at top near hammer slot. This revolver has wooden grips. This was obviously ordnance loaned to the Commonwealth during wartime. What is the likely year of manufacture of this revolver and does the New Zealand Broad Marking add value as a collector's piece?

Answer:
Gerald, you have a Smith and Wesson Military and Police pistol called a Victory Model. It was made sometime in 1941 or early 1942. The New Zealand markings are of interest because you see so few pistols with them. Those chambered for 38 S&W are worth less than those chambered for 38 Special. Marc

# 13349 - Whitney "Plymouth" .69 Caliber U.S. Navy Rifle
4/28/2009
Millbury Ohio

U on barrel band Looks like E.W. Cartouche on stock Looking for information and appraisal on this gun.

Answer:
Sir- It sounds like you have the Model 1861 Navy Percussion Rifle, usually called a "Plymouth Rifle." The USS Plymouth was mainly a vessel used for testing new ordnance designs, and after approval of the design, some 10,000 were delivered to the Navy in 1863-1864. The "serial number" is actually just a mating number used to match the rifle with the brass handled sword bayonet, each of which required some hand fitting. Value on rifles of this type I see at gun shows usually runs in the range of $800-3,000. Collecting Civil War era Navy arms would be a great collecting niche, with a good variety, and much smaller "total" collection than required for Civil War Army weapons. John McAulay has an excellent book on the subject as a guide to the field. John Spangler

# 13446 - Pistol Ident
4/25/2009
Randy, Crestline, Ohio

Letters ''MA'' on trigger guard. Stamped on frame at the rear appears to be a small crown with a little circle below it. Inside the circle is stamped something but I can't make out what it is, even with a magnifying glass. Wooden grips. Just forward of the safety is the capital letter ''S'' My father obtained this pistol sometime near the end of WW 2. He has passed away and I never really questioned him about it. I watched the movie Sahara with Humphrey Bogart and during the movie they shot down a German Plane with their tank and the small gun the pilot had concealed is identical to the one I have. Any idea what it is and what, if any collector value there is, if any? Condition is good considering its age. Thank you, and may the power be with you.

Answer:
Randy, without pictures we cannot definitely identify your pistol. Walther PPs and PPKs were stamped with the Walther banner which included their name until late in the war when the marking was changed to the letters ac, but were always identified as to the maker. The PPKs used by the German military were in 7.65 caliber, not 9mm. The MA letters were stamped on pistols made by FN in Belgium. Marc

# 13341 - Mexican Mauser
4/25/2009
Brian, Powder Springs, Ga., USA

The number J408 on the side of the receiver and directly below on the wooden stock. How old and what's it worth. I think that it's a Japanese rifle made by Mexico? From 1905+ What year was this one made? What is it worth in Good condition?

Answer:
Brian- I understand that the Mexicans did purchase some Japanese made Arisaka rifles for their military to use. I don't have details handy on those. However, I suspect that you have a Mexican made Mauser bolt action rifle. This would be 7mm (7 x 57mm) Mauser caliber, and they were made in large numbers circa 1900-1930s. You really need to compare your rifle to photos of both the Mexican made Mausers and the Japanese Arisaka rifles to be sure which you have. Values tend to be modest on most Mexican arms, a few hundred dollars at best. Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 13445 - 1934 Beretta
4/21/2009
Holly

R.E.(crown) top of grip & at bottom of handle crown w/ stamp letters drg? Handed down to me. Wondered about its history and what the stamps meant. And of course it's value for insurance. Thanks Holly

Answer:
Holly, the pistol you describe was the standard sidearm of the Italian Army before and during World War II, and is usually referred to as the Beretta Model 1934. The R.E marking was the property mark of the Italian army and the R is the Italian for royal and the E for army. Despite Mr. Mussolini ruling the country the Italian King was still head of state. There will also be a set of Roman numerals on the left side of the slide. Added to 1922 (the year Mussolini seized power) they tell you they year the pistol was made. For example XX (20) would indicate the pistol was made in 1942. Many of these pistols came back as souvenirs from our soldiers who fought in North Africa and Italy. To replace your pistol today would probably cost you between $500 and $600. Marc

# 13339 - George Spangler, Monroe, WI Gun Maker
4/21/2009
RAY, MUSKEGO, WI, USA

In reference to listing # 1015, My grandfather, Eugene Ingold, apprenticed under George Spangler in Monroe, Wi in about 1904. He was still working there when George died. His wife continued the business for a while until it went bankrupt. My grandfather, with his wife and my dad, then moved to Milwaukee, Wi. where he gunsmithed for many years.

Answer:
Ray- Thanks for the added info. John Spangler (no relation)

# 13441 - Winchester Model 55 .22 Serial Number Location
4/18/2009
Dane Jasper, AL

None I can not find the serial number any where on the gun.

Answer:
Dane, Winchester manufactured about 45,000 Model 55 .22 rifles between 1958 and 1961. The 55 .22 was a top loading single shot design with bottom ejection that came with a 22 inch round barrel and open sporting sights. You could not find a serial number because your rifle does not have one. Prior to 1968 there was no requirement that firearms have serial numbers so many shotguns and 22 rifles (mostly inexpensive ones) were manufactured without them. Marc

# 13326 - Care For Rusty Starr Revolver
4/18/2009
Bob, Massapequa, NY

Inspection marks C and D on barrel. I near trigger Gun s/n match and it is mechanically nice. The barrel has some rust and three rust spots on the frame. Barrel has the most rust. Does it pay to remove the rust (say with 0000 steel wool and gun oil) or leave the revolver as is. Concerned about preserving as well as effecting the value. I put it at good to very good condition. Help, I do not want to do something that may devalue the piece.

Answer:
Bob- You cannot go wrong by doing nothing except keeping a bit of oil on it to prevent further rusting. .

Sometimes very light surface rust can be removed with some 000 or 0000 steel wool and a bit of oil or WD-40. If more aggressive rust removal is needed, then an artist's palette knife held at an angle and lubricated with oil will often remove rust and leave any blue remaining underneath. However, most people would prefer to see a rust spot instead of a spot of bare metal where rust has been removed. .

A few people (likely with genetic defects or sociopathic tendencies) would rather polish the daylights out of a gun and totally refinish it. While they can enjoy the shiny reflection of a refinished gun, they ignore that fact that the refinish probably drastically cut the value of the gun, except in the eyes of like minded people. John Spangler

# 13438 - Spanish Mod 1893
4/14/2009
Jason, Charleston, SC

I just inherited this rifle it was my great grand fathers from WW1. It is in working order and looks to be in very good to excellent condition for its age. I don't know much about old guns I haven't done anything to it and would like to know where the best place to find more information about this gun. Thanks for your help and any information you may know about this rifle. This is what's on the gun, Fabrica De Armas Oviedo 1913 ( I would guess this is the age ) and 407. ( I would guess this is the caliber) Thanks Jason

Answer:
Jason, the Fabrica De Armas Oviedo was a Spanish factory making firearms for the Spanish military. Your rifle was made there in 1913 and would have been the Mauser Model 1893. This design has two locking lugs and the bolt cocks on the closing rather than the opening stroke. The caliber would have the Mauser invented 7 millimeter rimless cartridge. The number 407 is most likely the serial number, not the caliber. There was a long rifle and a carbine made by this factory for the Spanish military. Many Spanish rifles were reworked during and after the Spanish Civil war and the caliber was changed to 8 mm Mauser. If you lay ruler across the muzzle you get a rough estimate of the diameter of the bore in millimeters, but only a gunsmith is competent to determine what the caliber of your rifle is currently. Spanish and South American Mauser based rifles are an interesting area of collecting and prices are generally lower than German military Mausers. Marc

# 13298 - Remington Rolling Block Pistol
4/14/2009
Ignacio, Madrid, Spain

On the barrel: Remington Arms Co. Ilion N.Y. Under the barrel: 38 On the handgrip: 5770 On the left hand side: Remingtons Ilion N.Y. USA 3 nov 15th 1864 April 15th 1866 On the right hand side: P What is the approximate value of this handgun? Thank you.

Answer:
Ignacio- I regret we cannot help with that one. It seems that all of the Remington rolling block pistols were marked with the same patent dates, and many of the military receivers were later altered to .22 or other calibers for shooters to use. It would take a hands-on inspection to see if this is one of those, or one of the scarce civilian target models. Values vary greatly on the different variations, so we cannot even guess at value. John Spangler

# 13293 - Ames Model 1843 Box Lock Navy Pistol
4/11/2009
Gerald

usn 18** markings aren't super sharp... I recently acquired an Ames percussion pistol. I had no idea what it was I thought it was a replica or toy. I bought it for $5.I took it to a gun show to get more info and a dealer there told me what it was...I'm still trying to do more research....There is some rust not too heavy on some of it. They told me to put some oil on it. Can you recommend a good way to preserve it? Or can you recommend a reputable smith in New York? Also can you tell me how many could be left?? I see only 2000 were made. The dealer said it was in Good condition. Thank you Gerald

Answer:
Gerald- Congratulations on a real find! Frankly, unless we are talking about very light surface rust, I would advise against doing ANYTHING more than just putting some oil or WD-40 on the metal parts and leaving it at that. DO NOT let a gunsmith talk you into refinishing it in any way. .

Survival rate on these is fairly good, but they are still not common guns. The inside "box lock" mechanism is pretty interesting, even though it never really caught on for other uses. Here is a link to our other site with a lot of info on these neat pistols http://armscollectors.com/mgs/boxlocks.htm Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 13434 - Winchester 1873
4/11/2009
Dale, Wright City Mo,63390

Pat March 29 1866, Oct 1860, Lever action I was wanting to know about what it is worth today an if I should refinish it or leave it in its present condition ? Thanks Dale Clausen,daleclausen@centurytel.net

Answer:
Dale, based on the serial number you provided you have an early Winchester Model 1873 lever action repeating rifle firing the 44 caliber cartridge loaded with 40 grains of black powder. There are always collectors seeking after the Model 1873 Winchester, but condition is the main determiner of value, and rust only decreases the value of a firearm. Other factors in determining value are the condition of the bore, whether the action works and whether parts have been replaced. We see many Model 1873's with no original finish for sale in the $800 to $1000 range. If the gun is deeply pitting under the rust, or the bore grades to what we refer to as "sewer pipe", then value will be lower. Marc

# 13425 - Remington 24 Serial Number Location
4/7/2009
Sean, Algood, TN

The mod 24 I have has a 19'' barrel and the forearm has a dip toward the barrel end that comes back out similar to a dovetail. Where can I find the serial number? Do you know its approximate value?

Answer:
Sean, the Remington Model 24 was a take-down design that had a Schnabel-tip forend and a long slender receiver. The loading port was cut into the right side of the pistol grip buttstock, and spent cases were ejected downward ahead of the trigger guard. The Model 24 was a John M Browning design that was essentially similar to the Browning FN .22 semi-automatic rifle that was introduced before the First World War. Remington manufactured approximately 131,000 Model 24 rifles from 1922 to 1935. Serial numbers were stamped on the front of the receiver up until around 1923 and the rifles had to be taken down for it to be seen. After that (references say in 1925), the serial number was moved to the left hand side of the receiver. Serial numbers were also stamped on the bottom of the barrel just ahead of the forend wood. Model 24 values are in the $100 to $600 or more range depending on condition and grade. Marc

# 13284 - British Pattern 1914 Enfield Made By Winchester
4/7/2009
Steve

No special markings apart from the Brass Plate mentioned below. Rifle has long range volley sights, and is all matching and original, bore is 80% Wood Dark and a little used and abused. There is a frass plate, screwed on the butt over the original marking disc, it has the following on it.'' SAU-CIE- HSN, 6538'' I was wondering if you have any Idea what this means? I have a feeling this Rifle was part of a batch brought back from somewhere in the Far East, maybe after being sold to a Civilian Company? Any help in trying to track down this rifles history would be grealy appreciated . Regards Steve Davie

Answer:
Steve- Unfortunately, we cannot help much with this one. The plate was obviously added after the rifle left military service. Since it does not seem to be otherwise altered, my guess is that it had the plate added for inventory purposes, perhaps as part of a museum collection, or maybe an arms or ammunition maker reference collection. The initials "sound" French to me, rather than Asian, but it may be Czech, or Austrian, or some other country as well. Unless someone else has seen similar plates on other items, or recognizes the letters as an abbreviation used by some organization, we may never know the correct answer. John Spangler

# 13282 - Civil War Carbines- Triplett & Scott And Spencer
4/4/2009
Tim, Weimar, Germany

Hello, I’m a civil war arms collector and I’m in possession of a Triplett & Scott carbine in a very good condition with serial number 3944. I’m looking for further information (dates of manufacturing…). Can anybody help me? Thanking you in advance. Further more, a comrade of mine has got a Spencer Carbine Model 1865 (Burnside Manuf.) with the stabler-cut-off. The carbine has the serial number 30648. Does anybody have an idea, when this carbine has been manufactured? Maybe you can help me in finding out the unit, in which this Spencer carbine has seen service. Thank you very much. Greetings from Germany, Tim

Answer:
Tim- The Triplett & Scott was only made in 1864-65. Only about 5,000 were made, to fill a contact from Kentucky for militia arms near the end of the Civil War. They were delivered too late to see actual combat use, but most people include them in Civil War collections anyway. This clever design has a seven round tubular magazine in the butt, and the barrel assembly manually pivots to the side, on a central pin to line up with the magazine tube to feed the next round. However, it was not as good a design as the Spencer, and the end of the Civil War basically made it impossible to sell military style arms as the Army had a huge surplus arms inventory and dramatic budget cuts. .

Your friend's Spencer was made in 1865 (one of the few arms contracts kept in place after the end of the war). About 34,000 carbines were made and about 30,502 accepted by the Army. The rest were probably privately sold, but since deliveries were probably not in exact serial number sequence, and some were probably rejected, it is impossible to tell if this 30648 was one accepted by the army or sold on the open market. There is no documented history available for either of these carbines, or even any close numbers which might suggest possible usage. John Spangler

# 13414 - Winchester Model 61
4/4/2009
Bill, Cary, Illinois

I recently inherited this gun from my fathers estate (he was 92 years old) and I am interested in any information you could provide. It has a round barrel with a bullet shaped cutout for loading. How many rounds will it hold? The gun is in excellent shape with no pitting and a few minor scratches on the stock. I don't think the bore is smooth, because when I look down it I see rifle grooves. Thank you.

Answer:
Bill, the Winchester 61 is one of my favorite firearms. The last time that my son and I went plinking, I let him try out the 61 from my personal collection. He liked it so much that I decided to try to get a 61 for him for a Christmas present. I searched for a nice 61 in suitable condition at several gunshows and finally found one that was a good candidate, although the price was a little higher than I wanted to pay. While I was making up my mind about the price, I set the gun back down on the seller's table and someone else purchased it right out from under me! It seems that there is a lot of demand for Winchester 61 rifles in good condition at a fair price. Needless to say, I was a little dismayed about loosing the rifle after searching for one for so long, and with the Christmas deadline approaching fast, but that is the way it goes at a gunshow. If you put something down, it is fair game for someone else. I turned around to resume my search and noticed another 61 sitting on a table just across the isle. This rifle was in even better condition than the one that I had just missed out on, and it was the more desirable model with the groves in the receiver for mounting a scope. When I asked the price, I was amazed to find that it was $75 less than the rifle that I had just missed out on. I had learned my lesson, I did not haggle this time or set the rifle down, I just got out my money and FFL, and made the purchase.

Winchester manufactured about 342,000 Model 61 rifles between 1932 and 1963, your rifle was manufactured in 1936. The 61 was a hammerless version of the Model 62 and it was offered with a round or octagon barrel in a variety of chamberings. Some rifles could chamber .22 Short, Long or Long Rifle cartridges interchangeably, others were chambered specifically for the .22 Short, .22 LR or .22 WRF rounds only. The tubular magazine beneath the barrel would hold 14 to 20 rounds depending on the cartridge. Values for Winchester Model 61 rifles range from around $200 to over $800 or $900 depending on condition and configuration. Marc