# 13416 - M1895 Mauser Carbine From Bay Of Pigs?
5/30/2009
William ,Port Orange, FL,

No markings except for the 4-digit number. Saddle ring and a silver ''coin like'' disc attached to the buttstock by a screw. The coin says: Cincuenta Centavos . The year of production and if it could be tied to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. (My father bought it back in the late 60's from some old guy in Key West and the story was attached to it) Thanks!

Answer:
William- It sounds like you have a Model 1895 Spanish Mauser carbine. Many of these were used by the Spanish forces in Cuba and undoubtedly later by Cuban forces. However, I seriously doubt that it has any connection with the April, 1961, Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba supported by the U.S. to overthrow the Fidel Castro regime. First of all, the invasion was defeated and most of the landing force was captured and imprisoned in Cuba. That severely limited the opportunity for souvenirs to be brought back to the U.S. Second, both the invaders and the Cuban militia forces were better armed than with old Spanish Mausers by 1961. Finally, these carbines were being sold at dirt cheap prices in the early 1960s. (I know, I bought one in 1963 for $9.95 which included 100 rounds of ammo and shipping direct to my college dorm!) They were cheap enough that they would have been the sort of gun likely to be bought by deep sea fishermen to shoot sharks, etc. No one would care if they got a bit rusty or fell overboard. Key West is pretty much a tourist town, and many people all over the world have gotten rich selling stuff to gullible tourists. John Spangler

# 13477 - Unique Mod E Parts
5/30/2009
Donald Conroe, Texas

mfg d/armes des pyrennes fses hendayne Approximate dates of mfg? A REAL LONG SHOT-- Has plastic grip[one piece] in ''BAD'' condition- any chance of someone having one for sale?

Answer:
Donald, Unique (Manufacture d'Armes de Pyrenees Francaises) of Hendaye was formed in 1923. Prior to 1939, Unique firearms were marketed mainly to domestic defence, police and military sales. Since 1945, the focus of the company has gradually turned to the target pistols.

The Unique Model E was sold as the Escort in the USA from 1955 to around 1965. References indicate that all Model E pistols had ten-round magazines, but the grips and sights varied and balance weights could be ordered.

Since the Model E has been off the market for over 40 years, parts like grips may be difficult to find. Recommend you check with Gun Parts Corp (the old Numrich Arms people) at the following URL:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

Gun Parts Corp has just about everything. If that doesn't work, try posting it on our free "Wanted" page. Marc

# 13475 - Fake German Derringer?
5/26/2009
Ralph, Fort Lauderdale, FL

German Hallmarks showing an Eagle with the letter ''N'' underneath and a half a Stag horn with number ''66'' next to it. Also has ''Model 1873 22 Lr CaL'' and ''Made in Germany'' Is this an authentic German derringer or a fake? It resembles a Colt 3rd Model derringer including a single shot and side opening barrel.

Answer:
Ralph, as always my free opinions are offered with a full money back guarantee. I doubt that your derringer is a fake ``German derringer``, because I can't think of any financial motive to falsify German origin for this type of firearm. Why would someone want to make a fake of a copy? If you were trying to make a fake, why not just fake of the original Colt? Depending on the quality of workmanship, values for Colt copies are about the same whether they are made in Germany, Italy, Spain, China or ? Marc

# 13409 - Making Ammunition
5/26/2009
Roger, New York

I'm a librarian and someone is looking to make various ammo (bullets), but want to buy the raw materials. How/where does one do that? Thanks.

Answer:
Roger- I am not sure if you inquiring about loading small quantities of ammunition for their own use, usually called "hand loading" or if they are asking about setting up a commercial scale manufacturing operation.

Ammunition involves the bullet (projectile), the powder charge, the cartridge case (shell) and a primer. These are usually purchased from commercial sources listed under "reloading supplies or hand loading supplies" and available from many sporting goods/hunting/gun store.

It is possible to melt lead (alloy) and pour it into suitable molds to cast lead bullets for some types of ammunition. Molds are available from similar sources.

It is not practical to manufacture cartridge cases on a small scale. Some can be modified from one caliber to another reforming or sizing and trimming operations. A few can be made using a lathe, but normally they are formed by a series of extrusion and pressing operations through a series of specialized dies and heat treating operations.

It is not practical to manufacture gun powder or primers on a small scale, not to mention some serious safety concerns. Plus there are probably regulatory, environmental, licensing and liability issues related to manufacturing primers or powder.

General information on hand loading is available from various reloading or hand loading guides, and specialist dealers such as Dillon Precision, MidwayUSA or Cabelas.

Commercial manufacturing of ammunition requires a major financial investment in specialized machinery and establishing supplier contracts for powder and primers, and possibly cases and bullets as well. Most manufacturers are merely loaders, using components from other sources, but some make components in house. Probably the best source of information about this level of manufacturing would be the Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (or a name close to that) which is the trade organization for the industry. I hope that is helpful. John Spangler

# 13474 - Winchester Mod 63 Value
5/23/2009
Justy, New Richmond, OH

I wanted to know the value of the Winchester rifle I received from my fathers estate? I don't know the caliber, sorry. It does say Super Speed & Super X on the barrel. Thanks for any help.

Answer:
Justy, the blue book lists 3 different types of Winchester Model 63 rifles, value depends on what type that you have and the condition of your rifle. The Model 63 was a semi-automatic .22 LR caliber rifle that was similar to earlier Model 1903. Winchester manufactured about 174,692 Model 63 rifles from 1933 to 1958. First production rifles came with a 20 or 23 inch barrel, open sights and a plain pistol grip stock.

Model 63 rifles that the blue book terms ``recent production`` were manufactured in 1997 and 1998. These rifles had a 23 inch barrel, checkered walnut stock and forearm and engraved receiver.

Model 63 High Grade - recent production rifles were manufactured in 1997 only. They had a deluxe checkered walnut stock and forearm and engraved gold animals and accents on receiver.

Values for the three different types of Model 63 rifles are as follows:

First Production: about $300 for 60% condition to over $850 for 100% condition.

Recent Production: about $500 for 95% condition to over $600 for 100% condition (no listing for rifles in less than 95% condition).

Recent Production High Grade: about $700 for 95% condition to over $950 for 100% condition (no listing for rifles in less than 95% condition).

Hope this helps. Marc

# 13408 - Afghanistan Souvenir Pistol
5/23/2009
Duane

I have this black powder pistol that came from Afghanistan. I was told the inscriptions on the gun mean it was used by some high ranking officials. I can't seem to find out what kind of stones are on the pistol itself too. Is it authentic? Or just made out of spare parts? I would really appreciate the info you can give me. I have pictures if you all would like.

Answer:
Duane- Thank you for your service to our country. From what I have seen, all the pistols, and probably a third of the long arms coming out of Afghanistan are recently made items for the "tourist trade." They are fine souvenirs, but I would not believe most of the stories that come with them. It does not seem that any of the sometimes gaudy decorative features involve any gold or silver or precious stones. They are interesting examples of guns made in the traditional styles, by craftsmen mostly employing hand work and using primitive materials. Decades ago, these craftsmen, often Pashtuns from the Peshawar or Darra regions made the guns for actual use by the locals, but with the abundance of modern arms brought or given by warring nations, they have pretty good arms available. The old fashioned stuff is strictly made to earn some easy money from foreign soldiers. Hope that helps. John Spangler

# 13471 - Winchester 74 Year Of Manufacture.
5/19/2009
Tim, Camarillo, CA

How old is this gun? Your database does not cover the above noted serial number. I'm having a hard time getting information on dating based on serial number.

Answer:
Tim, Winchester manufactured the Model 74 Automatic Rifle from 1939 to 1955, total production was 406,600. Rifles were offered chambered in 22 Short, or 22 Long Rifle rimfire. When the model was first introduced sales and distribution were hindered by the start of World War II, but after the war, the Model turned out to be a great success. Standard rifles had a plain walnut pistol grip half-stock with a broad or semi-beaver tail forend. The magazine was a tubular type, located in the butt and it could hold 14 22LR, or 20 22 Short rounds. Sights were the Spring-and-slider type. My references indicate that your rifle was one of 50264 manufactured in 1948. Marc

# 13394 - Saarn Muzzle Loading Musket
5/19/2009
Debbie Fort Thomas, KY

There appears to be a backward L.M. with a crown above it on the barrel. I need the appraisal value as this was given to our museum by a man who wants to claim it for a tax donation. It was found in his mother's Boston attic. The gentleman is in his 80's.

Answer:
Debbie- This is one of thousands of muskets purchased in Europe in the early days of the Civil War. Saarn was one of several German (Prussian at the time) state arsenals, and this was a wonderful opportunity for them to sell off all their obsolete weapons for very good prices. Without seeing the item it is impossible to put an accurate value on it, but a rough estimate would be in the range of $500-1000 depending on condition without any alterations, but a rough, cut down example would be far lower than that. This one may be a carbine, but is most likely a cut down musket sold off as surplus after the Civil War and used by some farmer for butchering livestock or something. Wish we could tell you more but we just don't have enough to go on here. John Spangler

# 13470 - Regina Pistol
5/16/2009
Steve, Hot Springs, AR

''REGINA'' AUTOMATIC PISTOL Cal 7.65 (Left side) ''7276 Spain'' (Right side) Any information on a ''REGINA'' AUTOMATIC Pistol Cal 7.65 pistol would be > greatly appreciated! > > Thanks, Steve

Answer:
Steve, my references indicate that Regina pistols were manufactured by Gregorio Bolumburu of Eibar Spain. Bolumburu got started by pirating Browning's 1906 design. After that they produced inexpensive automatic pistols under several names. The company remained in business until around 1936.

The Regina was an Eibar-pattern pistol. Slide markings were ``AUTOMATIC PISTOL REGINA`` surmounted by a crown, The only maker's identification is 'GB' stamped on the slide or frame. The butt was longer than most pistols of this type to accommodate a larger nine-round magazine and the grips had a floral design instead of a company or model name.

Inexpensive Spanish firearms such as this, have a reputation in general for making use of low quality, steel which may not be strong enough to handle modern day high-pressure loads. My advise would be to retire your Regina and never fire it. Marc

# 13389 - Frank Wesson Pocket Rifle
5/16/2009
Tim, Phoenix, AZ, USA

on the side of the main gun, there is a small plack ''Frank Wesson, Worchester, Mass. Pat'd Oct 25 1850 & Nov. 11, 1862''. It has a ''cherry red'' handle. The other part (Maybe brass) look like a ''divining rod'' sort of and the end of it slides into the base of the gun. The barrel of the gun is about 10'' and silver. It is in a holster with to parts that holds both pieces and has a small buckle. Someone told me that there might be a twin to this one out there somewhere. I would be interested in buying it, or selling this one. I haven't been able to find a photo of this one on the internet. Any ideas? Thanks a lot. Tim

Answer:
Tim- Frank Wesson made a number of different types of guns similar to yours circa 1865-1880. These are considered by collectors to be "pocket rifles" a term used at the time to designate pistols with detachable shoulder stocks. These were extremely convenient when going about on bicycles. Bicycles were the major mode of transportation in those days- cheaper and cleaner than on horseback, and the car had not yet been invented. It is very awkward to try to ride a bike while carrying a rifle for a bit of hunting, or shooting rats and cans at the dump, or taking care of the pesky woodchucks or prairie dogs on a neighboring farm. The pocket rifles were made in various rimfire and centerfire calibers from .22 short on up, and with barrels from maybe 6 inches up to 18 inches. These were made in large numbers, so there are probably hundreds more out there like yours. However, it is unusual to find one with the original holster to carry the gun and the stock, so that makes it extra interesting to collectors. Value depends greatly on the exact model and condition, but is probably a few hundred dollars....or more. John Spangler

# 13388 - Winchester Hotchkiss
5/12/2009
Jim San Antonio Texas

Eagle with V P over it and small U S . HN on bolt head . Is this a Springfield made gun ?

Answer:
Jim- The military marked 1st and 2nd Model Winchester Hotchkiss rifles and carbines were actually the result of assembly at Springfield Armory of actions and buttplates provided by Winchester, with the remaining parts provided by Springfield. Thus you can justify to your spouse the necessity for having one in your Springfield collection. The barrels on these all have the typical Springfield V/P/eagle head proof markings. The 3rd Model Winchester Hotchkiss rifles which were used by the Army were all made entirely by Winchester. Both of the serial numbers you asked about were listed as carbines shipped from Springfield in June 1879, but I have no info on their destination. Most likely it was just a shipping notation where the finished arms were transferred from the "production" side of Springfield operations to the "storage and issue" side. John Spangler

# 13465 - The Regent 22
5/12/2009
Trinity Hillsboro OH

My dad died and I got this old .22 it needs a firing pin and something that goes around the cylinder to hold it in place. So far I have found out that only about 150 were made and I am trying to find out all that I can about it so I can get it restored to working form. Thank You for your time and any help you can give. On it it says Firearms International Corp if that helps any.

Answer:
Trinity, The Regent is a name that was used on several models of cheap firearms that Firearms International Corp (FIE) sold in the U.S.A. during the 1960's and 1970's. There is no collector interest in this type of firearm, I would expect to see one for sale at a gunshow or yard sale in the $40 or less range. My advise is to avoid wasting any further time or money on a restoration. Marc

# 13463 - Spanish 32
5/9/2009
James, Lemoore CA

None Anything you could tell me about the manufacturer, or the approximate year of production would be helpful. Is it a safe gun (I wouldn't want to experiment with a ''Saturday night special'') I know you could in no way vouch for the safety of any gun, and I will have it inspected locally prior to any use. I'm more interested if the company was a reputable one. Also, do you think it would be worth the investment to have it re-blued? Thanks

Answer:
James, Titanic is a name that was used on several models of inexpensive Spanish made firearms which were imported into the United States in the first half of the 20th century. There were several companies in Spain manufacturing this type of revolver during that time and information about individual makers is often hard to find.

The inexpensive Spanish firearms have a reputation in general for making use of low quality, steel which may not be strong enough to handle modern day high- pressure loads. In my opinion the revolver is defiantly not worth what the cost of re-bluing would be, I would retire it and never fire it. There is no collectors in this type of firearm, I often see Spanish revolvers like this in perfect condition being offered in the $50.00 range at gunshows. Marc

# 13384 - Winchester 1895 Rifle With Replaced Barrel
5/9/2009
Jason, Rocky Mount, NC

''H'' shaped groove at angle under front sight (bayonet lug?). ''R A'' over ''Flaming bomb'' over ''6-44''. These stamps are directly under the aforementioned grooves. ''30-40 KRAG'' on left side of barrel near receiver. ''MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN.CONN.U.S.A. PATENTED NOV.5.95.NOV.12.95.AUG.17.97.JAN.25.98.AUG.23.98.AUG.6.1907'' on left side of receiver. reversed ''N'' next to boxed ''X reversed N reversed 3'' on right side of receiver. Faint ''crown in oval'' over ''7.62'' over ''MM'' on receiver top in front of bolt. ''131276'' over ''B'' on lower tang. ''71'' to the left of triangle on left side of trigger housing. Bar over ''67'' on lower receiver where trigger assembly slides into lower tang. ''X'' on right side of firing pin. ''MODEL 1895'' over ''-WINCHESTER-'' over ''TRADE MARK REG.U.S.PAT.OFF.&FGN.'' on the top tang. The hammer is checkered. Rifle has steel buttplate. no markings on stock or forearm. no marking on barrel band. I have an enigma that I am trying to figure out. I have a Winchester 1895 sn# 131276, the serialization dictates that the rifle was built in 1915. Being built in 1915 chances are good it was a Russian contract, which would go along with the 7.62 mm marking on the receiver top. With the martially marked rifles that I have dealt with in the past, R A signifies Remington Arms. As for the numbers beneath the flaming bomb, I would normally assume that to mean June of 1944. But the 1895 wasn't in production in 1944. Fit and function seem correct. Rifle has an old rebluing job. If anyone has any advice about this I would appreciate it. below I have listed the specific markings. ''H'' shaped groove at angle under front sight (bayonet lug?). ''R A'' over ''Flaming bomb'' over ''6-44''. These stamps are directly under the aforementioned grooves. ''30-40 KRAG'' on left side of barrel near receiver. ''MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN.CONN.U.S.A. PATENTED NOV.5.95.NOV.12.95.AUG.17.97.JAN.25.98.AUG.23.98.AUG.6.1907'' on left side of receiver. reversed ''N'' next to boxed ''X reversed N reversed 3'' on right side of receiver. Faint ''crown in oval'' over ''7.62'' over ''MM'' on receiver top in front of bolt. ''131276'' over ''B'' on lower tang. ''71'' to the left of triangle on left side of trigger housing. Bar over ''67'' on lower receiver where trigger assembly slides into lower tang. ''X'' on right side of firing pin. ''MODEL 1895'' over ''-WINCHESTER-'' over ''TRADE MARK REG.U.S.PAT.OFF.&FGN.'' on the top tang. The hammer is checkered. Rifle has steel buttplate with no markings. No markings on stock or forearm. No marking on barrel band.

Answer:
Jason- Your rifle was indeed one of the ones made for the Russian contract during WW1. However, the barrel is one made by Remington in 1944 for a M1903 Springfield rifle. At that time, the barrels were mostly being made as spare parts. Undoubtedly the rifle's previous owner decided that he wanted to be able to shoot it, but could not find 7.62 x 54mmR ammunition, or wanted it to be in a different caliber. In any case, the cheap and readily available M1903A3 barrel made by Remington was threaded and rechambered in .30-40 Krag caliber for use on your rifle. That and the refinishing have destroyed any collector value, but it still will have interest as a shooter. John Spangler

# 13453 - Low Number Ruger Value
5/5/2009
Thomas, Pollock, LA

Does the low serial number add any value to my revolver?

Answer:
Thomas, I checked your serial number (41-00250) on the Ruger website at: http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/PS-SerialNumberHistory-RE.html#. According to Ruger, New Model Blackhawk .41 Magnum serial numbers started out at 41-01845 in 1974. Your low serial number may have special value, I suggest that you contact the Ruger Collectors' Association people, their website is at: http://www.rugercollectorsassociation.com/. Good luck, I hope that you have a real treasure. Marc

# 13353 - Spencer .56-50 Centerfire Ammunition
5/5/2009
Aaron, Monte Vista, CO USA

When did Spencer .56-50 ammunition appear in a centerfire configuration? I'm aware that .50-70 brass was trimmed down and became a Spencer round. . .when did this occur?

Answer:
Aaron- Aside from possibly a few handfuls of ammunition made on an experimental basis, the .56-50 Spencer cartridge was strictly a rimfire round. It was available on the commercial market until the 1930s or 1940s, and the interest in Spencers for shooting is mainly a post-WW2 phenomenon, which led to their conversion to centerfire cartridges. This was driven by reenactors and North-South Skirmish Association shooters who wanted to use Spencers in their events. For an excellent history of all Spencer firearms (many of which are nearly unknown to most collectors) and their ammunition, and their manufacture and use in the U.S. and Europe, check out Roy Marcot's definitive study "Spencer Firearms." John Spangler

# 13472 - Haenel/ Schmeisser 25
5/2/2009
Rick

There is an ''S'' next to the safety. There are also 3 stampings on the barrel. Each stamp is an ''N'' with a (king's?) crown above it. My father obtained this Handgun when he was a POW/Battle of the Bulge/WWII, during his escape. I was just wondering what the value is for this piece. It is not for sale, but of extreme sentimental value, Thanx!

Answer:
Rick, glad that you want to keep your pistol in the family, where there is any family history, we encourage people to keep old guns for sentimental value.

It sounds like you have a Schmeisser Model 1 or 2. These were little semi-automatic .25 caliber pistols, similar to the Baby Browning. Values in the blue book range from $150 to about 400 depending on condition. The blue book does not mention a nickel plated version so your pistol may have been re-finished. If this is the case, value is lowered by about 1/2. Marc

# 13351 - New England Militia Musket?
5/2/2009
Kacee, Lake Placid, FL

Harpers Ferry, 821 on plate behind flintlock, ''M'' and ''LH 1828'' on side of barrel, Initials ''SS'' on stock in a vertical pattern. I inherited this gun and about 13 others from my grandfather. Unfortunately he passed away before I could get the history of it. It is a flintlock in very good condition (patina, no pitting, etc). I would like to know the model, history, value for insurance, etc. if possible. I have searched the web and have come up with nothing.

Answer:
Kacee- The barrel markings are distinctly Massachusetts proof marks, usually with the letter P there as well. Some of these were light weight arms on the general pattern of the traditional Brown Bess muskets but in .65 (+/-) caliber with pin fastened stocks and brass mountings. Others used surplus military musket parts such as locks or barrels and were in the military standard .69 caliber with three barrel bands and iron mountings. I suspect yours is one of the latter. Without being certain, I can only guess at the value, but assuming we have identified it correctly, that guess would be in the $1,500-2,000 range. Robert M. Reilly's book "U.S. Martial Flintlocks" would be an excellent source to check for proper identification. John Spangler