Show off your oldest gun

[Fordmechanic]

Yeah, the Tokarev I got at the Richmond show about 2 months ago. If you watched 60min "Closing the Va Gun Show Loophole" program, I was on and there was about 5 seconds of video of my son holding the Tokarev. I guess 60 min needed their 10 yr old holding an "assault rifle" so the world could see we're just a bunch of rednecks letting kids get ahold of "machine guns". Ill post pics of the ones not in the picture.

[Tinygnat219]

Here's one of my oldest, a Belgian Nagant made in 1898, these were made for Russia, in Belgium from 1895 to 1898, and are known to be somewhat rare (with 20,000 or so being made) before Russia purchased the machine tools and plans and proceeded to make them until 1945. As far as I can tell, it's never been refinished:



Here's another, a Smith and Wesson Double Action 44 in .44 Russian. This was made in 1880 or so:


Here's a Webley MK VI made in 1918 with the shaved cylinder for .45 ACP:


Here's another odd one, a Japanese Model 26 circa: 1893-1922:

[punchie]

Very nice...thanks for sharing!

[Tinygnat219]

Very nice...thanks for sharing!

Punchie,

Thanks! I have a C&R and I have been using it and abusing it (ok, the checking account's been abused, but not the FFL) acquiring these things. Now all I have to do is stump Dawson's Small Arms of the World. So far, they have had at least one dusty box of any ammo I have been looking for.

[punchie]

Let me know if you run across a box of 44 M&H with the proper headstamp that I wouldn't have to take a second mortgage out for.

[firstcavapache64]

I have a couple of old guns but I can't figure out how to post pictures. Can anyone give some advice?

[allingeneral]

I have a couple of old guns but I can't figure out how to post pictures. Can anyone give some advice?

See if this helps: How to post pictures

[GS78]

My oldest weapon is a Parker dbl barrel 12 ga. issue date was march 1875. It was my great-great grandfathers' gun, from caroline county Va.

[gorknoids]

I'd actually appreciate any help I could get in dating this one. It's a Wilmot 12 ga, Damascus-barreled side-by-side and is heavily engraved. Value-wise, it's a wall-hanger, as the last price I saw for any Wilmot Damascus-barreled double was about $150.00.
I've been able to find out some info on the company, but none of the pics I saw showed anything approaching this sort of engraving. Oddly enough, some of the machining on the gun is very coarse, but the detail in the engraving is excellent.








My best guess is that it started life as a skeet gun on one of the old day-cruise boats in the mid-Atlantic area (Maryland/Delaware) because that's where my great-uncle lived, but I could be way off.

[zephyp]

That's truly a beautiful gun. There are some sites that might help you identify the company. Take the gun apart and look for proof marks on the metal pieces. There is a site somewhere (I'd have to google it) that has info you could maybe match them up to.

[GS78]

That sure is an interesting looking piece. Have you done anything to it?

[gorknoids]

The only thing I've done to it is to wax all the wood with a high-quality paste wax and gently clean some of the corrosion off the metal. The pics don't show the really detailed metal work, but you can get an idea. There's a glass eye in the phoenix on the left side of the stock, which is something Wilmot seems to have done on many of their guns.
Aside from that, I'm just doing my best to keep the condition from deteriorating.

[gorknoids]

That's truly a beautiful gun. There are some sites that might help you identify the company. Take the gun apart and look for proof marks on the metal pieces. There is a site somewhere (I'd have to google it) that has info you could maybe match them up to.

The barrels have at least a dozen markings on them. Some are proof marks, while the others appear to be measurements. Some make no sense at all!

[zephyp]

Here's a paper with some proof mark references. You'll probably find proof marks if you remove the handguard and break it down. Also look in places not visible when the gun is in firing condition.

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/ ... fmarks.pdf

[gorknoids]

Great info! If you go to the Belgian proofmarks, the 1st one from the breech on both barrels is the 4th one on the page (ELG in an egg with a crown), the 2nd is the number 12 over a capitol G in a diamond, and the 3rd is the stylized, overlapping "EL", which is the 1st of the Belgian proofmarks shown.
Now we have it dated at the very earliest in 1893, and at the latest 1923. There is another black powder proofmark, but I can only make out the star at the top, as it is really tiny and appears that the letters were overstruck.
Thanks a gazillion, zephyp. There are many more markings stamped into the rib between the barrels, but they are mostly numerical, without any sort of trademark look about them.

[zephyp]

My pleasure, gorknoids. I've also got an old shotgun that was my fathers. Not anywhere near as pretty as yours but I'd like more info on it so I had that bookmarked. Hope you figure yours out. There are also a couple of forums on the net that might also be of help. Unfortunately I didnt bookmark those.

[DirtDevil]

I have a 1895 Nagant revolver that stamped (1922) When they were the R.S.F.S. R. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Sorry if any mistakes got got home from working all night.

[gtijohn]

For my first post in this forum, let me show you my baby...1911 manufactured around 1918....

[ProShooter]

1910 Colt Police Positive Special - .32-20

Its in non-working condition - I only use it for classroom demos.

[Paliden]

OK not old but it is special to me. A Stevens single shot 410. I bought it with money I earned as a kid in 1963/64. I was around 11 at the time