Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Herb Houze
was moved and stored, its full charge forgotten ... but remaining to this day just as potentially dangerous. The same could (and did) happen with a few handguns and longarms of all types. In the interest of safety, all firearms, antique and modern, should be closely checked to ascertain they are empty. The very simple process requires only a wooden ram-rod or wooden measure at least as long as the gun’s barrel. While pointing the muzzle away, slide the rod down the bore and mark the depth that it travelled. Remove the rod and place it alongside the barrel; if empty the lower tip of the rod should reach to the touch-hole (if flintlock) or the bolster and nipple (if perc.). If it comes up short it indicates there is an obstruction or a powder charge. Do not, under any circumstance, attempt to remove it by firing the gun ... extremely hazardous! If inexperienced, have a competent professional gunsmith look at the problem. It often turns out to be paper, cloth, stones, glass, etc. that were stuffed down the barrel by parties unknown. The potential hazard is sufficient to cause it to be handled on a “worst case” basis.
REGULATIONS, ORDINANCES & STATUTES
An awareness of rules, regulations and legislation pertaining to guns is requisite for the collector. He should familiarize himself with those of his local community and state as well as the Federal Gun Control Act (GCA) and National Firearms Act (NFA). Although the Federal Government and many states exempt “Antique firearms” from legislation and regulation, it should be understood that even the definition of “antique” is subject to different interpretation and definition. There is no simple, all-inclusive statement to absolve responsibility from legal ramifications of the myriad of gun laws. It’s estimated there are over 10,000 of them on the books of towns, cities, counties, states and federally. Generally speaking...in the very broadest of terms...most firearms made in or before 1898 are considered “antique” and, with but few exceptions, are exempt from provisions of Federal firearms legislation. Quite a few states use that same cut-off date; others may use various dates or not address the subject of date at all. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) of the U.S. Treasury Department is responsible for enforcement of Federal firearms laws. A copy of those laws and those of many states is available from BATF by request (Washington, D.C. 20226). A modest attempt was made to bring an awareness of a certain few, but not all, arms or devices found listed in this work that may fall under the provisions of the NFA or GCA. It is quite possible others are in those same categories. The reader is cautioned to verify the legal status of such arms if he is uncertain.
A Disclaimer About Serial Number Data: Included in various chapters throughout this work where serial number information may be utilized to indicate date of manufacture of various firearms, particularly for ascertaining status as “antiques” of pre-1898 manufacture: serial numbers and ranges are neither precise nor unerring and may be taken only as a general guide. The information is that which has been generally accepted by the collecting community and which has appeared in specialized works on the respective makers and/or manufacturers. Exact serial numbers (or serial number ranges) i.e. whether merely the date the manufacturer of the respective firearms cease production or the date the firearms were shipped from the factory of the respective gunmaker is often uncertain. In other instances serial ranges may have been broadly estimated by authors or researchers of the respective make or model.
COLLECTING ORGANIZATIONS AND ARMS MUSEUMS IN THE U.S.
Almost every state in the U.S. has an antique arms collecting club or association; many have more than one. At the last rough estimate, the count of such groups approximated 110. The best current listing with addresses of secretaries or presiding officers may be found in the annual edition of the Gun Digest, this most widely distributed work may be found in almost any sporting goods store or book store in America. Several collecting organizations place large advertisements in the two popular periodicals Man at Arms and Gun Report devoted entirely to antique weapons. Each magazine also publishes a calendar of scheduled gun shows. Collectors’ organizations and shows run the gamut from loosely organized affairs to very professionally run exhibitions. Regardless of their size and quality, all offer the budding collector the opportunity to rub elbows with people of kindred spirits, and they certainly afford the opportunity to get acquainted with the entire hobby.
The United States is rich in museum collections of antique arms representing a fine cross-section of guns of all periods. These museum holdings range in size from small, highly specialized collections included with other exhibits in large public museums to extremely extensive, broad scope collections in museums devoted solely to weapons. One of the most detailed listings of collections available for public viewing is found in the highly recommended work The Collecting of Guns, edited by James E. Serven (see Bibliography, Chapter IV). Over 70 of these will be found, with notes on the nature of their arms group and details of their location and hours open to the public.
Chapter II
Values and Condition
Basic to the understanding of the monetary value of antique arms is the fact that stated figures are purely arbitrary, and there is no such thing as a fixed price. The discussion of gun values is highly subjective—as often are the values themselves. Social and emotional factors often affect an object’s worth and in some cases to a very great degree. Rarely indeed will two experts look at a specimen and arrive at the exact same dollar value for it. With the more often encountered guns, those same two experts most likely would arrive at a price within 10 percent of each other; the disparity would rarely be more than 20 percent. A number of reasons account for the seeming lack of consistency in this hobby as opposed to the more clear cut, definable fields of coins, stamps or books. The primary factor is the size of the field itself; gun collecting does not have nearly the following of the latter three hobbies, nor does it have anywhere near the percentage of full-time large dealers issuing standard catalogs. The smaller known overall market and the looser interpretation of prices because of less published or otherwise maintained standards by professionals combine to make for a decidedly more eccentric market. Equally important is the fact that firearms do not neatly fill a definite grading category as do stamps, coins or books; this is made even more complex by the mechanical functions which weapons possess. Lastly, guns feature many more variables and irregularities than either stamps, coins or books; most important among these are historical associations, inscriptions, manufacturing variations, factory accessories, restorations and engravings.
In order not to discourage the reader at this point, it may be further quite emphatically and accurately stated that just about every weapon made does fall within distinct price guidelines and price categories. These figures are determined by what previous weapons of the same type have brought in the open market, by what closely similar weapons possessing a similar degree of demand and rarity have brought, or in the case of extremely rare, infrequently traded guns what they would bring based on experience and in the view of the influencing factors discussed within this section.
CORRECT IDENTIFICATION
Fundamental to establishing value is accurate identification of the gun. The mere similarity of a piece in contour and shape to one pictured herein or in another reference work, is hardly sufficient to conclude that the specimen is identical. Looks are deceiving when it comes to determining the fine points of gun identification and, consequently, value; jumping at conclusions is often dangerous and costly. As will be seen in the thousands of guns listed in this book and the many hundreds of photographs, there can often be great variances in price within a single model or type—which to the casual observer all look alike. A slight difference in markings, placement of screws or seemingly minor parts all play highly important roles in identification. The reader is urged to check all these minor technical points in the text accompanying each model after he has identified his piece from the illustration accompanying that text. To repeat again, the mere fact that a gun does not appear listed in this work (or is apparently unique) does not necessarily indicate it is either a priceless rarity or an unknown model. One should conclude that the specific piece certainly possesses an interesting potential and is well worth further research into its background and identification. Although this book does contain more descriptions, models and variant types than any other of its type ever published, gaps are inevitable.
AN INSIGHT