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The Beauty of Tired Old Guns

92K views 471 replies 156 participants last post by  TheCorsican 
#1 · (Edited)
Beauty may be the wrong word for appreciation of old guns that been there & done their job -- but beauty will have to do till I think of a better word. Here are a few of mine with a story where applicable. Others invited ------->

Merwin Hulbert 1st Model

A man walked it into my Dad's shop, $15, 1960s --

Remington S&W Conversion --

Remington paid S&W $2.50 each contract price to mfgr cylinders. This one marked in fine letters on the cylinder. Ejector probably a gunsmith add-on.

Thought to be a promotional model bolt action probably pre-Steyr ca 1890 --

I paid $5 for it in Vienna 1948 & 20 years later traded it for two nice 1860 Armys, one of them below --

Colt 1860 Army


1897 Winchester & 1902 Colt Sporting model --

For me, they kinda go together, being of same period --

Colt Second Dragoon --

A pretty good one with a lot of the scene still visible. Baltimore gunshow 1980, dealer wanted $1800 for it. Traded two 1725ish German flint military pistols for it --
 
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#2 ·
I didn't get started on this insidious condition involving Colts until a little later on, probably around the early '80s.
The upshot is, my pile does not reflect such scarce and historic hardware.
But I do have a few beat up old Colts that are all shootable and getting more desireable as time passes.
I have just one 19th century revolver.
No matter.
It is old and beat up, shoots, and compliments the hoard quite nicely.
Maybe hoard is too strong a word.
Pile. It compliments the pile.
Old iron appeals to me as what they actually are.
Every one of 'em has an obscure mystique that echoes the gun culture of long ago.
My purpose is to be able to hand that mystique, charm, nostalgia, and fascination on down to the next bunch of us who appreciate these things
As the old axiom goes: "they ain't all pretty, but they all count."
 
#3 ·
This is my oldest gun. No name or proofs on it. It`s a .50 caliber pin fire. Probably made in the 1840`s maybe in Belgium or Spain. I have seen another similar one a few years ago in western antique store near me. It has folding triggers like a Patterson. It has two threaded holes on the side. Duke Duvall who gave me the gun about 45 years ago was a collector. He thought the holes were for a spring clip so the gun could be inserted in a sash or belt. He thought the gun could have been possibly a pirates "Boarding pistol". I once owned a similar smaller one in about a .32 caliber. I would like to know the history and who owned it and what that gun has been through! What do you think?





 
#10 · (Edited)
This is my oldest gun. No name or proofs on it. It`s a .50 caliber pin fire. Probably made in the 1840`s maybe in Belgium or Spain. I have seen another similar one a few years ago in western antique store near me. It has folding triggers like a Patterson. It has two threaded holes on the side. Duke Duvall who gave me the gun about 45 years ago was a collector. He thought the holes were for a spring clip so the gun could be inserted in a sash or belt. He thought the gun could have been possibly a pirates "Boarding pistol". I once owned a similar smaller one in about a .32 caliber. I would like to know the history and who owned it and what that gun has been through! What do you think?
I think that gun causes injuries at both ends.

Here is an 1898 Model 94 Winchester. It was my uncle's gun (died 1966) and mysteriously appeared when my aunt died in 1988 and her late husband's family began swooping in to claim everything. Re-barreled way back when and has a homemade front barrel band.
 

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#5 · (Edited)
This 1908 DWM Bulgarian Contract Luger (9mm) has 4 wars' worth of wear on it - 1st and 2nd Balkan Wars, WWI and WWII. I haven't shot it, and don't intend to, but I'm confident it would still be fine. A deceased member of my wife's family picked it up in a Detroit gun shop in 1968 and I have the receipt from that sale. Less than 50 of these guns in intact, original condition (out of 10,000 made for the contract) have been documented.

Firearm Gun Trigger Revolver Starting pistol


Better picture -

Gun Firearm Trigger Revolver Gun accessory
 
#6 ·
I have many guns that "show their age", but I'd say that the favorite is my Baby Galand. IMO, the patina makes it look prettier than a gun in mint condition. :cool:
 

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#8 ·
I just love everything about this one. 1945 production, so too late to see any WWII action I imagine, but maybe Korea or Vietnam? Who knows, maybe it was surplussed immediately following the war and never saw military service, but SOMEONE used it quite a bit. It has that buttery feel when racking the slide, like it has been done a million times before. Trigger still a little GI heavy, but everything else just "snicks" in place. High points are worn is just the right way. Grips panels have obviously seem many palms and fingertips over the years.

It's one of my favorites.

 
#320 ·
I just love everything about this one. 1945 production, so too late to see any WWII action I imagine, but maybe Korea or Vietnam? Who knows, maybe it was surplussed immediately following the war and never saw military service, but SOMEONE used it quite a bit. It has that buttery feel when racking the slide, like it has been done a million times before. Trigger still a little GI heavy, but everything else just "snicks" in place. High points are worn is just the right way. Grips panels have obviously seem many palms and fingertips over the years.

It's one of my favorites.

Very nice - used but not abused...
 
#9 ·
Supposedly belonged to a Oklahoma Chief of Police, but no verification:


1880 45 SAA, no history:


BP FSS & 45 Colt:


BP 41 Colt:


BP Sheriff 45:


US Artillery:


Bisley 41 Colt:


Don't know the history on this one, but if it could talk I'll bet it would have some wild tales to tell.......
 
#12 · (Edited)
A few more tired oldies --

Colt 1872 Open Top --

Conversion?? No. The immediate predecessor of the SAA, it is a revolver manufactured with a different frame, cylinder & barrel, adding an integral rear sight at the B/C gap, straight sided cylinder & different frame eliminating the conversion ring --

Colt SAA 1874 --

Showing both its busy career & owner's care, nickeled with a lot of wear, chipped ivory grips, yet with a sharp shiny bore --

Colt SAA 1874 --

Turned brown but not pitted & its bore sharp & bright, showing a wood inlay on its right grip --

I wanted a pristine SAA & considered sending one of these to Turnbulls.

Then I bought this one at LGS, .38 Colt, like new with all blue restoration. Lettered it 1891 original caliber & had Turnbulls do CCS on frame --

Old but not tired, satisfied my pristine SAA want -----
 
#15 ·
Outstanding! I love those trench art stocks with the pictures. Those are items that must always stay together. Too bad you were not able to get more of the guns history and who made them. I would imagine that anyone who cared enough to made them up would also care about what became of them.
 
#18 ·
I used to own 1903 #694 but was offered stupid money for it...I would have been stupid to turn the deal down so I didn't. But...this was some years ago and stupid money then isn't as much as stupid money now.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Remington model 10 12 gauge found in wall of old building in the Mojave Desert on friend's private property. "Engraved" by someone with some sharp object, looks like a nail, oiled up, shot, then it was given to me. The butt is a little loose but it shot great. I like this early Model 10A model because it has such a solid frame with loading and ejection on the bottom. But it ain't the smoothest action in the world, at least this one. With that engraving and carved stock, I consider this shootable desert folk art.






 
#20 ·
Most of my revolvers show a pretty good history of good care, none are really tired. I do have a couple semis that fit the bill though;

My 1st gen Woodsman shows alot of use but the function is 100%. Got this from my BIL last year.


This hammerless was also from my BIL. He took it inas part of a trade knowing that he could unload it on to me.


And I know I've mentioned this Vest Pistol before. I bought an old mechanics roll away complete with old tools at an estate auction. When I got it home and was going thru it all I found a grease & oil soaked AC spark plug 4-pack box. Inside was the .25 Vest pistol.
 
#21 ·
I find fascinating how some guns look so used and other guns that are actually carried or used more look in better condition. When I was a company guard our guns were company owned and were carried 24/7 by guards around the clock giving them to our reliefs. That means they were holstered and upholstered at least 21 times a week and that`s 1092 times a year! At first we were issued Colt 4" Official Police`s. I checked the numbers on them and they were about 1951/1952`s. That was at Lockheed AC company. I believe during World war two they carried 6" officers model match`s as we had them to practice with.
Evidently they disarmed most but not all posts after the war and then rearmed with the OP`s when Korea broke out.
Then after Korea I think they disarmed most post`s again. I hired in 1965. The first few months we weren't armed although we did practice with the old 6" OMM`s. Then in August of 1965 the Watt`s Riot happened and we all armed with the 4" OP`s.
I retired in 2,000. Except for a few post`s we were armed all the way through. In the 70`s they gave us quite a few Ruger Stainless Speed Six`s and then some S&W 586`s. For most of my time I chose if available always the Colts. They were lighter to pack than the Smiths or Rugers. They did get rid of most but not all of the Colts by the time I left. I don't know what they carry now but suppose likely went semi auto. All our revolvers were stamped on the butt LAC with a 3 digit number. They are out there somewhere. Also we had some Colt Detective specials. LAC means Lockheed Aircraft Company. Probably most had very very few rounds through them as most of us seemed to re-qualify with our own personal guns but they were available to us if we wanted to qualify with them. What I am trying to say here is when I see old guns with the blue rubbed off etc it really makes me wonder how they get in that shape as we had guns that were like 40 years or more old that were carried around the clock all those years and didn't look a fraction as worn.
 
#28 ·
Beauty may be the wrong word for appreciation of old guns that been there & done their job -- but beauty will have to do till I think of a better word. Here are a few of mine with a story where applicable. Others invited ------->
Perhaps the same word used to describe the sometimes elderly owners of these old war horses, especially those who have managed to hold on to enough locks of silver grey hair to be referred to as "distinguished".....:)
 
#41 ·
Two of a kind.... It doesn't get much older than this for M1903's
Old, beat up and no finish....but neat as Hell. SN 417 and 418.

View attachment 103376 View attachment 103377 View attachment 103378
I love this pair. I know you've probably already told the story but let me ask again, how did you come upon these and how far apart were they?
You must have felt a little like winning the lottery when you found the one that was consecutive. Did they letter to the same distributor or dealer?
 
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