OT - Show Us Your OLDEST Ones...

[lthardman]

In addition to the soft spots in my head, I have a real soft spot in my heart for old guns. So, along the lines of all the "show us" threads, I was hoping I could convince a few of you to show us the oldest guns in your collection. Maybe it was a gun you inherited, maybe it was the first one you were given by a grandfather or father, or maybe it is one you bought. Special consideration for those that still get some exercise. While these pictures are pretty small (Photobucket is giving me road rage), here are a few of mine to start the thead off:

An Allen & Thurber Pepperbox .31 caliber with an 1858 patent date. I have worked on this one a lot, but have not shot it.


This is an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor .45-70 with bayonet and frog. The stock cartouche says 1884. It is a shooter, but only with black powder cartridges.


This is an 1884 Springfield Trapdoor in .45-70, but a previous owner cut it down, I believe. Don't know for sure, it could be a cadet or officer's model if I'm lucky. Its a shooter with BP cartridges:


Finally, here is a Winchester Hotchkiss Model 1883, that dates to about 1898, in .45-70. Also a shooter, but also only with black powder cartridges. Very accurate!


Well, there are some of mine. How about yours?

[rjohns94]

This is a midland gun co. ca 1896 12 bore hammer gun 30" barrels with Imp Cyl and Lt. Mod chokes, chambers 2 3/4" (70mm) semi round body game gun. I will be using my BP loaded brass shells in it come september dove season.

[KirkD]

Here's my oldest levergun, a Winchester Model 1876 .45-60 made in 1886. This one can put 5 shots into 1 & 7/8" at 100 yards ....



Here's my second oldest one, a Winchester Model 1873 .38-40 made in 1891. I haven't cast any bullets for it yet, but the bore is very good. This one hung on the wall of a small sporting goods store for many years, in a small town just north of the Vermont border. Then a fellow bought it and kept if for 40 years in a safe, and then sold it to me several months ago. It's going deer hunting next fall ...



This Springfield Model 1888 is about the same age, with '1891' stamped on the cartouche. This old girl can put five rounds into 7/8" at 100 yards with its Buffington sights and 500 grain cast bullets. It is going deer hunting one of these years as well.



This last one is a Clabrough double 12 bore sidelock. Exact date is unknown at this point, but a collector says it is around 1883. It is for Woodchucks and Canada Geese ....

[Hobie]

Sorry, I don't own anything older than 120 years old...

[TedH]

This relic is the oldest one I have and guess it was made somewhere around the 1830's -50's. A muzzleloading SxS 12 gauge with the name Parker on the side.

[2ndovc]

My Grandfather gave this 1842 Harper's Ferry musket to my Dad.
I got it when I was about 14.

For some reason they were always trying to talk me out of it.



jb

[cshold]

Parker GH. 12ga. Made In 1900.


Winchester 1894 25-35 Made In 1903.

[Old Ironsights]

"Roux" Underlever Drilling: 16x16 over 9.3x72R circa 1890-1910

[JReed]

Cool guns all. I will play

This is my 1897 born in 1905. My dad heard I didn't have a 12ga and said that just wont do so he sent me home with it 10 years ago. This ole girl is terror on dove.


This is my 1871 Remington rolling block in 45-70. These were a limited run that didn't get picked up buy the Army or any of the state militias. She is fun to shoot when I get back out west there is a deer out there waiting to meet her.

[jhrosier]

My 1878/81 Swiss Vetterli:


I converted it from rimrire to centerfire and it is a hoot to shoot.

You can read all about it here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=21917

Jack

[Pete44ru]

A ca.1890 Stevens Gould Model No.36 Target Pistol, a tip-up, single-shot .22LR.



.

[rangerider7]

This is a Springfield 1842 Musketoon made in 1847. It is a rifled 69 caliber model.



Winchester 1873 Carbine 44-40 made in 1884



Winchester 1886 38-56 made in 1888



Winchester 1873 38-40 made in 1893



Colt SAA made in 1904

[jdad]

Special order (28" octagon barrel) 22 short Winchester 1885. Cody letter dates it to 9/16/1886. This came out of the Browning Brothers Hardware Store and is so marked on the barrel.

[Alan Wood]

So Jdad
on that 1885 was it built by the Browning brothers or just sold by there store (and designed by him)? Been wondering that since you first posted about it.
Alan Wood

[Roland]

Oldest gun I own is this Smith & Wesson M17-2 made in 1965:

[perry owens]

Oldest levergun - 1865 Spencer

Oldest single shot - 1867 Snider

Oldest pistol - Colt 1849 Pocket

All in regular use, along with several slightly younger examples.

Perry Owens

[C. Cash]

My two oldest ones I do not have pictures of: an Australian Martini Cadet in 32/20 ca. 1911 that belonged to my Mom's Dad, and 1894 Carl Gustav Swede ca. 1898 that belonged to my Dad's Dad. So, here is my only pic of some old ones. These are three "37's". The Win. 37 belonged to my Grandfather Cash who was an old Cotton Farmer, next to one of his old 22's(a Mossberg made in 1937). These are the kind of practical guns that the family owned and helped them survive. Next to them is a picture of the family as they left Texas, in 1937. They were some hard living folks.

[txpete]

1898 M91 finn capture mosin nagant 7.62X54R.its a great shooter.

[jdad]

So Jdad
on that 1885 was it built by the Browning brothers or just sold by there store (and designed by him)? Been wondering that since you first posted about it.
Alan Wood

Bert Hartman explained the history to me.......
In 1883 Winchester paid John Browning $9000, for his patents.....$1000 cash and 2500 rifles. All the rifles shipped, from Winchester, were so stamped by Browning upon arrival. Most were large caliber single shots, so being a rimfire and special order makes it a little more rare.

[w30wcf]

top 1873 made in 1882
bottom '94 SRC made in 1926

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o25/ ... 318941.jpg
w30wcf

[Blaine]

[C. Cash]

Blaine, after your long and distinguished military career, you should know better than to pee off "The Cook."

[cshold]

I tell yeah what, if this thread dosent get the old,
"I Want One of Those" blood flowin somethin is very wrong.

[Old Time Hunter]

A couple of Trapdoors: Top to bottom '73 made in '79 (Cartouche is 1880), '73 made in 1999 , '84 Carbine made in 1887 (Cartouche is 1888), '84 Rifle/Cadet made in 1888 (Cartouche is 1890).


Two Trapdoors and a '73 Winchester: Top to bottom; same '84 TD Rifle/Cadet, '73 Trapdoor Rifle made in '76 serial # 1098, still has a firing pin spring and is "high arch", great shooter!, '73 Winchester made in 1881, 44WCF came off the Hearst complex in San Simeon wrapped in a tar/oil cloth inside an original Winchester shipping box (which I bought thinking it was empty), took forever and a day to clean it up, then the idiot that I am had a friend clean & clear coat the receiver to preserve the "brand new" CC...now it looks too bright.


This isn't really mine, it belongs to my Father-in-law, he has just let me have custody of it for the past fifteen years or so. He bought it in a barn sale up in northern Wisconsin for five bucks back in '47. It was in a cardboard box, look'n pretty nasty. He shoved it in a closet and forgot about it until back in the early '90's. He pulled it out when we were doing a show and tell 'cause I just procured an original '61 Springfield (I let that one get away...boy am I a dummy), he thought nothing of it. On poops and giggles I sent it to Colt, turns out to be Ser# 1347 of a First Model Dragoon..they sent it back the way it looks. It is the one in the center on top, the others are Rugers and Uberti's. It was probably made in 1849 or possible as late as 1850 according to Colt.

[Ysabel Kid]

COOL idea for a topic! I will have to snap a picture of the Lefaueax (sp?) pinfire revolver I have around the mid 1800's.

[bsaride]

I have a rusty old trapdoor only missing a couple screws.
A 1895-1899 Stevens Favorite needing alot of attention.
Just picked up a S&W Hand Ejector 1902 Model from 1904.
A couple of tip up bicycle guns. 1908 Marlin 1893 in 30-30.

[KentuckyLevrgunr]

Here's my oldest, just bought her yesterday. Remington Model 11, made in July 1943 and never issued. The pic really doesn't do justice, but I'd judge it to be 95%+.

[Alan Wood]

So Jdad
on that 1885 was it built by the Browning brothers or just sold by there store (and designed by him)? Been wondering that since you first posted about it.
Alan Wood

Bert Hartman explained the history to me.......
In 1883 Winchester paid John Browning $9000, for his patents.....$1000 cash and 2500 rifles. All the rifles shipped, from Winchester, were so stamped by Browning upon arrival. Most were large caliber single shots, so being a rimfire and special order makes it a little more rare.

Thank you for the information. That is all the more interesting now.

[lthardman]

I totally agree...you have to want a lot of what I see in this thread. I love the pictures of the old levers, and particularly the Spencer. If these things could talk....

[hfcable]

oldest that i have shot and actually use:

1873 Whitney Kennedy 44/40

[claybob86]

[quote="hfcable"]oldest that i have shot and actually use:

1873 Whitney Kennedy 44/40
quote]

That's beautiful! How does she handle and shoot?

[KirkD]

Wow! I don't often see a Whitney Kennedy! Nice piece of history!

[lthardman]

It just would not do to not show my oldest levergun. It is not in the phnomenal condition of some in this thread, but it is still a shooter. This is a Model 1892 in .38-40, and the serial number dates it to 1899.




And, here is a Remington Rolling Block Saddle Ring Carbine. No serial number, just Remington and the factory location (Illich) on the tang. It was originally a 7 X 57, but it was a bit shot out at the muzzle. It is now a .30-06, an original caliber for this model carbine even if it wasn't original for this particular one. It is a good shooter now, but you better bring your best shoulder. As near as I and my gunsmith can figure, it was made in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It was a gun popular with Pancho Villa's forces in their skirmish with Pershing prior to WWI.





A big tip of the hat to all who shared their beautful examples of firearm history in this thread.