Tell 3 or should I say 2.5?

[45flint]

The good news is I got a Tell 3, my final quest in the German prewar pistol category. The bad news is the it has a cracked grip and one missing emblem. (I refuse to show that side!) The further good news after a good oiling it's shooting at 270 fps, which I believe is the norm for this powerhouse. Further good news is the bluing is really pretty good. Probably overspent, given the grip damage, but by Egun standards it was a bargain. Lol. Here is a one sided slideshow!
http://s168.photobucket.com/user/ski...eshow/Tell%203

They are very interesting guns, very well made. Cocking with the barrel sight digging into your palm is its own form of punishment, just as the Haenel 28, has its challenges.

I will be honest, I have no other desires. I have fallen in love with the German prewar blued milled Luger type pistols. Nothing else really excites me. Well maybe another Tell 3. My serial number was in the mid 100's.

[Mark D]

Congratulations, you certainly must live in a collectors haven Now just pm me the winning loto numbers for the weekend!

You may find someone who has a grip,or even can make a replica using the cracked one as a template. There is a guy on here who lives close to me that did some excellent repo webley grips.

[ccdjg]

A very nice find. Well done!

Any restorer worth his salt will be able to fix that crack so that it is invisible. Why not give it a go yourself? You will know from this forum that there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from DIY restoration, and it can add a whole new dimension to your collecting hobby.
i
The missing medallion is more of a challenge, but silicone molding putty and low-melting casting metal, all available off the bay, is the way to go.

[45flint]

A very nice find. Well done!

Any restorer worth his salt will be able to fix that crack so that it is invisible. Why not give it a go yourself? You will know from this forum that there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from DIY restoration, and it can add a whole new dimension to your collecting hobby.
i
The missing medallion is more of a challenge, but silicone molding putty and low-melting casting metal, all available off the bay, is the way to go.

My original thought when I saw the gun is it might be my only chance to own a Tell 3 and it did work so give it a go. I actually have made grips for other guns so that was a thought as well. The Tell grip is a tuff one because it's not like a Webley or a Haenel where you have a total frame and the grips just a slab. In the Tell the Bakelite grip is really, almost the total grip of gun with two struts coming halfway down the sides for attachment. It is much more structural than a typical gun. It actually I think is a real weakness in the design: relying on a "plastic" for structure? I actually thought that a wood grip would be superior and actually look better if it was fine wood and well executed. But the dilemma for the collector is you have changed the gun, how can you do that to a "Tell 3"? Having the gun, it is obvious that the grip has been reinforced and works, so right now I think I will just think of it as a collector piece that it is. Not sure I will mess with it, time will "Tell" lol.

The "Tell 3" to me is a great curiosity, the mechanism is fasinating, but I don't see it as a "shooter". The Haenel's serve that purpose. Though it is close, I think the Haenel is superior in milling and execution. I see no milling marks on a Haenel, just finely polished steel. The Tell though well executed has milling marks in some places, plastic vs. walnut grips and a sheet metal trigger vs. the Haenel's milled. Though the Haenel 28 is pretty common, I have seen no better made milled, blued, steel air pistol: though it takes a pristine example to really appreciate this.

[Garvin]

Welcome to the Tell 3 owners' club at last! I think the grip design must have been faulty because I've seen a few of these with cracked grips around the same place. My own example (with very little original blueing) has been repaired on the left side. It's not the best of repairs either.

Pic of the internal parts.

[Abasmajor]

The good news is I got a Tell 3, my final quest in the German prewar pistol category. The bad news is the it has a cracked grip and one missing emblem. (I refuse to show that side!) The further good news after a good oiling it's shooting at 270 fps, which I believe is the norm for this powerhouse. Further good news is the bluing is really pretty good. Probably overspent, given the grip damage, but by Egun standards it was a bargain. Lol. Here is a one sided slideshow!
http://s168.photobucket.com/user/ski...eshow/Tell%203

They are very interesting guns, very well made. Cocking with the barrel sight digging into your palm is its own form of punishment, just as the Haenel 28, has its challenges.

I will be honest, I have no other desires. I have fallen in love with the German prewar blued milled Luger type pistols. Nothing else really excites me. Well maybe another Tell 3. My serial number was in the mid 100's.

Hi,

Congratulations on finally acquiring the Tell 3 you have been chasing for a while now and welcome to the cracked grip club. My example isn't in great overall cosmetic condition, so I was content to just fill the crack with a wax crayon and polish it to slightly improve the appearance. As Danny says, there seems to be a bit of a weakness at this point on the grips. This one is quite early bearing Ser No 49.

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/...psvzbabraq.jpg

Regards

Brian

[45flint]

Hi,

Congratulations on finally acquiring the Tell 3 you have been chasing for a while now and welcome to the cracked grip club. My example isn't in great overall cosmetic condition, so I was content to just fill the crack with a wax crayon and polish it to slightly improve the appearance. As Danny says, there seems to be a bit of a weakness at this point on the grips. This one is quite early bearing Ser No 49.

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/...psvzbabraq.jpg

Regards

Brian

Maybe we need to start a Tell 3 cracked grip society?

[45flint]

Have any of you taken your Tell 3 apart? The Haenel 28 was easy but I did that with my beater. Thought it would be good to do a good cleaning but, my head tells me don't fix whats not broken, especially with a rare one.

[ccdjg]

Have any of you taken your Tell 3 apart? The Haenel 28 was easy but I did that with my beater. Thought it would be good to do a good cleaning but, my head tells me don't fix whats not broken, especially with a rare one.

It is pretty straightforward to take apart except for one important step. When you remove the rear sight to unscrew the cylinder end-cap there is a small pin which is there to prevent the cap being screwed in too far. This has to be removed before the cap can be unscrewed, and this can be tricky (impossible?) if it is rusted in or excessively tight. If the unwary does not know it is there and uses force to unscrew the cap then damage can result (shades of the Webley "Do not remove" end plug!) Usually the pin can be removed by unscrewing the end cap a tiny amount and tapping the cylinder until the pin drops out. If it is firmly stuck then I guess the only option would be to drill it out. Not a good design feature

[45flint]

It is pretty straightforward to take apart except for one important step. When you remove the rear sight to unscrew the cylinder end-cap there is a small pin which is there to prevent the cap being screwed in too far. This has to be removed before the cap can be unscrewed, and this can be tricky (impossible?) if it is rusted in or excessively tight. If the unwary does not know it is there and uses force to unscrew the cap then damage can result (shades of the Webley "Do not remove" end plug!) Usually the pin can be removed by unscrewing the end cap a tiny amount and tapping the cylinder until the pin drops out. If it is firmly stuck then I guess the only option would be to drill it out. Not a good design feature

Wow, thanks I saw that little pin when I took the sight off to look at the serial number and wondered what it did. Actually you are reinforcing my don't fix what's not broken. Hey, faulty weak grips, little pins, to mess me up, and these pistols are the "Holy Grail"? Maybe the War didn't end the production of these pistols? Lol. Hugo Schmeisser is looking smarter and smarter.