As Dennis Hiller mentioned in his book, he noted a Tell 3 with serial number 59 and this (Holts) one has number 409.
So why does Holts state "only 50 produced"?
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Frank
with this auctioneer's (Holts) description:
"AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE BOXED .177 BREAK-BARREL AIR-PISTOL, MODEL 'TELL 3', serial no. 406,
one of only approximately 50 produced between 1936-1940..."
Vintage Airguns Gallery
..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.
As Dennis Hiller mentioned in his book, he noted a Tell 3 with serial number 59 and this (Holts) one has number 409.
So why does Holts state "only 50 produced"?
--------------------------------
Frank
Possibly there was a typo in Holts description missing a zero?
BSA Super10 addict, other BSA's inc GoldstarSE, Original (Diana) Mod75's, Diana Mod5, HW80's, SAM 11K... All sorted!
Must have been a typo in the original reference then?
BSA Super10 addict, other BSA's inc GoldstarSE, Original (Diana) Mod75's, Diana Mod5, HW80's, SAM 11K... All sorted!
I don't know much about old pistols, but did the company produce any other pistols/rifles?
Maybe they were like Weihrauch any just used sequential numbering, regardless of what model it was?
The reason is because Beeman in is blue book, says that there was only 50 produced, and that's the info Holts have gone on. we now belive that there is a lot more.
It's true that some manufacturers have used a numbering system starting at eg. 1,000, presumably to inflate the impression of output, but in the case of the Tell 3 there's evidence they started at number 1 or thereabouts and carried on sequentially.
The estimate of 50 made in total is wildly out of date and so many of these pistols have emerged since it was first mooted that Holts really should know better than to rely on it, or repeat it.
There may even be 50 surviving examples known already! I don't know, but it can't be far off. High selling prices, probably partly fuelled by assumed rarity (but also because they're lovely guns to own) have brought a lot of Tell 3s out of the woodwork recently.
There was even a pistol sold on eGun recently that claimed to have the serial number 1,000.
Vintage Airguns Gallery
..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.
Gents, this has been hashed before. I myself have owned 6 examples of Tell 3, and there's no way I could have glommed onto 12% of production. I am confident the total number is around 1000.
Don R.