Antique Firearm collecting

[Fronteria]

Hi. All.
I have be collecting for about 40 years my collection covers from 1750 to 1900 and includes India pattern and various other muskets, flint and percussion Shot guns by Henry Nock etc, pepper pot revolvers, various other single and double barrel pistols, bayonets, swords, flasks both powder and shot, shot and powder measures, cartridge reloading tools, nipple wrenches etc, military issued tools from India pattern to SA80. military issue fighting knives and folding knives, etc etc.
Air rifles and pistols: air gun collection includes: Webley Service with all three calibre barrels and other Webley's to 1980, Colchester Gamekeeper no: 00012, W.R Pape Newcastle, several BSA's from around 1906 to 2000 several types of Webley air pistol from 1930's to 2005 including some from their museum when they went bust.
If you are starting a circle or group on antique militatia and arms collecting count me in.

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Fronteria. have just approved your 2nd BBS post as above. Always good to welcome a fellow Chelmsfordian to the forum. I hope you enjoy your cyber time here . Atb: Gareth.

[Jim McArthur]

I consider myself a wannabe or maybe-someday collector. I do have a pinfire revolver, and a Bulldog revolver.

I would want to learn more before I start investing much money into it: for one thing, learn what type interests me the most, since I'd want to specialize. Just haven't hit on THE specialty yet!

Jim

[Fronteria]

I consider myself a wannabe or maybe-someday collector. I do have a pinfire revolver, and a Bulldog revolver.

I would want to learn more before I start investing much money into it: for one thing, learn what type interests me the most, since I'd want to specialize. Just haven't hit on THE specialty yet!

Jim

Hi Jim
People collect for several reasons from enjoying owning and in some cases using the peice, tracing the history of it this is pretty straight forward with military weapons as they are very often marked with the regiments initials and dated by the store keeper unless somebody has tried to enhance! the value and have cleaned the the lot off, the real effect is that they have reduced the value as every mark and ding is part of its history.
Some are purchased for pure investment which is risky as they tend to know little about what they are purchasing if you follow a antique gun through the system which I have done on several occasions when I have been beaten at an auction you will find that the retail price will be made up from the price paid plus the auctioners commission, the sum total is then doubled to make up the retail price.
What a shock the invester gets when they are trying to sell it five years later when the best offer is less than 75% of the original purchase price.
A word of warning if you are going to use an antique gun get it reproofed no matter how good it looks.
Earlier this year I got a Martini Henry carbine which looked in very good condition with a very good bore so I thought I would put it on my ticket and use it.
A gunsmith friend checked it over and found it visually sound in in both bore and action so it was sent to the proof house where it passed the view but failed proof when the barrel was blown completely off and in half two inches beyond the chamber the forend wouldn't have held the pressure so I would been injured was it worth the £30-00 cost to proof test it?
How much value do you put on your hand or fingers say for arguments sake £10-00 a finger or £30-00 a hand?
Jeff

[mjohno]

For the most part pre WWII exposed hammer gallery rifles by Winchester and Colt are my particular poison.

[harry mac]

For the most part pre WWII exposed hammer gallery rifles by Winchester and Colt are my particular poison.

Hi Johno. PM waiting to be inbound for you but I'm getting notification your in box is full. Do a spot of clearing out will you?

[robinghewitt]

If I post a link to my website you have to promise not to tell me off for firing the 6 pounder with a fag lighter. I know we've just had a big safety rant but some things really hack me off

[Jim McArthur]

For the most part pre WWII exposed hammer gallery rifles by Winchester and Colt are my particular poison.

Sounds like something that could really grab my interest also!

Jim

[robinghewitt]

Had a look at my website and it was very out of date, most of the links were dead so I cut it right back.

However it could be a pretty cool URL for this proposed collecting network

http://www.flintlocks.co.uk

[mjohno]

Sounds like something that could really grab my interest also!

Jim

Jim,
You would certainly have a lot more choice your side of the pond.
If you get chance pick up the two books written about the Winchester slide-actions by Schwing.

[robinghewitt]

People collect for several reasons from enjoying owning and in some cases using the peice

Hi Jeff

I like a real piece of history, repro's may be more accurate but they don't have the appeal of something that was actually there.

I don't shoot as much as I used to but I can't give up my ML clayshoot once a month and I just added a breech loading flintlock rifle to the heap that seems to warrant a bit of shooting. I have been comparing notes with a bod in America and we seem to have exactly the same problems with it so I know it's not just me.

I went on a wild gun buying splurge when I discovered my antique fetish meant I could buy anything I wanted without paperwork. I now have the paperwork and most everything from pocket pistols to cannon. I have also become a lot more picky, the only gaping hole in my collection is I don't have a blunderbus, have to get a blunderbus

Robin

[njaw]

This is great. It sounds like there are quite a few collectors here.

I myself used to collect vintage airguns like they were going out of fashion but around three years ago I saw a lovely double barrelled percussion overcoat pistol circa 1850 and knew I just had too have it. I have never looked back! (I still have a fair few airguns, particularly the good old Webley pistols).
I always try and save enough money so that I can get a decent piece rather than a ropey effort. It’s better to buy one good piece than two or three rough pieces.

My collection stands so far at:

FLINTLOCK
A stunning brass barrelled blunderbuss pistol by Walker, London (circa 1690)
A pair of brass framed and barrelled pocket pistols Joseph Heylin, London
An all brass over & under pistol with bayonet by Wheeler, London
A large officers pistol with fish tail grip by Tipping, Bath
A long sea service pistol with numerous ordnance markings (circa 1803)

PERCUSSION
A stunning double barrelled overcoat pistol (no name, marked London but Birmingham proofs)
A pocket pistol by Joseph Manton
A top-hat pocket pistol be Henry Nock
Colt 1860 Army revolver (I just had to have one)

PINFIRE
A small closed frame pistol. Fully engraved and nickel plated. Cased with accessories

[RichardH]

This is great. It sounds like there are quite a few collectors here.

I myself used to collect vintage airguns like they were going out of fashion but around three years ago I saw a lovely double barrelled percussion overcoat pistol circa 1850 and knew I just had too have it. I have never looked back! (I still have a fair few airguns, particularly the good old Webley pistols).
I always try and save enough money so that I can get a decent piece rather than a ropey effort. It’s better to buy one good piece than two or three rough pieces.

My collection stands so far at:

FLINTLOCK
A stunning brass barrelled blunderbuss pistol by Walker, London (circa 1690)
A pair of brass framed and barrelled pocket pistols Joseph Heylin, London
An all brass over & under pistol with bayonet by Wheeler, London
A large officers pistol with fish tail grip by Tipping, Bath
A long sea service pistol with numerous ordnance markings (circa 1803)

PERCUSSION
A stunning double barrelled overcoat pistol (no name, marked London but Birmingham proofs)
A pocket pistol by Joseph Manton
A top-hat pocket pistol be Henry Nock
Colt 1860 Army revolver (I just had to have one)

PINFIRE
A small closed frame pistol. Fully engraved and nickel plated. Cased with accessories

Some nice pieces there, do you have a camera?

[Fronteria]

This is great. It sounds like there are quite a few collectors here.

I myself used to collect vintage airguns like they were going out of fashion but around three years ago I saw a lovely double barrelled percussion overcoat pistol circa 1850 and knew I just had too have it. I have never looked back! (I still have a fair few airguns, particularly the good old Webley pistols).
I always try and save enough money so that I can get a decent piece rather than a ropey effort. It’s better to buy one good piece than two or three rough pieces.

My collection stands so far at:

FLINTLOCK
A stunning brass barrelled blunderbuss pistol by Walker, London (circa 1690)
A pair of brass framed and barrelled pocket pistols Joseph Heylin, London
An all brass over & under pistol with bayonet by Wheeler, London
A large officers pistol with fish tail grip by Tipping, Bath
A long sea service pistol with numerous ordnance markings (circa 1803)

PERCUSSION
A stunning double barrelled overcoat pistol (no name, marked London but Birmingham proofs)
A pocket pistol by Joseph Manton
A top-hat pocket pistol be Henry Nock
Colt 1860 Army revolver (I just had to have one)

PINFIRE
A small closed frame pistol. Fully engraved and nickel plated. Cased with accessories

Hi. Robin
I see you have a pistol by Wheeler I have an India pattern musket by him it is in very good condition still retaining about 90% of it's original brown.
It was made about 1799 and has Tower private proof marks.
The lock is engraved Wheeler on the tail and has as a swan neck cock, the lock is engraved with a crown over GR.
The usual 39" barrel in .750" calibre and carries inspectors marks of a crown over 99 so the musket was in the service of the military, I suspect it was purchased by the Tower armouries when their stocks became that low that they were forced to go to the gun trade and purchase any suitable weapons that the trade had in stock as demand had out striped supply due to the Peninsular war with France and demands for weapons from both India and Canada.
The stock is free of any cracks or damage and retains most of it's original finish, the ram rod, ram rod guides and end cap are original and of the standard India pattern.
Some different non standard furniture is fitted to this musket as the side plate is the same as the Baker rifle and the butt plate top tag is shorter and is rounded rather than pointed.
What puzzled me was that the stock is branded with two lines of letters and numbers about 3/4" high the first line is clearly the name J. Simpson the second line is XXXBURN188 the X's are only part letters due to the shape of the stock is it a date or regiment number say the 1st 88 which are the Rangers, the stock has a scorch mark on it from a camp fire?
Robert Wheeler started as a Gunmaker in 1797 in London changed his company name to Wheeler and Son in 1808 was still working in 1838-39 when he purchased 39,000 India pattern muskets from the Tower armouries out of their stock of over 250,000, he was also a gun supplier to the Hudson Bay Company in Canada.
If anyone has any suggestion as to what the second line branded into this musket means let me know.
The musket was out of New England in the USA when I purchased it.
Jeff

[Jim McArthur]

Hi Jeff
the only gaping hole in my collection is I don't have a blunderbus, have to get a blunderbus

Robin

But, wouldn't the muzzle ADD another "gaping hole" to your collection?

Jim