Historic Firearms and Early Militaria April 27, 2011 10:00 am edt

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Ames Naval Officers Sword 1841, engraved and and adorned by Bailey and company of Philadelphia.

Volume one, number one-2011

FOUNDER Dick SalzerEDITOR Richard OverallQ & A EDITORMike Carrick (I have this gun…)BUSINESS MANAGER Beverly ThurmanLAYOUT DESIGNSusan ZarateWEBSITE, SOFTWARE30 Degrees North

EDITORIAL STAFFDavid CarrollFrank GravesBob BerrymanDavid CarterRoy MarcotMike ClarkFlem RogersGeorge S.Lewis, Jr.Danny ClarkWayne WarrenJohn SextonAndrew F. Lustyik

On the Cover - Colt’s impatience with waiting for the Rollin White patent to expire in1872 is evidenced by their manufacture of a conversion which would not only evade the restrictions imposed by that patent, but would utilize a reloadable centerfire cartridge. Using features inherent to the gun itself, it easily converts to a reloading tool. Cased sets such as this one contained everything necessary to its use and also retained the original percussion cylinder. These Thuer conversions were not particularly popular in their day but are a delight to today’s collectors.

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FEATURE ARTICLES

Patents - Infringements and Circumventions By EditorialStaff

A Tavern TellBy Larry Hannusch

A Self-Loading MasterpieceBy Mike Clark

Loading the Thuer Cartridge By Dick Salzer

REGULAR DEPARTMENTSBlowback“I have this gun….”Auction ReportTidbitsYour Arms LibraryThe Cartridge HoundGun ShowsArmsourcesClubs, Contacts and ResourcesResearch Assistance RequestThe Last Word

VOLCANIC .41 PISTOL SERIAL NUMBER 705AND NEW HAVEN VOLCANIC .31 PISTOL SERIAL NUMBER 899

WITH A RARE CIVIL WAR MELAINOTYPE SHOWING ASERGEANT WITH HIS VOLCANIC PISTOL

ALL CIRCA 1855-60

COLLECTING FINE AMERICAN FIREARMSFRANK GRAVES

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830-230-5220

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Seventeen years is a long time to wait, especially when you’re watching the hottest arms market is history pass you by. That was the plight of almost all arms makers during the period 1855 through 1872 when competing gun manufacturers were enjoined by patent restrictions from producing the latest revolvers . How could they manage to capitalize on that fast escaping market?Here’s what happened and here’s what they did:In 1855 Rollin White was issued a U.S. patent (No. 12649) for an extremely complex and impractical pistol that had a cylinder that was automatically reloaded from a vertical magazine hung on the side. It was rife with levers, gears and numerous moving parts. Hardly noticeable among all of the gadgetry was a golden feature, the bored-through cylinder, allowing metallic cartridges to be inserted from the rear. While White may not have realized the significance of that isolated feature, another man did. On October 31, 1856, D.B.Wesson wrote:

I notice in a patent granted to you under date of Apr. 3, 1855 one claim =viz= extending the chambers of the rotating cylinder right through the rear end of said cylinder so as to enable the said chambers to be charged from the rear end, either by hand or by means of a sliding charger operating substantially as described. Which I should like to make arrangements with you to use in the manufacture of firearms. My object in this letter is to enquire if such an arrangement could be made and if so, on what terms. By replying to the above at your earliest convenience you note conforming at favor.I am sir yours respectfullyD.B.Wesson

Those simple words set off a chain of events that would ensure Smith and Wesson’s success and frustrate the competition until 1872, bypassing the Civil War and well into westward expansion. The concept was simple and elegant. Rimfire cartridges, pioneered by Smith and Wesson, were the obvious perfect match for the concept. Initially only available in .22 caliber, soon .32 caliber rounds were produced and before the end of the Civil War, rimfire cartridges up to .56 caliber were widely available.A royalty agreement was made between S&W and White. Payment on a per gun basis should have made him a rich man but there was a sneaky little clause hidden in the agreement – White was required to defend any challenges to the patent. There were numerous such challenges because of infringements resulting, in disastrous legal expenses. Even though the courts ultimately found for White, he never recovered financially. (Even then, the lawyers came out on top).

Patents – CirCumventions and infringements

Figure 1-The Rollin White Patent drawings. Note that the bored through cylinder is only one of the features claimed.

So there you were, an arms manufacture, salivating at the possibilities, and watching S&W sop up all the gravy. What did you do?Different manufacturers took different approaches. Some played by the rules and developed arms that circumvented the Rollin White patent. Others ignored the patent protection afforded to S&W and just went ahead and produced handguns that infringed on the patent. As we will see, the circumventors produced a bizarre collection of designs that loaded cartridges from the front of the cylinder, often requiring specially designed cartridges. The infringers went merrily ahead and produced arms with bored-through cylinders. Some actually got away with their transgressions while others were subject to costly and humiliating lawsuits. Several firms, Brooklyn Arms, Moore and Pond hedged their bets and did both.Lets look first at those who played by the rules: Plant Manufacturing Company (New Haven, CT) and Eagle Manufacturing Company (New York City) manufactured similar design front-loading pistols using similar proprietary metallic cartridges. Cartridges were cylindrical with a cupped base whose rims contained fulminate, thus they could be loaded easily from the front of the cylinder. (see The Cartridge Hound Department, this issue for details)Connecticut Arms Company (Norfolk, CT) manufactured a graceful pocket pistol using the same “cup fire” cartridges as did the Plant and Eagle armsBrooklyn Arms Company ( Brooklyn, NY) produced one of the most complex pistols in which sliding chambers moved forward to admit standard .32 caliber rimfire cartridges into the rear of the chambers, thus barely avoiding the patent restrictions of the White patent. A similar, infringing version was also produced.

Figure 2-A late version of the front-loading .42 caliber Plant revolver

Figure 3-The smaller Eagle Arms version of the Plant along with its original box

Figure 4-Connecticut Arms front loader, the integral hinged lever enables the fired cartridge to be extracted

Figure 5-Brooklyn Arms Slocum Patent revolver Figure 6-The slide-forward chambers on the cylinder

allow the cartridge to be inserted, technically avoiding conflict with the White patent.

Colt Patent Firearms Company – Colt had too much to lose by infringing on S&W’s patent. They made a single stab at the circumvention market with the well-known Thuer Conversion of their percussion line. The system was complex but had a few advantages:➢ The converting parts were a separate “kit”

that could be removed allowing the gun to easily revert to percussion

➢ It was, unlike other complying weapons, a full size military pistol

➢ The cartridges were reloadable using tools supplied with the gun

In spite of the touted advantages, the system didn’t achieve popularity and much of the inventory was sold to foreign buyers.

Moore’s Patent Firearms Company (Brooklyn, NY) and National Arms Company (Brooklyn, NY) produced one of the simplest complying pistols, a compact spur trigger revolver utilizing a unique .32 caliber “teat fire” cartridge, a slightly flared mouth and a projecting “teat” filled with fulminate, enabled this cartridge to be inserted from the front of the cylinder. National Arms also manufactured a .45 caliber version of the design. The .32 caliber version was quite successful, 30,000 having been made. Moore also produced a highly popular seven-shot rimfire pistol that found great favor with Union troops. More than 5000 were made before the S&W patent litigation cut matter short. See the following section.Lucius Pond hit the market with a design that rivaled the Slocum in complexity and concept. Separate chamber liners were slid forward from the front of the cylinder, enabling .32 caliber rimfire cartridges to be loaded. The chamber liners were then returned to position. An angled “arm” prevented the chambers from being lost during this action.Pond also produced an infringing design as described and pictured in the following section

Figure 7-Two versions of the Moore Teat-Fire revolver, the wood handled pin was provided as an ejector for fired cartridges. The lower specimen has a built-in extractor.

Figure 9-The cylinder liner in the Pond slides forward, admitting a cartridge, much like the Slocum.

Figure 10-Colt’s entry- The Thuer Patent conversion, using a front-loading, tapered, reloadable cartridge

Figure 8-The Pond revolver

Figure 11-The Thuer reloading device in place.

Now for the “bad boys” who unconscionably ignored and infringed on the White patentBacon Manufacturing Company (Norwich, CT) manufactured numerous infringing pistols, most notable were those in .38 rimfire. Four distinct variations are known.Brooklyn Arms Company (Brooklyn, NY) manufacture a .32 caliber rimfire version of the Slocum patent revolver shown above.Moore’s Patent Firearms Company (Brooklyn, NY) the popular Moore seven shot revolver was a clear infringement. No only that, it shamelessly copied many of the mechanical details from the Colt percussions.E.A.Prescott (Worcester, MA) – Prescott produced a series of pistols, one of which looked very much like the Smith and Wesson No. 2 Army, a double insult!Lucius Pond (Worcester, MA) – The Pond complying pistol is shown above in Figure 8, alongside the two examples of the Moore teat fire revolver.They all got their come-uppance when the judge made findings on the patent infringement lawsuits that were favorable to Smith & Wesson. As a partial settlement, the remaining inventory of pistols from the losers were ordered to be turned over to Smith & Wesson. Guns so ceded with marked in a variety of ways, see Figures 13 and 14.There were probably others who “jumped the gun” as the 1872 expiration date approached.If you ever wondered why Colt’s first true cartridge revolver was the 1872 “Open Top” now you know!In a future article we’ll look at the wild world of Colt’s experimental toolroom as they tried to figure out what to do with their unsold inventory of percussion revolvers.Further Reading• Jinks, Roy, History of Smith & Wesson, Beinfeld

Publishing, Inc., North Hollywood, CA, 1977• McDowell, Bruce, A Study of Colt Conversions and

Other Percussion Revolvers, Krause Publications, Iola, WI, 1997

• Winant, Lewis, Firearms Curiosa, Greenberg Books, New York, NY, 1955

Figure 12-Two of the four variations of the Bacon Navy .38 rimfire revolver.

Figure 13-Moore’s Seven Shooter, note the similarity to the Colt percussion revolver. This is one of those ceded to S&W, the barrel stamping “MANUfg FOR SMITH & WESSON BY MOORES PAT. F.A. CO” tells the story.

Figure 14-The “stamp” (from a Pond). MANUF’D FOR SMITH & WESSON PAT’D APRIL 3, 1855”

www.collectorsfirearms.cominfo@collectorfirearms.com

There are not too many airgunners out there who will ‘fess up to a lucky shot. Usually such a shot will be explained away through some tall, trash-talking tale referencing years of experience, amazing intuition, and copious amounts of higher intelligence. Not that I think this is some modern phenomenon. I’m fairly convinced such nonsense has been encountered around airgunners for quite some time. No doubt German airgunners from a century ago were bragging in just such a manner as they sat around enjoying their lager and spending their evenings and wages gambling with this tavern airgun shooting game. And shooting skill had nothing to do with it.The basic apparatus as seen here consists of a large, break-barrel air pistol affixed to a stationary post while sighted towards a rotating target face. This target face is marked with a series of pie-shaped sections which are numbered in a similar fashion to a dart board. Indeed, this target is a dart board, as it receives the air gun dart projectile fired from the air pistol.I have heard several explanations about the games played on these dart roulette wheels. One has the participant paying the house for each shot taken, in the hope of winning a prize of some sort, most likely involving an adult beverage. This would be very similar to a carnival type scenario. The second game would involve the participants betting against one another in some fashion, perhaps like throwing darts. My understanding is that these shooting games were purchased both by carnival type operations as well as tavern owners who sought to increase the number of patrons and revenues by offering

the novelty of the shooting game to their customers. In our present day litigious world, it is almost inconceivable to imagine having customers shooting “live” rounds in a local bar, even if it was only from an air powered pistol.

The removable target face is mounted on a spindle which is attached to a fixed post. It freely spins as the operator sets it into motion. The pistol is mounted upon its own post which has only slight, limited lateral movement...not enough to threaten the obnoxious bully beside you at the bar. The pistol post also has an adjustment for vertical movement, which the proprietor can use to position the pistol to fire at a fresh area of the target as needed. This target face can be reversed to give more use from the target on the back side. The whole unit is only 40 inches long, so we’re not talking about long range shooting here.The huge air pistol deserves special mention because it is quite unique in its own right. It is a

A T av e r n T e l lBy Larry Hannusch

Figure 1-This Tell roulette game made by Oscar Will of

Germany was an early, novel use of an air pistol for gaming

purposes. The sightless Tell I was mounted to a fixed post which

served to keep most darts into their intended target.

Figure 2-The pistol was mounted in a collar which allowed the gun to be cocked without removing it from its post.

The roulette version of the Tell I had no trigger guard, nor was the grip ever drilled for one. Another distinguishing feature of the roulette gaming version of the Tell I is that it had no sights, nor was the barrel ever cut for sights.

specially designed Tell I from Oscar Will of Zella St. Blasii, Germany. Will’s factory, founded in 1844, was called Venuswaffenwerke, and was one of the premier airgun makers of Germany for almost a century. I have never encountered any early pneumatic airguns made by Will, but he was quite prolific as a maker of spring piston gallery airguns. His early airguns include crank cocking rifles and pistols, with either attached or detachable cranks/levers. Later, he made trigger-guard cocking rifles, commonly known as Bugelspanners, literally by the thousands and these are the most widely encountered antique gallery airguns today. Surprisingly, the Bugelspanner was still being offered to the shooting public in the 1930’s on a limited basis. But by the turn of the century, Will was producing a large number of more conventional spring piston airguns. The Tell tradename as used by Will began appearing on his airguns around 1905.The Tell I pistol as outfitted for this shooting game is a little different than the normal Tell I, which is itself a scarce collectible.One can see from the photos that the gaming Tell I has no sights, nor was the barrel ever machined for the front and rear sights (though this feature is present in Tell I models destined for regular carnival use). The gaming Tell I also has no trigger guard, as it would not have been necessary to help steady the post-mounted pistol. The unwieldy long weight of the standard Tell created the need for a trigger guard which would have been used to help steady the piece. In the old movie “The Thin Man”, we see the hero trying to manage the size of his Tell I by steadying it across his leg. Another feature difference is that the gaming Tell I has a round barrel with full nickel finish, whereas the standard Tell I has an octagonal to round barrel that is blued in contrast to the nickel receiver. This gaming pistol is stamped with the serial number 72. Although it is unmarked as to its maker, it is unmistakably a Will Tell I. In fact, the standard model shown in the photos for comparison is also unmarked. A few Tell I’s are marked “Tellow” on the top barrel flat ( Tell O.W.), but I have never encountered a specimen marked “Tell I”.The tavern Tell seen here is a huge pistol by anyone’s standards. It is a full 21 ½ inches in overall length. The smoothbore barrel is .21” caliber and is 10 inches in length. Of course, darts were the proper diet for

this beast. The wooden grip appears to be oak, but much of the German Black Forest walnut is very light in color without much grain, so perhaps that is the type of wood used. The bottom of the receiver is threaded to accept a triggerguard screw as seen on the standard Tell I. This indicates both variations came from the same production processes, at least to a point.The post that holds the pistol features a collar that holds the receiver of the pistol firmly. A recessed area in the bottom of this collar is relieved with a channel that provides clearance for the cocking arm as it comes back during the cocking sequence. A long, flat wire spring provides the energy to push the leather-headed piston forwards during the firing cycle.I believe this type of shooting game fitted with an air pistol was made from the early 1900’s through the 1920’s in very limited numbers. In a 1911 German ALFA arms catalog, we find a very similar unit offered for sale, though the air pistol appears to be a different unknown air pistol called the “Hasard”. But the same general features of the pistol, target, and overall design principles of operation are nearly identical. In a 1927 Gustav Genschow catalog from Berlin, advertising under the familiar

Figure 3 -The rotating target is constructed of wood and is overlaid with a paper face printed with the scoring sections. The target face may be quickly replaced from the game with the removal of the wing nut from the front of the spindle.

GECO tradename, we see the Tell I version that is seen on these pages. GECO even offered what looks like a blowgun version of the rotating target game. In actuality, it may be a spring loaded air tube that is cocked and released manually. This second explanation is definitely more palatable in my opinion, as the thought of swapping spit with a burly beer drinking gent next to me at a tavern would not be my idea of fun.The wooden base and support posts on this game are painted a dull green color. Most of the mountings associated with this unit are cast iron. The 12 inch target face is made of wood, and covered on both sides with a colorful paper label that shows the scoring. When one side of the target face is hopelessly mangled from all the dart punctures, the target can be quickly flipped to the other side. This specimen in fact came with an extra, well shot up target face that looks like it tangled with a psychotic beaver on a carousel. Fortunately, the original concessionaire that operated this specimen couldn’t bear to throw anything out, which gives us present day collectors a little better insight as to how this shooting game was well used and enjoyed by shooters of yesteryear. There do not seem to be too many of these sets floating around among collectors, though I’m sure more exist in German airgun collections. Its rarity is without dispute, but value is anybody’s guess. My friend Wes Powers discovered this nice specimen some years back, and he was adamant about demanding at least an above average Red Ryder in trade for it. Though

the trade seemed a little one sided to me, I really wanted it and decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and do the trade. After all, I figured that sooner or later, I could find another Red Ryder.

Figure 4 -A page from a German 1911 ALFA catalog shows a simliar “Hasard” air pistol in a roulette shooting game.

CASED TARGET PISTOLPOSSIBLY BY BLUNT & SYMS

.36 CALIBER WITH 10-1/2” BARRELGOLD AND SILVER BANDS WITH GERMAN SILVER FITTINGS

WANTEDPUSH DAGGERS AND BOWIE KNIVES

ROBERT B. BERRYMAN830-660-6800

A Self-Loading MasterpieceBy Mike Clark

Figure 1- The gun shoots round balls and is not rifled. Apparently the maker was more interested in gadgetry than accuracy.

Figure 2- A closeup of the action. The circular cross-hatched button is the trigger.

Figure 3- The sink marks of Madrid gunmaker Valentin Sylvestre Fombuena

Figure 4- About a dozen 50 caliber balls are loaded into a magazine in the buttstock of the weapon.

This is one of the most fascinating guns I’ve ever handled. It abounds with original and well-conceived details—from its push button trigger to its revolving turret nipple array.It was made by Valentin Sylvestre Fombuena of Madrid. Fombuena was a craftsman/engineer/inventor with a series of patents over a vast range of subjects.When one sees a gun so different from the usual, one has to admire not only the workmanship, but the ingenuity that went into its design.

The photographs tell the story. A magazine for round balls was provided in the buttstock. The lever, mounted on the side is a gunpowder storage magazine. When the barrel is pointed downward and the lever is rotated, a ball falls into the chamber through a hole in the lever drum. As the lever drum is further rotated, a measured charge of powder follows the ball into the chamber. This action also cocks the hammer and rotates a percussion cap into place. Returning the lever to its stowed position seals the chamber. The gun can then be fired by pressing the cross-hatched button below the hammer.

Figure 6- The loading lever in the first position. With the barrel pointed down, gravity brings the ball into a recess in the drum.

Figure 7- The lever in the fully rotated position. This permits a measured powder charge to enter behind the ball. Returning the lever to its original position seals the breech.

Figure 8- As the hammer is drawn back, the nipple turret advances one position to place a new nipple beneath the hammer face.

Figure 9- The number “8” is apparently a serial number

Figure 5- The long cylindrical tube alongside the barrel is the gunpowder reservoir. It also serves as a lever for the loading process.

Invitation to Consign

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rate of return for you. Your collection, featured in our spectacular catalogs with realistic estimates, will draw together a vast cadre of motivated buyers who will compete for your items. Sometimes the results can be truly exciting. No one in the world will charge less than the Julia Auction Company for expensive items (0% is about as low as you can go). Over the last 6 years no one in the world has a record for successfully selling more expensive items than the Julia firm. Our firearms auctions have averaged in excess of $10 million each. Our goal is not to handle vast number of guns, but to put together select auctions of quality guns which will attract one of the most advanced, affluent and competitive cadre of buyers in the industry.

0%Some of our consignors’ successes

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Extraordinary Panel Scene Eng. Colt SAA (Dr.

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T. Roosevelt Shotgun, Est. 750,000-1,000,000

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Magnificent, Fine And Rare Cased French Set Of Exquisite Boutet Flintlock Pistols.

(Est: $250,000-500,000) (March ‘10)

Sold: $437,000

Colt Walker A Co. 210 Est. $500,000-1,000,000

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SOLD $701,500

Contact Bill Taylor, Wes Dillon or Judy Labbe Email: firearms@jamesdjulia.com

James D. Julia, Inc., 203 Skowhegan Rd., Fairfield, ME 04937 www.jamesdjulia.com Tel: (207) 453-7125 Fax: (207) 453-2502 Auctioneer: James D. Julia Lic#: ME: AR83 NH: 2511

Contact Bill Taylor, Wes Dillon or Judy Labbe Email: firearms@jamesdjulia.com

James D. Julia, Inc., 203 Skowhegan Rd., Fairfield, ME 04937 www.jamesdjulia.com Tel: (207) 453-7125 Fax: (207) 453-2502 Auctioneer: James D. Julia Lic#: ME: AR83 NH: 2511

Important Firearms Auction EventMarch 14 & 15, 2011 in Fairfield, Maine

This sale will include an outstanding array of quality firearms and militaria. Included is a portion of a private collection of Winchesters and volcanic arms from noted author and collector, Dr. Ed Lewis; outstanding Marlins from the collection of George Peters; select quality arms from the Robert Petersen coll. and Walker Inman Trust; the collection of the late Fred McDonald of Houston, Texas. Also select items from various other estates and collections incl. rare and important Colts from a superb, old time Colt collection; superb, high-quality sporting rifles and shotguns, incl. the Ernest Hemingway Westley Richards double rifle; a single owner collection of nearly 50 rare Browning shotguns, incl. some one of a kind; an extraord. Browning A-5 lavish, gold inlaid made for President Nixon; outstanding Winchesters, many from an old private, single owner coll.; rare Civil War; Class III, and much more! Catalogs: $39 each or both for $75.

Rare and extraord. set of 3 gold inlaid Kornbrath eng. Colt SAAs owned by Pres. of Argentina, M.T. Alvear (only 16 first gen. Colt SAs were ever gold inlaid, these being 3 of the 16)

Finest Fully Marked Colt SAA Pinch Frame Known. Also 1 of only 2 w/ Shoulder Stocks; Extrod. Colt 3rd Mod Dragoon w/ Matching Stock ; Ext. Rare London Cased Colt SAA w/Stock ; Fine Pair of Robt. Wogdon

Flintlock Carbines w/Stock and Extra BBLs

Rare, magnificent fact. silver plated & engr. 25” volcanic carbine in orig. pres. case (only 1 known to exist) Lewis Coll.

Fantastic Tiffany & Co pres Minerva Statue hilt sword to Gen. Lewis Merrill w/ full prov. McDonald Coll.

Rare Colt Walker A Company No 119

Winchester 1886 DLX Factory Engr.

with Maple Stock and Cheek Piece

Very Rare Singer MFG Co. 1911A-1 U.S.Army pistol (S800379)with exceptional

original finish.

Rare and extraordinary Browning A-5. Made for Pres. Nixon,

Exquisitely inlaid with gold. SN 2,000,000.

Fabulous Best Quality Dlx

Purdey 28 Bore

game guns w/Harry Kell’s Finest Engr.

Magnificent Ken Hunt Engr John Rigby Sidelock Ejector

.470NE Dbl rifle w/caseRobert E. Petersen Coll.

The Immortal & Legendary Ernest Hemingway Westley Richards Droplock 577NE w/orig case & accessories as used on his 1953 African Safari and chronicled

by Look Magazine

Our feature article in this issue deals with circumventions of the Rollin White Patent.Special cartridges were required for several of these revolvers. A surprising number of varieties of the packets for those cartridges were made. In this issue, we illustrate a selection of their labels.

Figure 1. - These descriptive sketches were taken from the International Ammunition Association publication “A Guide to Ammunition Collecting” The entire book can be viewed on their website listed under Clubs, Contacts and Resources in this issue of Heritage Arms Magazine.

Figure 2. - The basic front-loader cartridges, l to r, 32 caliber Cup Fire, 42 caliber Cup Fire, 32 Flat Teat Fire, 32 caliber Round Teat Fire and 36 caliber Thuer.

Figure 3. - A loose-pack box for the 32 caliber Teat Fire, by Crittenden & Tibbals

Figure 4. - A 32 caliber Flat Teat Fire box, maker unknown

A regular feature on cartridge collecting written and provided by members of the International Ammunition Association. The publication on the right is only one of several that can be found in their entirety on the I.A.A. website, www.cartridgecollectors.org.

Figure 7. - A box for the Plant Revolver, 30 caliber Cup Fire

Figure 10. - A 42 caliber Cup Fire box by Phoenix

Figure 11. - A 42 caliber Cup Fire box for the Plant Revolver

Figure 12. - A 28 caliber Cup Fire box annoted “For WOOD’S REVOLVER” for the Connecticut Arms Co. revolver.

Figure 13. - Fifty 36 caliber Thuer Patent Reloadable Cartridges. These rounds were also produced in 44, 36 pocket and 31 calibers

Figure 8. - A 30 caliber Cup Fire box

Figure 9. - A 42 caliber Cup Fire box annotated “REYNOLDS, PLANT’s & HOTCHKISS”

Figure 5. - A 32 caliber Round Teat Fire box, maker unknown

Figure 6. - A 32 caliber Round Teat Fire box, maker unknown

1808 37th Ave. NWSalem, OR 97304

(503) 566-8800 Phone(503) 566-8596 Fax

eric@wardscollectibles.comwww.wardscollectibles. com

Broadside advetisement for Bacon pistols

Moore/National Arms Teatfire pistol

Moore Seven Shot Revolver

Brooklyn Arms Co. Slocum Patent Revolver

This will be a regular column that wll present interesting arms related items — the go-with things that make collecting fun. Please share some of your favorites with us. If you don’t exactly know what they are, perhaps our staff can help, if not we’ll turn them loose on our subscribers

Dick Salzer dick@armsheritagemagazine.com

An unusual form of Maylayan knife, the Bade-Bade is native to the Acheen and Rendyang areas of Sumatra. The narrow incurved blade is sharpened on one side only. The hilts and scabbards vary widely in form.

It seems that every ethnic division since the beginning of recorded history has developed its own version of cutting tools. As time went by, flint knives transitioned from the most basic forms to some of the bizarre forms we encounter in the collecting of arms. In each issue of Arms Heritage we will illustrate and describe some of these unique weapons.

With its wickedly curved blade, the Jambiya is the classic Arabian knife. Its form varies from country to country. In Morocco, for example, the blades are longer and straighter while in Saudi Arabia, blades are shorter, wider and usually double-edged for their entire length.

MARCH 26TH, 2011AUCTIONNO.82 FEATURING:

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Therewill be over 200 Single ShotCartridge and Percussion Riflesand over 125 Nice Lever ActionRifles and Carbines

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The LELAND SCHLEGEL COLLECTION formerly on loan to the Frazier Museum, an Excellent Collection of Rare and Very Fine Stevens Rifles,The JAKE SIMMONS COLLECTION of Fine Single Shot Cartridge and Percussion Rifles and a Large Selection of ExcellentWinchester 1885 Rifles

Very Fine First Mar tial Contract Range Henry Rifle

First Model Open Top 1876 Rifle

Winchester 1876 Saddle Ring Carbine

Winchester Model 1894 First ModelLever Action Rifle with Deluxe Wood

King Modified Smith& Wesson 38/44Outdoorsman

Revolver with ThreeColor Gold Inlays,Engraved by OrvilleKuhl in Original BlueBox with King Paper

Label

Beautiful Smith& Wesson NewModel No. 3Revolver withSpecial Order4” Barrel

A Nice Selection of AntiqueLeFever and Remington Doubles

Extremely Rare Thomas Turner LightweightSemi-Hammerless Sidelock Double

Winchester Model 1885 High Wall DeluxeSchuetzen Rifle with Pope Barrel

Winchester Model 1885 High WallDeluxe Schuetzen Rifle with A5 Scope

Marlin-Ballard Rifle by Zischang in .32-40

William Billinghurst UnderhammerBuggy Rifle Cased with DetachableStock, Two Scopes and Accessories

Smith & Wesson No. 3American Revolver SerialNumber “86”

Extremely RareK-32 HandEjector First

Model Revolver

Quest ion: from: Bill Calhoun, ArkansasThe revolver shown in the attached photos was brought home from WW2 by my grandfather. I know it is Japanese, but I don’t know too much other than that. I have figured out how to open it for cleaning. Isn’t this a great system! I just open the top, push the triggerguard forward, pivot the side open, and lift out the left grip. How about ammo? I don’t know the caliber, and nothing I’ve tried seems to fit properly.

ANSWER:You have a Japanese Military Revolver developed in the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Meiji. Collectors call it the Type 26. These were made between 1893 and 1935 in the Tokyo Arsenal, and about 59,000 were produced. I’m sure you noticed that you can’t cock it by hand; it is double-action only.The cartridge for this revolver is 9 x 22 mm centerfire; it is unique. Original cartridges are quite scarce. I have added a photo of an original 9 mm cartridge from my collection alongside a .38 Special cartridge for comparison. I have some modern cartridges headstamped “Midway 9 mm Jap Rev.” I don’t know if this ammunition is still available.You can learn pretty much all there is to know about this revolver in “Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893–1945,” Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2003, 384 pages, by Harry Derby and James D. Brown. MFC

mikecarrick@armsheritagemagazine.com

Enclosed is a photo of a small Russian pistol that came out of the Soviet Union a few years ago. I can see from the printing on the barrel that it is caliber

5.45 x 18 mm. It is very flat. The grip panels are no wider than the slide, and

they seem to be made of aluminium. There are a few other marks, but they don’t tell me much.

There is an 85 by the serial number on the frame, could that be for 1985? What exactly is this little pistol?

Answer:You have a pistol called the Model PSM, after the Russian designation Pistolet Samozaryadniy Malogabaritniy (pistol, self-loading, small,). This pistol was introduced for use by the Soviet military and police about 1975, and the 85 on your pistol does indicate manufacture in 1985. These pistols are manufactured by the Izhevsk arsenal.

Quest ion, from H. Mull, The Net herlands

I have a Winchester Rifle, caliber. .45-70, 26” round barrel, full magazine, factory swivels. Buttstock marked C.G.H. (or maybe O.G.H.) on both sides. Rear sight is ladder flip-up style marked 2 to 10. Serial number is in the 99,XXX range. Have you any idea of the meaning of the letters?

ANSWER:The letters are C.G.H., standing for the Citizens Guard of Hawaii. The C.G.H. was a volunteer militia that saw combat when it aided the National Guard of Hawaii in putting down the Rebellion of 1895. The volunteers were primarily armed with Winchester Model 1876 muskets and Model 1886 rifles, such as yours. This is a difficult collecting specialty because the members of the C.G.H. could also carry their personal weapons in addition to, or instead of, the issued rifles. And, not all of the issued weapons were stamped C.G.H. Some records are extant in the State Archives listing the guns by serial number, but at least one of the ledgers is missing. And to make matters worse, the late John A. Bell — a recognized authority on weapons of Hawaii, reported that there have been instances of fake C.G.H. stampings. However, your rifle is in the correct serial number range, and the style of the letters on the buttstock is correct. It is correct for the rifle to have a round barrel and factory-installed swivels. MFC

Quest ion: from Kaleo Waterstone, Hawaii

This pistol has about the same overall dimensions as the Walther PPK, but is about a third of an inch thinner. Supposedly this small, flat, thin pistol was designed for carry by high-ranking military and police officers, and undercover officers, so that they wouldn’t be burdened with the size and weight of the Makarov. Because the bullet will penetrate the standard 20-layer Kevlar police vest, some people claim this is a KGB or assassin’s gun.I had some business with the Soviet Police about twenty years ago, and during a visit to their headquarters at Petrovka 38 in Moscow, I was allowed to fire the PSM at a couple of American-made Kevlar vests they had. I can personally attest that the bullets easily penetrated the vest. I fired the complete magazine of eight cartridges at two different brands of vests. Also shown is a photo of two 5.45 mm cartridges from my collection alongside a 9 mm Parabellum round. MFC

Attached is a photo of the left grip on a Colt Model 1862 Police revolver, serial no. 45600 with post-1868 small London proof marks. You will see a quatrefoil figure stamped into the grip. This four-leaf emblem is found in heraldry, architecture, military, and other decorative uses. Have any of your readers seen this mark on other firearms? What might it mean?Answer: We have not seen this mark on other firearms. In the U.S. Marine Corps, quatrefoil refers to a four-lobed decoration on the top of a warrant or commissioned Marine officer’s dress and service caps. Perhaps some of our worldwide readers can comment on this mark as used on a Colt revolver. MFC

Quest ion from Philip Boulton, England

For many years I have had this exquisite little carbine in my gun collection without really knowing much about it. Overall length is 27-1/2” and the barrel is about 14 inches. The caliber seems to be about .69.You can see the lock is marked Brescia 1862, but that is about all I know.Answer:The designation of this Italian carbine is Pistolone da falegnami di fanteria modello 1860 according to Luciano Salvatici in his excellent book “Pistole Militari Italiane 1814 – 1940.”This translates to pistol for carpenters of the infantry. These would probably be the soldiers called sappers or pioneers in other armies. This short carbine was manufactured in the government arsenal in Brescia, Italy. MFC

Quest ion: from Plimsol, Texas

David Carroll, P.O. Box 312, Clay, Alabama 35048

205-531-7002 • Visit our website: www.dcarroll.net

Photos by Paul Goodwin

For those who do not have Internet access to our monthly updated onlinecatalog, several extensive Print Catalogs of S&Ws/related items are

published each year. Subscription is $10 per year U.S.; $20 per year Foreign.

Always Seeking Fine Smith & Wessons

Smith & WessonAlways…

Carroll #3 & #4:Carroll full pg. color 12/1/10 7:25 AM Page 1

Your Arms Library

conducted by Frank Graves

In addition to reviewing recently issued books, we will also be taking a retro look at some of the old classics from time to time. Although most are out of print, copies are not hard to find at gun shows or from the book search sites noted in the Clubs, Organizations and Resources section of this magazine. If all else fails, please contact us, we have access to a substantial source of used arms books.

Next to the arms themselves, books are the best investment a collector can make. During the “golden age” of collecting in the 1930’s and 40’s, when great finds could still be made, the adage “buy a book for every gun” was coined. At the time only a small fraction of today’s books were available. Today’s offerings plus the internet allow us all to become expert in our areas of interest.

A Basic Primer on Colts A History Of The Colt Revolver, Charles T. Haven and Frank A. Belton, Morrow, 1940. (about 700 pages) I’ve lost track of the dozens of books on all phases of the Colt story. One of the best is this pioneering tome. It covers virtually every model of Colt handgun and longarm from the Paterson through the Colt woodsman with clear photographs and excellent descriptions. Although these have all been done better in subsequent books, this book really shines in the second section, which contains a wealth of primary source material including correspondence, broadsides and documentation.My favorite section, however, is a seventeen-page excerpt from a March 1857 copy of United States Magazine, titled “A Day at the Armory of

Colt’s Patent Manufacturing Company, Hartford. Connecticut”. It presents a fascinating, step-by-step, description of every phase of the manufacture of a Colt percussion revolver with numerous engraved illustrations. It’s “must reading” for anyone interested in early Colts.

Another section that makes the book indispensable is the section on the Walker and Whitneyville revolvers. It presents 29 pages of documentation on the origins of the Walker.The book, I believe, is long out of print. I checked one of the online sites alluded to above and found numerous copies available from $25 to $50. DS

The Brown BessThe British Brown Bess is one of the dozen most important guns in arms history (we believe), yet until recently definitive information has been hard to find. Howard Blackmore’s 1961 book British Military Firearms is a useful publication but only touches the surface of this subject. In recent years, several great publications have become available which thoroughly cover the standard models. DeWitt Bailey’s Pattern Dates For British Ordnance Small Arms 1718-1783 (Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1997) is such a book, it provides a world of information on British Longarms and Pistols of the period. It also provided the setting for two additional and more recent books. Small Arms Of The British Forces In America 1664-1815 (Mowbray, Woonsocket, RI, 2009) It covers British Arms in America from colonial times through the war of 1812. Virtually every standard issue type is discussed in detail along with background and historical notes. An extensive chapter on accoutrements such as bayonets, tools and cartridge pouches is included. The depth and scope of the book show why Mr Bailey is the leading authority on early British military weaponry.

A second recent book, “The Brown Bess” by Erik Goldstein and Stuart Mowbray (Mowbray, Woonsocket, RI- 2010) is a study guide to the intimate details to fourteen models of Brown Bess. Crystal clear color photographs show disassembled guns and locks in their naked splendor. Comments discuss what is right and wrong and what the collector needs to know to determine the purity and authenticity of each model. This latter is most important since a lot of “cannibalization” took place in the field and in arsenals during and after the period of use.

Early American Underhammer Firearms, A Collector’s Guide to the Pistols and Longarms Made Between 1826 and 1840, Nicholas L. Chandler, Andrew Mowbray Incorporated, Woonsocket, RI, 2010 (191 pages) Hardcover, $59.99.This writer and many others have regarded the underhammer percussion single shot pistols, seen in many forms, as just moderately interesting and similar to many guns from the 1830’s to the 1860’s that were made by various New England gunmakers of the time. There was a lack of any information on them other than Underhammer Guns by

Herschel C. Logan that was published in 1960. That book concentrated more on a general overview of these types of guns from many different areas and lacked a lot of detail.Nicholas L. Chandler, a collector of underhammer firearms for some 50 years, has compiled information on the Ruggles Brothers, Fordyce and Adin, who were the first makers of these pistols in Stafford, Connecticut. Fordyce Ruggles was granted the first American patent for a percussion firearm in 1826, which I didn’t know. As Nick says in his intro, “It was a uniquely American design that could be made by any competent mechanic – not just professional gunmakers. Ruggles-style guns were simple and sturdy, a triumph of ‘Yankee Ingenuity’ that included many ‘firsts’ including the first use of cast steel barrels.” They didn’t get rich with this invention, but these pistols were a less expensive and reliable alternative to the European imports that were about the only other pistols available at that time. There were many makers who copied the Ruggles patent,

but there are so many variations and “improvements” that these pistols and their interest to the gun collecting fraternity have taken on a whole new light. The book contains a wonderful story about the Ruggles brothers and their relationships with other makers of these interesting pistols in the area. The chapters read as a story and easily flow showing the relationships between the makers of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The quality of the book is excellent and each illustration is detailed, clear and in color – all of them, and most are full sized. It is obvious from the depth of research and presentation that Nick Chandler worked at this for a very long time – he has really has presented it well. This book is a must for any gun collector and does represent a comprehensive work on a type of firearm that is available for an affordable price for either the beginning collector or one wishing to broaden his collecting interests.It is available from Mowbray Publishing for $59.99 – well worth the price.

www.dicksalzer.com

Gun ToolsCollectionCartridges

MiscellaneousBullet Molds

Cap, Primer TinsAntique GunsPaper, BooksWanted Parts

Your Source for rare and unusual accoutrements

Once you’ve navigated yourself around our pages we’d

appreciate your telling us what you think about your experience. To this end you are invited to forward your comments, criticisms and suggestions to the editor so that we can adjust to your interests and needs.Here’s the straight skinny. We’re a bunch of aging, somewhat demented life-long arms collectors, not magazine publishers. We’ve put together a team of professional layout people, web designers, software guys and gals who can handle the technical stuff. What’s left is content and organization, and that’s where you come in.This magazine is based on our conception of what we think you, the readers, will really like to see, but in order to make it what you will enjoy most requires what we think of as “blowback”. This whole project is a work in progress. “Blowback” gives you all an opportunity to mold this magazine to your liking. We need to hear about what you like, what you hate, what’s missing and what we need more of. We’d also like to receive quality articles for publication; we ask only that photos be sharp and clear, on neutral backgrounds and that articles have a point, and impart knowledge. Common guns with inscriptions, for

example, are pretty much of interest only to their owners. Likewise, the story of how you found a bargain at a garage sale.One of the first things you will notice is that content doesn’t end with what’s between these virtual covers. We are indeed an endless gateway to dealer websites, clubs, museums, resources and each other.The fields of interests addressed by Arms Heritage are vast and varied, and the possibilities for suitable content are boundless. It’s up to us to provide the kind of material that’ll grab your interest and keep you coming back, so that, at the end of the day, you’ll consider your subscription to be not only money well spent, but also a good investment.So please e-mail your comments to the editor at Richard@armsheritagemagazine.com we’ll publish both the positive and the negative, and will hopefully learn from both.If you like this complimentary issue, we’d appreciate you joining us in this adventure. Subscriptions are inexpensive and may be booked by visiting our website www.armsheritagemagazine.com. See you in two months.

Richard

Volume 1, Number 1

Danny Clark danny@armsheritagemagazine.com

For this inaugural issue I’ve decided to write more of an explanation of what this column will be about along with a brief report on the last few auctions.

Major Auction HousesOver the last decade and maybe a bit prior, the auction scene for collector firearms has grown almost exponentially. Currently there are nine auction companies in the United States regularly holding large gun-oriented auctions at least once a year and in some cases as many as six times a year. This translates to about twenty five or more significant gun auctions and results in thousands upon thousands of guns changing hands. Adding the published sales figures from all nine auction companies reveals that somewhere around $100 million in auction sales is typical for each recent year! When you consider the on-line auction scene, the number and value of collectable guns that change hands each year is most impressive. The major auction houses are Amoskeag, Bonhams, Cowans, Greg Martin, Heritage, James Julia, Little Johns, Poulins, and Rock Island. These are the firms we will be covering. We will summarize their published results along with our own impressions and commentary on trends. We are aware of European auction firms but for now we will concentrate on the domestic scene.

On-line AuctionsWhile I regularly surf through Gun Broker and Auction Arms, (which I do for a living), I see a lot of the same guns being listed over and over again at inflated prices. The items I do see moving are normally lower end and those that are priced reasonably. I’m referring here to collectable arms. Current or recent production guns are also being sold, often at low market values, and this seems to be a good method for both buyer and seller. Even now there are occasional bargains to be found within the on-line venues. I personally bought a Colt Walker and a Colt Paterson as well as numerous underpriced goodies at very fair prices in the last few years. One of the more interesting things I recently observed was the

West Street Antiques.indd 1 9/11/10 10:09:14

sale of a specially built modern-made gun. The gun was made by Colt in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Model 1911 automatic. It was factory-engraved, gold-inlayed and specially serial numbered- 1911COLT2011. It was sold at a charity auction on Gun Broker with a winning bit of just over $83,000. Not bad for a gun that could be easily recreated for around $10,000.Eric Ward of Ward’s Auctions, an on-line auction firm specializing in sporting collectibles, reports record prices for rare .22 boxes and rare shotshell boxes.

Upcoming AuctionsThe 2011 auction season is fast approaching with the James Julia and Poulin auctions strategically placed the week before the Baltimore Show. Poulin’s auction will be held in Maine on March 11-13 and will be followed by Julia on March 14-15. Amoskeag will be shortly thereafter on March 26 in Manchester. Most of the other houses will conduct their auctions between now and June. After a three-moth break, auction action will begin again in late August and early September.

Recent AuctionsCurrently we are coming out a “break” period. Between December and the present, only four auction were held. Rock Island had the biggest take with a reported sale of almost $10 million. Amoskeag had a strong showing as well at their January 8 session. Greg Martin held his auction in conjunction with the Las Vegas Antique Gun ShowAbout half the guns were sold were donation to the NRA. Greg graciously handled the sale with all proceeds to the NRA. Overall, bidding in the room was a bit weak but the phones and internet picked up the slack. . Rock Island just held their regional auction but no results are available. Incidentally Greg Martin Auctions which was a subsidiary of Spectrum Auction Group has now been sold back to Greg, Bernie Osher and John Gallo and will move back to San Francisco.

After six more years of exhaustive research since the publication of Part Three of this series, the first of the Confederate volumes has been completed. In these 328 pages over 650 specimens of Confederate bullets and cartridges are illustrated in addition to bullet mold and other related items.

Price is $55 postpaid within the United States, others please ad $5 to defray shipping cost

(check or credit card)

Thomas Publications, 3245 Fairfield Road,

Gettysburg, PA 17325717-642-6600 or 800-840-6782

Reloading Cartridges for Colt’s Thuer Conversion Pistols

Editorial Staff

Although the Colt’s Thuer conversion for percussion revolvers was not a commercial success, there was one meaningful development which took place. The system presented one of the earliest uses of reloadable centerfire cartridges and perhaps the only occasion where the gun itself functioned as a reloading machine.

If you’ve ever been curious about those simple tools seen in cased Thuer conversion sets, here’s how they worked. The gun itself only required one modification — the end of the rammer was drilled and tapped to enable the re-priming plunger to be installed; otherwise the tools were completely separate.

The Pistol and Tool Kit

The gun itself, in this case a Model 1851 Navy, with a full set of tools. Left to right: the primer tin, a pair of cartridges,

one loaded, the other with components, the de-priming pin, the loading saddle, the bullet guide, the primer guide and the re-priming plunger.

Step 4With the saddle in place, the lever forces a

new primer into the empty case.

Step 6The lever forces the bullet into the case,

using the bullet guide to assure alignment.

Step 5Following the loading of the powder charge, the

primed case is inserted into the holder on the saddle and the bullet guide slipped into place.

Step 1The de-priming pin is used to knock

out the fired primer.

Step 2The de-primed case is slipped over a tapered holder on the saddle and the

primer guide slipped on.

The Procedure

Step 3The re-priming plunger is screwed

into the end of the rammer.

Specialty Organizations American Single Shot Rifle Association- Newsletter www.assra.comAmerican Society of Arms Collectors www.americansocietyofarmscollectors.orgAntique Reloading Tools – Informational website www.antiquereloadingtools.orgAntique Bowie Knife Collectors Association www.antiquebowieknife.comBrowning Collectors Association www.browningcollectors.comBuffalo Bill Historical Center and Museum www.bbhc.orgColt Collectors Association – Membership includes a roster and bi-annual magazine www.coltcollectors.comCompany of Military Historians www.military-historians.orgGarand Collectors Association www.thegca.orgGerman Gun Collectors Association www.germanguns.comGlass Target Ball Collectors www.targetballs.com & www.glasstargetballs.comHistorical Breechloading Smallarms Association www.hbsa-uk.orgInternational Ammunition Association- Biannual magazine and newsletter www.cartridgecollectors.orgMarlin Collectors Association www.marlin-collectors.comMossberg Collectors Association www.mossbergcollectors.orgMuseum of the Fur Trade www.furtrade.orgNational Muzzle Loading Rifle Association www.nmlra.org

National Rifle Association www.nrahq.orgParker Gun Collectors Association www.parkerguns.comRemington Society of America- Magazine www.remingtonsociety.comRuger Collectors Association www.rugercollectorsassociation.comSharps Collectors Association- Newsletter www.sharpscollector.comSmith & Wesson Collectors Association www.theswca.orgSociety of American Bayonet Collectors www.bayonetcollectors.orgWinchester Arms Collectors Association www.winchestercollector.org

Regional ClubsAlaska Gun Collectors Association www.agca.netAntique Arms Collectors of Australia www.antiquearmssociety.org.auArizona Arms Association www.azarms.comColorado Gun Collectors Association www.cgca.comHistorical Arms Collectors Society of British Columbia www.hacsbc.caHouston Gun Collectors Association www.hgca.orgNew Mexico Gun Collectors Association www.nmgca.orgOhio Gun Collectors www.ogca.comOregon Arms Collectors http://oregonarmscollectors.tripod.com/index.html

CLUBS, CONTACTS AND RESOURCESAs a service to our readers, we are providing a convenient listing of arms-related clubs with links thereto. If your club isn’t listed, please contact us.

Minnesota Weapons Collectors Association www.mwca.orgThe New Zealand Antique and Historical Arms Association www.antiquearms.org.nzAntique and Historical Arms Collectors Guild of Victoria, Inc. www.armscollectorsguild.comPennsylvania Gun Collectors www.paguncollectors.orgSaint Louis Antique Arms Collectors www.stlarms.comSanta Barbara Historical Association www.sbhaa.orgSouth Carolina Arms Collectors Association www.scaca.netSouthern Californis Arms Collectors martinjmillerjr@wgn.netTexas Gun Collectors Association- Roster and bi-annual magazine www.tgca.netUtah Gun Collectors Association www.ugca.orgWashington Arms Collectors www.washingtonarmscollectors.orgVirginia Gun Collectors Assn www.vgca.orgYe Connecticut Gun Guild- Newsletter www.ycgg.org

Arms MuseumsA very complete listing of Arms Museums, both American and International, along with links thereto can be found on the website of the American Society of Arms Collectors— www.americansocietyofarmscollectors.org

ResourcesUnited States Patent OfficePatent copies www.uspto.govGoogle Patents www.google.com/patentsProof House.comSerial number data www.proofhouse.comCornell PublicationsReprints of Gun Catalogs www.cornellpubs.comResearch PressMisc. texts on guns www.researchpress.co.ukEspacenetEuropean patent data www.espacenet.comAlibrisOut of print books www.alibris.comAbebooksOut of print books www.abebooks.com

As a service to researchers, we provide this section to enable the solicitation of data and information for those involved in activities aimed at increasing our knowledge of the arms field.For a planned publication, I would like to view, photograph or receive details on U.S. Civil War Artillery accoutrement, e.g. gunners haversacks, fuse boxes, linstocks, etc. The leather items often bear earlier dates from the 1820’s and 30’s and occasionally an arsenal identification. What do you have? Fred Gaede, fgaede@comcast.net

R e s e a R c h h e l p W a n t e d

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O.C. YoungA Source for Fine Antique Arms &

Related AccessoriesWith emphasis on Arms of the American West

www.ocyoung.comE-Mail: ocy@ocyoung.com

FINE ANTIQUE ARMSWe Buy, Sell or Trade Individual Arms or Collections.

Mitch Luksich P.O. Box 1527, Sonoma, CA 95476

Phone: 707-935-1506 Email: mluksich@sonic.netI return calls not answered

MICHAEL SIMENSDealer in Fine Antique Guns,

Swords, & Related Itemswww.michaelsimens.commail@historicalarms.net

216-541-4111

John SextonFor the Finest in Civil War Memorabilia

Specializing in Arms of The Confederacywww.civilwardealer.com

770-329-4984

Dick SalzerRare Arms Accoutrements

(and other neat stuff)www.dicksalzer.com

281-242-8450

Your listing could appear here forOnly $50 per issue including a link to

Your website

COLLECTORS FIREARMSA Gun Show on the Web

Over 10,000 guns in stockwww.collectorsfirearms.cominfo@collectorsfirearms.com

DAVID CARROLL COLLECTION

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Danny Clark danny@armsheritagemagazine.com

There are not too many airgunners out there who will ‘fess up to a lucky shot. Usually such a shot will be explained away through some tall, trash-talking tale referencing years of experience, amazing intuition, and copious amounts of higher intelligence. Not that I think this is some modern phenomenon. I’m fairly convinced such nonsense has been encountered around airgunners for quite some time. No doubt German airgunners from a century ago were bragging in just such a manner as they sat around enjoying their lager and spending their evenings and wages gambling with this tavern airgun shooting game. And shooting skill had nothing to do with it.The basic apparatus as seen here consists of a large, break-barrel air pistol affixed to a stationary post while sighted towards a rotating target face. This target face is marked with a series of pie-shaped sections which are numbered in a similar fashion to a dart board. Indeed, this target is a dart board, as it receives the air gun dart projectile fired from the air pistol.I have heard several explanations about the games played on these dart roulette wheels. One has the participant paying the house for each shot taken, in the hope of winning a prize of some sort, most likely involving an adult beverage. This would be very similar to a carnival type scenario. The second game would involve the participants betting against one another in some fashion, perhaps like throwing darts. My understanding is that these shooting games were purchased both by carnival type operations as well as tavern owners who sought

to increase the number of patrons and revenues by offering

the novelty of the shooting game to their customers. In our present day litigious world, it is almost inconceivable to imagine having customers shooting “live” rounds in a local bar, even if it was only from an air powered pistol.

The removable target face is mounted on a spindle which is attached to a fixed post. It freely spins as the operator sets it into motion. The pistol is mounted upon its own post which has only slight, limited lateral movement...not enough to threaten the obnoxious bully beside you at the bar. The pistol post

also has an adjustment for vertical movement, which the proprietor can use to position the pistol to fire at a fresh area of the target as needed. This target face can be reversed to give more use from the target on the back side. The whole unit is only 40 inches long, so we’re not talking about long range shooting here.The huge air pistol deserves special mention because it is quite unique in its own right. It is a

A T av e r n T e l lBy Larry Hannusch

Figure 1-This Tell roulette game made by Oscar Will of

Germany was an early, novel use of an air pistol for gaming

purposes. The sightless Tell I was mounted to a fixed post

which served to keep most darts into their intended target.

Figure 2-The pistol was mounted in a collar which allowed the gun to be cocked without removing it from its post.The roulette version of the Tell I had no trigger guard, nor

was the grip ever drilled for one. Another distinguishing feature of the roulette gaming version of the Tell I is that it had no sights, nor was the barrel ever cut for sights.

Broadside advetisement for Bacon pistols

Moore/National Arms Teatfire pistol

Moore Seven Shot Revolver

Brooklyn Arms Co. Slocum Patent Revolver

This will be a regular column that wll present interesting arms related items — the go-with things that make

collecting fun. Please share some of your favorites with us. If you don’t exactly know what they are, perhaps our

staff can help, if not we’ll turn them loose on our subscribers

Dick Salzer dick@armsheritagemagazine.com

So there you were, an arms manufacture, salivating at the possibilities, and watching S&W sop up all the gravy. What did you do?Different manufacturers took different approaches. Some played by the rules and developed arms that circumvented the Rollin White patent. Others ignored the patent protection afforded to S&W and just went ahead and produced handguns that infringed on the patent. As we will see, the circumventors produced a bizarre

collection of designs that loaded cartridges from the front of the cylinder, often requiring specially designed cartridges. The infringers went merrily ahead and produced arms with bored-through cylinders. Some actually got away with their transgressions while others were subject to costly and humiliating lawsuits. Several firms, Brooklyn Arms, Moore and Pond hedged their bets and did both.Lets look first at those who played by the rules: Plant Manufacturing Company (New Haven, CT) and Eagle Manufacturing Company (New York City)

manufactured similar design front-loading pistols using similar proprietary metallic cartridges. Cartridges were cylindrical with a cupped base whose rims contained fulminate, thus they could be loaded easily from the front of the cylinder. (see The Cartridge Hound Department, this issue for details)Connecticut Arms Company (Norfolk, CT) manufactured a graceful pocket pistol using the same “cup fire” cartridges as did the Plant and Eagle armsBrooklyn Arms Company ( Brooklyn, NY) produced one

of the most complex pistols in which sliding chambers moved forward to admit standard .32 caliber rimfire cartridges into the rear of the chambers, thus barely avoiding the patent restrictions of the White patent. A

Figure 2-A late version of the front-loading .42 caliber Plant revolver

Figure 3-The smaller Eagle Arms version of the Plant along with its original box

Figure 4-Connecticut Arms front loader, the integral hinged lever enables the fired cartridge to be extracted

Figure 5-Brooklyn Arms Slocum Patent revolver

Figure 6-The slide-forward chambers on the cylinder allow the cartridge to be inserted, technically avoiding conflict with the White patent.

Your Arms Library

conducted by Frank Graves

In addition to reviewing recently issued books,

we will also be taking a retro look at some of the

old classics from time to time. Although most

are out of print, copies are not hard to find at gun

shows or from the book search sites noted in the

Clubs, Organizations and Resources section of this

magazine. If all else fails, please contact us, we have

access to a substantial source of used arms books.

Next to the arms themselves, books are the best

investment a collector can make. During the

“golden age” of collecting in the 1930’s and 40’s,

when great finds could still be made, the adage “buy

a book for every gun” was coined. At the time only

a small fraction of today’s books were available.

Today’s offerings plus the internet allow us all to

become expert in our areas of interest.

A Basic Primer on Colts

A History Of The Colt Revolver, Charles T. Haven

and Frank A. Belton, Morrow, 1940. (about 700

pages)

I’ve lost track of the dozens of books on all phases

of the Colt story. One of the best is this pioneering

tome. It covers virtually every model of Colt

handgun and longarm from the Paterson through

the Colt woodsman with clear photographs and

excellent descriptions. Although these have all

been done better in subsequent books, this book

really shines in the second section, which contains

a wealth of primary source material including

correspondence, broadsides and documentation.

My favorite section, however, is a seventeen-

page excerpt from a March 1857 copy of United

States Magazine, titled “A Day at the Armory of

Colt’s Patent Manufacturing Company, Hartford.

Connecticut”. It presents a fascinating, step-by-step,

description of every phase of the manufacture of a

Colt percussion revolver with numerous engraved

illustrations. It’s “must reading” for anyone

interested in early Colts.

A Self-Loading MasterpieceBy Mike Clark

This is one of the most fascinating guns I’ve ever handled. It abounds with original and well-conceived details—from its push button trigger to its revolving turret nipple array.It was made by Valentin Sylvestre Fombuena of Madrid. Fombuena was a craftsman/engineer/inventor with a series of patents over a vast range of subjects.When one sees a gun so different from the usual, one has to admire not only the workmanship, but the ingenuity that went into its design.The photographs tell the story. A magazine

for round balls was provided in the buttstock. The lever, mounted on the side is a gunpowder storage magazine. When the barrel is pointed downward and the lever is rotated, a ball falls into the chamber through a hole in the lever drum. As the lever drum is further rotated, a measured charge of powder follows the ball into the chamber. This action also cocks the hammer and rotates a percussion cap into place. Returning the lever to its stowed position seals the chamber. The gun can then be fired by pressing the cross-hatched button below the hammer.

Figure 1- The gun shoots round balls and is not rifled. Apparently the maker was more interested in gadgetry than accuracy.

Figure 2- A closeup of the action. The circular cross-hatched button is the trigger.

Figure 3- The sink marks of Madrid gunmaker Valentin Sylvestre Fombuena

Figure 4- About a dozen 50 caliber balls are loaded into a magazine in the buttstock of the weapon.

Once you’ve navigated yourself around our pages we’d appreciate your telling us what you think about your experience. To this end you are invited to forward your comments, criticisms and suggestions to the editor so that we can adjust to your interests and needs.Here’s the straight skinny. We’re a bunch of aging, somewhat demented life-long arms collectors, not magazine publishers. We’ve put together a team of professional layout people, web designers, software guys and gals who can handle the technical stuff. What’s left is content and organization, and that’s where you come in.This magazine is based on our conception of what we think you, the readers, will really like to see, but in order to make it what you will enjoy most requires what we think of as “blowback”. This whole project is a work in progress. “Blowback” gives you all an opportunity to mold this magazine to your liking. We need to hear about what you like, what you hate, what’s missing and what we need more of.

We’d also like to receive quality articles for publication; we ask only that photos be sharp and clear, on neutral backgrounds and that articles have a point, and impart knowledge. Common guns with inscriptions, for

example, are pretty much of interest only to their owners. Likewise, the story of how you found a bargain at a garage sale.One of the first things you will notice is that content doesn’t end with what’s between these virtual covers. We are indeed an endless gateway to dealer websites, clubs, museums, resources and each other.The fields of interests addressed by Arms Heritage are vast and varied, and the possibilities for suitable content are boundless. It’s up to us to provide the kind of material that’ll grab your interest and keep you coming back, so that, at the end of the day, you’ll consider your subscription to be not only money well spent, but also a good investment.So please e-mail your comments to the editor at Richard@armsheritagemagazine.com we’ll publish both the positive and the negative, and will hopefully learn from both.If you like this complimentary issue, we’d appreciate you joining us in this adventure. Subscriptions are inexpensive and may be booked by visiting our website www.armsheritagemagazine.com. See you in two months.

Richard

Volume 1, Number 1

Quest ion: from: Bill Calhoun, Arkansas

The revolver shown in the attached photos was brought home from WW2 by my grandfather. I know it is

Japanese, but I don’t know too much other than that. I have figured out how to open it for cleaning. Isn’t this a

great system! I just open the top, push the triggerguard forward, pivot the side open, and lift out the left grip.

How about ammo? I don’t know the caliber, and nothing I’ve tried seems to fit properly.

ANSWER:

You have a Japanese Military Revolver developed in the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Meiji. Collectors

call it the Type 26. These were made between 1893 and 1935 in the Tokyo Arsenal, and about 59,000 were

produced. I’m sure you noticed that you can’t cock it by hand; it is double-action only.

The cartridge for this revolver is 9 x 22 mm centerfire; it is unique. Original cartridges are quite scarce. I

have added a photo of an original 9 mm cartridge from my collection alongside a .38 Special cartridge for

comparison. I have some modern cartridges headstamped “Midway 9 mm Jap Rev.” I don’t know if this

ammunition is still available.

You can learn pretty much all there is to know about this revolver in “Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns

1893–1945,” Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2003, 384 pages, by Harry Derby and James D. Brown. MFC

mikecarrick@armsheritagemagazine.com

Our feature article in this issue deals with circumventions of the Rollin White Patent.

Special cartridges were required for several of these revolvers. A surprising number of varieties of the

packets for those cartridges were made. In this issue, we illustrate a selection of their labels.

Figure 1. - These descriptive sketches were taken from the International Ammunition Association publication “A Guide to Ammunition Collecting” The entire book can be viewed on their website listed under Clubs, Contacts and Resources in this issue of Heritage Arms Magazine.

Figure 2. - The basic front-loader cartridges, l to r, 32 caliber Cup Fire, 42 caliber Cup Fire, 32 Flat Teat Fire, 32 caliber Round Teat Fire and 36 caliber Thuer.

Figure 3. - A loose-pack box for the 32 caliber Teat Fire, by Crittenden & Tibbals

Figure 4. - A 32 caliber Flat Teat Fire box, maker unknown

A regular feature on cartridge collecting written and provided by members of the International Ammunition Association. The publication on the right is only one of several that can be found in their entirety on the I.A.A. website, www.cartridgecollectors.org.

Subscriptions are easy—Just go to our web page, www.armsheritagemagazine.com and follow the prompts. We take PayPal, Credit Cards or you can pay by check

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Welcome to the future!

Dick Salzer ✪ David Carroll ✪ Mike Clark ✪ Flem Rogers ✪ Mike Carrick ✪ Frank Graves

ARMS HERITAGE MAGAZINE will be a bi-monthly publication dedicated to all facets of arms collecting. It will contain well-researched and vetted articles and features written by leading authorities. We describe our magazine as “A One-Click Gateway to the World of Arms Collecting” Each of the advertisements can include an active one-click link to the advertisers website.

TheLast Word

That’s about what four and a half pounds of scrap iron and brass is worth. So what makes them regularly

bring six figures when they change hands? Answer: we do. It’s good to remind our selves from time to time that these chunks of iron, wood, ivory and brass only have value because there is a universe of like-minded people who see material culture value where none intrinsically exists.Well-established collectors, those who can afford the high prices of today’s arms, are typically older folks with disposable income. Newer, younger collectors are often hard pressed to fork over big bucks for collectable arms. In order for the latter demographic to grow and provide a base for sustained value there has to be an entry pointStuart Mowbray’s Man-at-Arms magazine has recognized and effectively addressed this point by regularly featuring articles on inexpensive military and European weapons. We are hoping that this e-magazine approach will also reach and stimulate interest among younger potential collectors by providing a pathway to improve their knowledge.Starting with the next issue and recurring periodically, we will add a feature titled “ENTRY POINT” where we explore areas of arms collecting suitable for new enthusiasts to “get their feet wet” and discover the satisfaction of collecting without excessive expenditures.It is also well to remember the folks that mentored us along the way. Too often at gun club meetings we’ve observed the closed cronyism that shuts out the newcomer. This often intimidates and drives away those we should be encouraging. The old adage that says: “the only dumb question is the one that wasn’t asked” is the attitude of patience and friendliness we should all adopt when dealing with the new collector.We are fortunate to be involved in a category of high quality collectables, along with fine art, coins, stamps, etc. where interest can be initiated at many age levels. Quality collectables have not only held their value during tough times but have served as a haven for capital preservation. On the other hand, many collectable categories can be designated “nostalgia collectables”. These, we believe, will ultimately lose value as their enthusiasts pass along.

Two bucks for a Colt Walker?

Please contact me if you are contemplating or in the process ofassembling an advanced collection of percussion or earlier cartridgeColts. I specialize in “minty” Colts from the 1840’s to 1940 period andconsistently inventory many examples that are among the finestknown for a particular type.As usual, the best comes at a premium. However if you are determinedto own a rarified group of pristine Colts, I’m sure I can act as your advisor and assist you in this venture. Please call me if you would liketo explore this line of collecting.

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