Oldest gun owned?

[P95Carry]

Just an interest thing ... I know several folks have some real old firearms, in fact IIRC Betty inherited one this year.

So - what is your oldest - not in type but actual manufacture?

I think my oldest is probably a Webley MkVI altho I have two crappy old revo's which must be pretty ancient - a "Young Americans" in .22 short and an Ivor Johnson in .32 S&W. I also have a Mauser Obendorfe bolt rifle in .22 which research suggests goes back to the 20's (wish I could find a spare mag for it!).

Several other guns go back to 50's and 60's but not early 1900's. I guess those of us with early milsurps can count those in too - but thinking more of non mil.

What have you got that's real old? Pic's are good. Here's my Webley and Mauser .....

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[farronwolf]

I need to call the springfield sometime and find out when a .22 bolt action springfield was made that my wife got from her dad. It belonged to her grandfather who was born in the late 1800's, but as of right now I don't know actually when it was made. I just know it is pretty old, and the oldest thing in the gun safe.

[P95Carry]

Heirlooms are great - they carry not only gun history but a family connection - and even for some, nice nostalgia.

Keeping guns in family is IMO very desirable.

[srfl]

My oldest gun is an East German-made Makarov.

[OD*]

[Rock and Glock]

Not a family heirloom to me, but I bought this at an under-attended auction in Cripple Creek, Colorado a few years ago. It's an 1888 Beaumont Vitalt, of Belgium manufacture (Delft cartouches).

Already obsolete in the day of "small bore" smokeless powder cartridges, the M1871-88 Beaumont-Vitali is substantially the M1871 Beaumont converted into a repeater via the Italian designed Vitali 4 round box magazine system. The conversions began in 1888, two years after the appearance of the M1886 French Lebel (the first of the smokeless powder infantry rifles) and were applied to all of the Regular Dutch army rifles, though the rifles in service in the dutch East Indies and for Home Guard were not all converted. The Vitali magazine system was first applied to converting the M1870 Italian Vetterli rifle in 1887 creating the M1870/87 Italian Vetterli-Vitali Holland and Italy, for the Beaumont and Vetterli rifles and carbines respectively, were the only conutries to adopt the Vitali magazine conversions. The magazine follower is pushed by a coil spring and, given the substantial bottle shape of both rifle's cartridges, gives the Vitali magazine its unique and distinctive shape.

The M1871-88 is the M1871 Beaumont rifle fitted with the Vitali magazine. See specifications for the M1871 Beaumont. Additionally, however, the bolt now incorporates an ejector as well as an extractor, and the receiver is fitted with gas escape vents in the event of a split case, much like the M1874 Gras

A unique feature of the Beaumont (Copied by the Japanese Murata Meiji 13 and carried forward in the Murata Meiji 18) is the striker spring housed in the bolt handle.

[Rock and Glock]

Wow, OD! That's a gorgeous Colt, plus the letter from Colt! Neat deal!

Chris - You have so many, how do ya keep track of the ages? Those are nice looking - an old Mauser and a Webley to boot.

Farronwolf - you really really ought to get that letter - it'll mean a lot to you, and future owners - makes 'em special to have some provenance and support for it documented too.......that's a great looking rifle too......

[OD*]

22sp.jpgI need to call the springfield sometime and find out when a .22 bolt action springfield was made that my wife got from her dad. It belonged to her grandfather who was born in the late 1800's, but as of right now I don't know actually when it was made. I just know it is pretty old, and the oldest thing in the gun safe.

The current Springfield Armory has no connection to the original Springfield Armory. You need to contact Springfield Research Service P.O. Box 126, Cabin John, MD 20818, or U. S. MARTIAL ARMS COLLECTOR; http://usmartialarmscollector.com/contact_us

[raevan]

The oldest gun I owned was a Pin Fire 12Ga shotgun from early 1800. I no longer have it. my oldest gun I have right now is a mdel 94 25-35 made in 1896.

[OD*]

Wow, OD! That's a gorgeous Colt, plus the letter from Colt! Neat deal!

Chris - You have so many, how do ya keep track of the ages? Those are nice looking - an old Mauser and a Webley to boot.

Farronwolf - you really really ought to get that letter - it'll mean a lot to you, and future owners - makes 'em special to have some provenance and support for it documented too.......that's a great looking rifle too......

Thank you Sir, that is quite an interesting rifle you have yourself.

[HotGuns]

I have a 6.5MM M96 Swede Mauser built in 1898.

It has excellent craftsmanship and can hold its own in the accuracy dept. with any modern rifle to this day. Its a beautiful rifle.

[rocky]

I did own a 1886 Lebel ,french bolt rifle. My grandfather brought it back from Europe after WW2.
http://www.oldrifles.com/French.htm
Here pic labeled 1886 lebel rifle in 8mm with feed tube. I think my bro or dad now has it. No idea how old it is.

[JD]

Well it's not as old as some of these listed, but it's the oldest I have.

1944 Ithaca 1911A1

[dr_cmg]

My oldest is not that old either. It is a Smith & Wesson Regulation Police .38 Special made in 1939.

[max7777]

1898 springfield