Newbie gun question. I don't have a clue what it is...

[hillbilly]

Somebody offered you $675 for it, as is?

To be honest, I'd probably have sold it immediately.

The one I saw in the pawn shop, and which I posted the link for the thread, was going for like $275 or so.

I confess that I'm not sure exactly how much something like this might be worth, but if somebody wanted to trade me 675 American dollars for it, I think I would have sold right then.

Anyone out there know better? I bet somebody does.

hillbilly

 

[Mr.Vette]

I think this person has a buyer in mind. I went to his shop to talk to him about restoring the pistol. I left my cell # and he called me back and told me it would be more to restore it. However he may be interested in it. I never had the thought of selling the pistol. However for the price offered and from what you all have helped me with I may go down and make the deal. I will keep you guys posted. Thanks. MR.VETTE (Mark).

 

[hillbilly]

The other thing to consider is this.

How much sentimental value do you place on this piece?

Once you sell grandad's pistol, you aren't going to get another one.

My reaction to "sell it" came from having absolutely no sentimental attachment to this thing at all.

And like I said above, maybe somebody else holds the key piece of info to tell you why this guy wants to drop $675 on it.

hillbilly

 

[Mr.Vette]

My grandfather had a wierd collection of old guns. Most were very very nice. Either he never restored this one because he pasted away before getting to it or he knew something that you guys do. Meaning he didn't see the value in it either. My Question is why the high price offered to me? MR.Vette.

 

[Old Fuff]

Mr. Vette:

There are often people that place a high value on a particular firearm through ignorence. They know relatively little, but think they know a lot. Thus they mistakenly place a high value on something because they think that because it is rare, scarce, or unusual it must be valuable.

I agree with Lo.Com.Denom's identification of your gun. It was probably made in Spain between the two World Wars, and proofed in whatever country it was exported too. While such guns are scarce in the United States (most were brought back by returning servicemen following World War Two) there is little interest in them, and because of that they aren't particularly valuable.

I can understand your desire to retain it because of its association with your grandfather, but I suspect that if someone had offered him six hundred-plus dollars for it he would have sold it in the blink of an eye.

 

[Mr.Vette]

Ignorence is bliss Sold today. Thanks all! MR.VETTE

 

[hillbilly]

cha-ching......

Now go get a pistol that your grandkids won't have to work hard to identify, nor worry about selling someday.

Go get something truly worthy.

hillbilly

 

[Old Fuff]

hillbilly:

Plus one...

 

[Jim K]

Lo.Com.Denom. is correct and that Crown U could have been applied to a Spanish-made revolver, but then the Crown B proof should also be present indicating proof in the finished condition. It is not Belgian or French, since it would have their proof marks if it were.

But those guns were made in Germany as well as in Belgium and Spain. As I said, the ALFA catalog has page after page of that general type of revolver, and there is no indication of the maker or the country of origin of any of them. Only for the better grade "big name" guns (Colt, Mauser, S&W, Bayard, etc.) is the maker's name indicated.

In any case, IMHO, the gun is not worth anywhere near $675; it might bring $150 or so as a novelty as they are not that common here. Incidentally, the 1911 ALFA price on that general type runs 19-25 Marks; a Mark at the time being worth around $.20. A Colt SAA was 118 Marks.

Jim

 

[BEARMAN]

Here is a website www.earmi.it/armi/atlas/atlas.htm#indice it is in Italian and indice seems to mean index lots of drawings of this type of pistol, check in the countries listed in the index ( indices) look under type BULL DOG at the bottom of the index.

 

[Mr.Vette]

Caro Bearman - Grazie!!

Per fortuna mia moglie....er, sorry! Lucky for me my wife speaks and reads Italian. If it had been a French or German web page, I'd have been sunk!!

Anyway, yes, it looks like you're right, my gun did seem very similar to some of the Bulldogs shown. There are one or two that are almost identical, but one detail is off on each diagram (for example, there is one gun that could be just right, except for the shape of the trigger).

Ciao, Signor Orso (orso=bear)

Mr. Vette