How Old is your Oldest Gun you have ?

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

I own two rifles.The first is a Marlin Safety made in 1895 in 44-40 (Great gun) The second is a Colt Lightning made in 1890 and it's in 44-40 too.

The Marlin I use quite regularly at Cowboy matches.

I think that I'm very lucky to own these guns that are from an era with which our sport and history comes from. .The rest of my guns are all from the 1990's.

Dakota 
   

[Tensleep]

We have a Winchester 1892 in 25.20 that belonged to Miz Annie's dad and was made in 1903, has always been in the family.
It is a great shooter and we have both shot it in matches.

Our 97s were made in 1899 and 1905, both still shooting.

[Querida Kate]

Well, my 10th anniversary present was an original Winchester 1887 - made in 1888.

Does that count?   

(Yes - I do shoot it occassionally - just not well!) 

[Wallaby Jack]

Yes Miss Kate, it do ........ 

I got a Colt Lightning early model, dated September 1885, serial # is just under 12,000 (44-40) 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Swedish Husqvarna rolling block military rifle made in 1867. Yes I will be shooting it.  Have the cases & dies (.50-70, but close to 12.7 x 44R) have to slug the barrel before getting a mould.

I am already shooting my Snider MkIII of 1871 and Argentine rolling block of 1879.

My apologies Mate,  But I figured Canada was close enough to the Aunty-Podes, at least for this topic.

Fellow Cowboy of the Empire

[Phantom Falcon]

Howdy Folks,
I love these old guns:

I have an 1860 Army 2nd Richards conversion and an 1861 Navy Richards-Mason conversion: both built late 1860s.
I have several Colt SAAs; dated from 1874 thru 1917.
I have several Winchester 1873, 1876, and 1886; dated 1884 thru 1906.

These are all shooters. Some are tack drivers; some are area weapons. I wish they could talk. I'd love to know where they've been and what they've done. I shoot classic cowboy, black powder, with most of them. Others I shoot classic cowboy or duelist with Trail Boss.

PF

[Stump Water]

I have an '87 Shotgun with a serial number on the receiver that says it was made in 1892.  But the barrel says, "Model 01 10ga."  And it has a left & right extractor which the '87s didn't have.  I've been told that such 1887-1901 10 ga. hybrid wasn't all that uncommon because the steel in the '87's receiver was superior (thicker) to that in the '01s, while the '01's barrel was proofed for smokeless.  The '01 models were only made in 10 ga.

Camille's '97-D was made in 1905 and we have two '97-Es, one made in 1918 and one made in 1939.

[Forty Rod]

I have a S&W Model 1-1/2 in .32 rf from 1868, and a Connecticut Arms "Hammond Bulldog" .44 rf from about the same time.

Had a pair of Irish gentleman's pocket pistols from around the time of our revolution: screw barrel center hammer flintlock with a fitted case, barrel wrench / screw driver, bullet mould, double ended powder measure, a flask, and four extra flints.  These were absolutely mint and unfired.  The hammers were made with a fore-and-aft hole pierced so you coud see the front bead sight (There was no rear sight, but that hole helped you line it up like a primitive 'ghost ring') when the guns were cocked.

I was in college and broke, broke, broke when a man offered me a lot more than they were worth...about $600.00 at the time.

Never saw nor heard of them again.

[minerotago]

Have a Spencer Model 1865, Warners patend civil war carbine, a Winchester 73 made in 1891, several 92s, Colt Lightning .44-40 but dont know when it was made, an Enfield muzzle loader made by Adams between 1859 and 1865, Burgess 12g made about 1895, Whitney Kennedy made in the mid 1880s, Coopers revolver made about 1865, Colt Navy made 1866, two Adams revolvers based on 1851 frame one a biig Dragoon and a 4th Model tranter dragoon. Have a fair few guns all around the same era.
Use the Whitney Kennedy on my farm which aint a farm for shooting in the house paddock - the nearest neighbours miles away so no one cares.
Also got a Brand whale harpoon gun for slinging hunks of scrap iron, nails, ball bearings, and anything else that fits down the barrel at various targets; tin cans, rocks and defunct cars.

[fourfingersofdeath]

Probably a draw between my Martini cadet and my French 8mm Lebel 1907/15 St Ettienne Berthier (5 shotconversion) w/Rosalie Bayonet. I have a 44/40 1892 on the way, I bought it sight unseen, it is pretty old, we'll see shortly when it arrives. Mick.

PS, almost forgot, I have a 12Ga London Damascened Black Powder SxS hammer gun, don't know how old that one is, hardle any markings on it apart from the word 'London.'

[Camille Eonich]

Hmmm... I dunno.  It's got to be one of my '97s though.

[Dai.S.Loe]

1861 Ballard carbine in .56 rimfire.

From the serial number and patrs number it seems to be pre Williams and Ball.

One of the first 600 made.

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Hey Mike, nice lookin guns. Owning something that has history,just a great feeling.

Dakota 

[Abilene]

Mine is a Colt .45 from 1901.  Shoots great, have put a couple thousand rounds through it. 

[kid sheleen]

My oldest gun is a wallhanger I picked up at a yard sale for 75 bucks.  It was made in spain somewhere between 1650 and 1750.  It has whats called a miquelet lock which is the forerunner of the flintlock.  It is heavily inlaid with brass and silver, about .73 caliber smoothbore.  Even the lock has silver attached to the side with an engraving of a spanish galleon.  It'll still throws a spark 10 feet.

[Deadeye Don]

Mine is a Colt .45 from 1901.  Shoots great, have put a couple thousand rounds through it. 

Very nice gun.  I think that if and when I get a SAA colt I will also opt for the 7.5 inch barrel.  There is just something "right" about that length.   The wood grips really add to the historical feel.  You are a lucky pard Abilene.

[Abilene]

Deadeye, you are right, I are a lucky guy, count my blessings every day!    I picked up the Colt from the late Bob Taylor in around '01for $1300.  Of course, since I put it on a credit card that has never gotten paid off, it has probably cost me a fair amount more, hehe.  It had been refinished a couple times and the cylinder is not original.  So it is a shooter, and no matter hoiw much I shoot it, the value will never drop.  I shoot it with an antique finish Model P, they make a good pair:

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Deadeye, you are right, I are a lucky guy, count my blessings every day!    I picked up the Colt from the late Bob Taylor in around '01for $1300.  Of course, since I put it on a credit card that has never gotten paid off, it has probably cost me a fair amount more, hehe.  It had been refinished a couple times and the cylinder is not original.  So it is a shooter, and no matter hoiw much I shoot it, the value will never drop.  I shoot it with an antique finish Model P, they make a good pair:

Abilene, a real nice pair of Colts.

Dakota 

[Texas Lawdog]

I have an original 1851 Navy Colt in 36 cal. All the serial#s match on the parts.  I have most of the original holster, except for the flap which was cut off by may GG uncle. He was a Capt, in the Army when the Civil War started. He was from Missouri, so he had kinfolks on both sides. He would not wear his uniform at home when he was on furlough. He stayed in the Army after the War and served in the Powder River Campaigns.

[Roosterman]

This ain't exactly cowboy, but I do shoot it. It kill pheasants and skeets DEAD! It's circa 1815 made in england by Bilby Hyde & Co. 18ga. Fits and shoots just like a modern shotgun. I've had guns as old as 1770, but they are long gone.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Gunmaker/Bilby%20double%20flint%20gun/