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Antique S&W .38 filigree barrell, stag(?) stock

2K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  RJay 
#1 · (Edited)
My uncle died a while back and he had quite a collection. I nabbed this one because, well, I'm a girl and I thought it was pretty, lol. It's obviously an antique but that's about all I can tell about it. Can anyone give me more info, first, on what I've got and, second, a possible ballpark value? It's pretty clean and very little wear.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/demonesque/IMG_3238.jpg
Full pic


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/demonesque/IMG_3237.jpg
"38 S.&W. CTG"


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/demonesque/b06db92e-7fa4-47e2-8f64-a3354e8db5f1.jpg
"8 U.S. PROPERTY G.H.D."


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/demonesque/8106CEED-587E-434B-9609-240CD0F174FB.jpg
"PATENTED FEB.6.06. SEPT.14.09. DEC.29.14."


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/demonesque/7dd286e7-cc7f-41ff-bfde-0f08e1d67331.jpg
Serial 470163
 
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#4 · (Edited)
The legal problems with ivory, as I understand it now, is selling it. You have to be able to prove it is "so old". Fifty years, hundred years, whatever stupid age they came up with. And, of course, how can you PROVE the grips on your grandfather's gun were put on there fifty years ago? Unless Grandpa was pretty anal about keeping receipts, you can't.

But you're not selling it, you're keeping it, so I would not worry about it.

Your gun is a 38 S&W, not a 38 Special. Ammo is available, but few stores stock it, and it's kinda pricy. Like around 30 bucks a box, versus the 20 or less 38 Specials cost.
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby=1&itemsperpage=24&newcategorydimensionid=10050
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/36?

As Bill said, it's a Victory. Smith made them for both OUR forces and for England's. OUR military's guns were made in 38 Special, but the standard cartridge in England was 38 S&W (they called it the 38/200, but it was the same round). After we got into the war, many of the revolvers chambered in 38 S&W were issued to guards at war plants around the country.

The "GHD" after "US PROPERTY" is the Military Inspector's mark for Guy H. Drewry Lt. Col., USA, who was the inspector for Smith & Wesson .38 Revolvers, Colt .45, 38 and .22 Revolvers and Pistols, Winchester and Underwood M1 Carbines, Colt Ace .22 Pistol from 1930-1946.

damn typos :p
 
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#5 ·
Thank you for the very detailed report! Very interesting!

It seems a little strange that so much aesthetic value would be placed on something military. Aren't military things from WWII foreword pretty basic in appearence?

I'm definitely not selling it because I have very few meaningful remembrances of my uncle (and I don't want it to end up destroyed so that it can be ground up into Chinese medicine placebo penis pills) but any guess on the value? I guess technically $0 because of the ivory issue, but I'm wondering if it's something I need to worry about for insurance purposes?
 
#6 ·
Gun owners are, pretty much, weird people. I know a man with a 22 single-shot rifle he paid 40 dollars for, with a 700 dollar Zeiss scope on it. Why? Guess he thought it was accurate enough to deserve that type of glass.

So whoever had the work done on that pistol - whether your uncle had it done, or he saw it and thought, "Boy that's purty", and bought it - apparently did not care that it was a "utilitarian military gun". Maybe whoever Unc got it from carried it during the war, and had it done up as a remembrance. Maybe it was the first gun Unc ever bought, from one of them ads in the gun rags, pre-68, selling war-surplus pistols for ten bucks, and as his first it had special meaning so he had all that done to it.

You probably will never know WHY it was done. But heck, just appreciating that it WAS done is all that matters. :)
 
#8 ·
First thing is the laws on Ivory have recently changed and it is now illegal to sell it no matter the age. This is being fought on many fronts as you can imagine. The musical instrument crowd is making progress as many valuable instruments contain real ivory. Next thing is that engraving looks to be very well done. Engraved guns are often signed by the artist. You may have to look very closely to find his signature. This work looks American but some guns like this were done in Germany after the war as they had a very experienced crew of engravers. Identifying the engraver may add a good bit of value to the gun. A gun like this hard to value as it is a one of a kind. The grips alone are worth 3 to 500 dollars. If this was a standard gun in original condition it would be in the 4 to 700 dollar range. As it is now I can imagine it going for a good bit more. Just how much is too difficult for me to come up with. A well known engravers signature can greatly increase the value. Can you post a clear picture of the grips so we can see the carving? The best way to sell a gun like this at auction. Online auctions for guns sometimes bring very good prices. This sets an actual value on the gun as it is the number a real buyer places on the gun. I realize you are not selling it but this is my opinion of your gun and it's value. I myself find it to be a very desirable gun and think it would do great on the open market. You chose wisely!
 
#9 ·
I'm a guy and I think it is pretty too, of course I would just grunt and turn to my buddy and say " Hey, that's a nice looking piece ":) Once upon a time I had a military rifle given to me, a Springfield 03, outside was nice, barrel was shot, 400 dollars later ( this was 40 years ago ) I had turned it into a 300 dollar 25-06 varmint rifle. For 200 dollars I could have brought a new factory rifle in the same caliber, but then it wouldn't have been "mine". As Alpo stated, most gun nuts are just a little strange ( my wife says a lot strange ). BTW, If those grips are in as good a condition as they seem, I would give 300 for them to fit on my Model 14.
 
#10 ·
That a running deer on the grips? I had to blow it up so big, to see, that it pixilated :(

Anything on the other side?
 
#11 · (Edited)
" Ivory " can mean a lot of things, from Elephant tusks to teeth - bones - horns. Most think of elephant tusks immediately. Depending on how far you want to go with it, and to get the latest on being able to sell it, you can contact a person/lab that can do a spectrographic analysis ( Antiques Roadshow fan :) ) I'm sure they can't do it with pictures. A bird in hand, so to speak. I don't know if there's anyplace in the states, but you can probably locate an expert on it at one of the many museums or better known auction houses.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the welcome, Greggs!

Alpo, yes, it has a deer running on both sides. I will work on getting some clearer pics. Also, yes, weird doesn't even begin to describe my uncle haha.

RJay, I won't be selling it. I was just curious about the value.

Mikebiker, I found a few different markings that could be an indication of an artist....or something else entirely haha. I'll upload them tomorrow.
 
#15 ·
To the tune of The Cremation of Sam McGee

Strange things have been done in the midnight sun,
and the story books are full --
But the strangest tale concerns the male,
the magnificent walrus bull!
I know it's rude, quite common, and crude,
Perhaps it is grossly unkind,
But, first glance at least, this bewhiskered beast,
Is as ugly in front as behind ...

Look once again, take a second look then,
you'll see he's not ugly or vile --
There's a hint of a grin in that blubbery chin,
and the eyes have sly secret smile ...
How can this be, this clandestine glee,
that exudes from the walrus like music.
He knows - there inside, beneath blubber and hide,
lies a splendid contrivance ... the oosik!

"Oosik" you say, and quite well you may,
I'll explain if you keep it between us;
In the simplest truth, though rather uncouth,
"Oosik" is, in fact, his penis!
Now the size alone of this walrus bone,
would indeed arouse envious thinking.
It is also a fact, documented and backed,
there is never a softening or shrinking!

This, then, is why the smile is so sly,
the walrus is rightfully proud!
Though the climate is frigid, the walrus is rigid,
pray, why is not man so endowed??
Added to this is a smile you might miss --
Though the bull is entitled to bow,
The one to out-smile our bull by a mile,
Is the satisfied walrus cow!
 
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#19 ·
,Got to be honest, I did not have the foggiest of what Oosik was, I was checking out a DeHolder knife and the spacers on the hilt had , Amber, Jasper and what I thought was Ivory, but was listed as fossil Oosik. So to the books I go, what the H E double L was Oosik. To my surprise as Alpo revealed in his classic poem. it was or rather started off as the fossil private part of a walrus! I wonder if that will ever be a Jeopardy question. Lets see, " Alex states the answer " It was once used for fun and after 10,00 years buried in the Alaskan tundra , is now used for decorative carvings "o_O
 
#20 ·
There used to be, in the back pages of Sports Afield, ads for toothpicks made from Rackity-**** oosiks.

I, personally, don't believe I'd want to pick my teeth with one, but apparently enough did to make it profitable to sell 'em.
 
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