Any awesome stories of finding guns??

[Sylvain]

Actually, there is. That is a 1911, not a 1911A1, as evidenced by the long trigger, the absence of relief cuts in the frame behind the trigger, and the straight mainspring housing.

I trust your expertise but could it also have been issued during WW2 as well?
I'm sure if they had them in 1918 they were still good for the second world war.

Unless they retired the 1911 and only gave brand new 1911A1 to the troops.

 

[TheBoss930]

I'm sure it was probably from WWII. The CMP have plenty of 1911's from WWII, but they're selling them and not issuing them. Just my speculation

 

[indiucky]

Another young man brought in a flintlock pistol with the lock dated 1847 made in Portugal...A pawn shop offered him $20 and a gun shop in Corydon said they can't give him much for it but to take it to me (I think Corky's exact words were "Take it to Rick down at Falls City...He loves that old ^%^$."....) I rolled the dice and gave him $150....Four hours of clean up later (epoxied worm holes...I was nervous but two broken fingernails and a broken needle later I had picked all of the epoxy off) and she looked pretty good...He found it behind the wall of an old farmhouse that belonged to his granddad that he was tearing down...He figured it was in the attic and as the house began falling apart it had fallen behind the wall...I traded it to a regular for a couple of Finn Mosins and he has since got it up and running and has even fired it...The pistol had a rack number on the trigger guard and I figured it was a "Bannerman gun" that the owner of the house had bought for %$^*& and giggles back about 1910-1920...He probably bought it for $1.50 back then.....

Now this is funny...My customer that traded for the flintlock just came in and said, "Hey...Pull this up on youtube..." and it's him firing the flintlock for the first time in Lord knows how many years....He doubts the Bannerman story...

Oh and I was wrong...Lock is dated 1844...What can I say I am old....

[video=youtube;3p8AMusO12Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p8AMusO12Y[/video]

 

[Goodcat]

Not a gun, but an older gentleman who works for us asked me if I still carried a S&W 9. I told him I carried the shield. He said he wasn't sure if it would fit, but he found a S&W magazine and 50+ rounds scattered across a road while driving. It turned out to be an 8 round mag for a m&p shield and it was gifted to me.

 

[indy1919a4]

....He doubts the Bannerman story...

Why does he Doubt the Bannerman story.??????.. even Sears in the 20s also sold European flintlocks, a lot older then that one

 

[indiucky]

Why does he Doubt the Bannerman story.??????.. even Sears in the 20s also sold European flintlocks, a lot older then that one

Because he's young and knows everything.... (He's here and gave me permission to post this...I am just razzing him because, you know, that's what I do to my good customers...)

Speaking of which that Finn I was telling you about is currently being discussed with (photos) on the "Finnish Military Rifles (SA Lovers)" Facebook page...

You may need to jump on this one...Comments say I am way low....And it must be true because I read it on the www. whatever...

 

[indy1919a4]

Crap he should be honored to think that he has something from the great and powerful Bannermans.. Hell I have lied to my self for hours after holding and old gun repeating "oh please oh please be in the Bannerman catalog" and when it is, ( and most are... ) then I privately dream of it setting with thousands of its brethren on that island deep in the castle.. Just waiting through time & distance to work its way to my hands.. (sometimes I weep, in a manly way, afterwards)...

Long may Bannerman Castle Stand.....

Because he's young and knows everything.... (He's here and gave me permission to post this...I am just razzing him because, you know, that's what I do to my good customers...)
.

 

[PedalToTheFloor]

Several years ago I found a Remington shotgun wading in a river...it was in a soft case. Looked like it had been there a while. Turned out to be stolen, so I handed it over to the proper authorities.

 

[mkgr22]

Crap he should be honored to think that he has something from the great and powerful Bannermans.. Hell I have lied to my self for hours after holding and old gun repeating "oh please oh please be in the Bannerman catalog" and when it is, ( and most are... ) then I privately dream of it setting with thousands of its brethren on that island deep in the castle.. Just waiting though time & distance to work its way to my hands.. (sometimes I weep, in a manly way, afterwards)...

Long may Bannerman Castle Stand.....

Canadians are strange...

 

[indy1919a4]

Canadians are strange...

Eh????

 

[Winamac]

Steel wool and oil will clean that right up

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Pepi]

Back in the early 80s I worked at a Napa store at the counter. Talking to a guy about guns and told him I wanted an old M1 Carbine so bad. He said he had an old 1942 Inland (cherry). I asked him would he sell it and he said yes ... for 50 bucks Still have it.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Bought a $10 ticket from the friends of the NRA, won a wood stocked M1A.
Cleaning out my cousins reloading room, found a .22 and a 410

 

[FinnMan]

Canadians are strange...

What on earth did you see in my video that made you think I'm Canadian??? I live in Southern, Indiana about 10 miles from Rick's shop. As for my doubting the Bannerman theory, with only about 20 of these pistols known to be in the US, it just seems unlikely that they came from Bannerman. It's more likely that they came into the country with immigrants in the late 19th or early 20th century.

 

[mkgr22]

What on earth did you see in my video that made you think I'm Canadian??? I live in Southern, Indiana about 10 miles from Rick's shop. As for my doubting the Bannerman theory, with only about 20 of these pistols known to be in the US, it just seems unlikely that they came from Bannerman. It's more likely that they came into the country with immigrants in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Rick and I joke with Indy1919A4 and his friend DoggyDaddy that they are Canadians, since they are from way up north in Indianapolis. Just a semi-private joke!!

Welcome to the forum, hope to meet you sometime at Rick's!

 

[Winamac]

A bit of Flitz and that'll be as good as new.

Looks like a Colt 1851 Navy?

 

[indy1919a4]

What on earth did you see in my video that made you think I'm Canadian??? I live in Southern, Indiana about 10 miles from Rick's shop. As for my doubting the Bannerman theory, with only about 20 of these pistols known to be in the US, it just seems unlikely that they came from Bannerman. It's more likely that they came into the country with immigrants in the late 19th or early 20th century.[/QUOTE

I do not know if Rick may consider you Canadian or not, It may depend if you live 10 miles north or south of Ricks, Heck to be honest did not know I was Canadian till my first visit to Ricks.. Just between you and me I think Rick (God Bless his old heart) is Geographically challenged. Sometimes I do not think Rick even knows where Canada is.. But ask him and he will tell you.. Heck in my case, did not even need to ask him...


Now per Bannerman,.. Just because something is rare does not mean it could not come from the sacred castle. In its day Bannermans had the rare as well as the common, Just from memory they had Confederate Pikes, Gatling Guns, Links of chain From George Washington's barricade on the Hudson, Elephant saddles.. Its Seems they had everything.. So something from Bannermans would be a high honor...

Long may the Bannerman Castle stand

 

[Kutnupe14]

Yeah, I "found" 3 guns this week at the CPD lobby. A ruger 10-22, a mossy pump action 12 gauge, and a lever Marlin 30-30. All turned in to be destroyed. I was half tempted to offer up some money and have the guy sell them to me, but I wasn't going to end up in that trick bag. I played with them for about half an hour, before sadly logging them into property for destruction.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Yeah, I "found" 3 guns this week at the CPD lobby. A ruger 10-22, a mossy pump action 12 gauge, and a lever Marlin 30-30. All turned in to be destroyed. I was half tempted to offer up some money and have the guy sell them to me, but I wasn't going to end up in that trick bag. I played with them for about half an hour, before sadly logging them into property for destruction.

I find it a sad commentary on the state of our society that you would even need to have this worry in the context of offering a perfectly legal alternative to destruction, but can see how in practice making such an offer could go sideways in a hurry.

 

[Hookeye]

Killing a Mossberg 500 is a noble act.