Antique revolver

[Awsomepossum]

On the side it says erfurt 1893, im guessing this means the maufacturer or city which it was produced in.serial number is 941A, it even has them on the screws.The caliber is 44 S&W r from the ammo in the holster,it fits. it has a crown on the side, so im guessing it is german.6-shot double-action.Any info about this firearm would be greatly appreciated and thanks.Also what is a brand of safe gun lubricant to coat the gun in so it doesnt rust (rem oil?).

 

[Mizar]

Hello. This is a 1879/83 Reichsrevolver. The caliber is 10.55mm. I don't know if the original caliber is interchangeable with .44 S&W so, please, do resist the temptation of shooting it until some more knowledgeable folks reply to this thread. From your picture it seems to be SA - it is a military model, the civilian models were DA. If you want to be historically accurate you shoud use Ballistol for lubrication and rust preventative. If you can stand the smell...

Boris

 

[The Doc]

This Reichs Revolver gets its name from Erfurt State Arsenal located in Erfurt, Germany . The crown that you describe is the symbol that was stamped on firearms from Erfurt arsenal. The caliber is .44 Russian . Should have a reasonable antique value .

best .

 

[Mp7]

...

very cool carry-gun u have there

 

[Awsomepossum]

Dont worry I wouldnt shoot the revolver its over 100 years old. I still couldnt find very much information. What is the value of one of these revolvers. (not for sale)

 

[MikeJackmin]

I'm pretty sure your gun was designed for black-powder ammunition, which operates at lower pressures than modern smokeless rounds. All the more reason to avoid the temptation to shoot it.

Any gun oil you like would be fine - just wipe all the metal surfaces lightly with a soft cloth, and you're good to go. You probably know this, but do not store the gun in the holster (it is sure to rust) and to not attempt to clean or polish it, other than removing whatever dirt will come off with your soft cloth.

Prices for these guns vary with the details of marking and condition. Best way to guess the value would be to use google to see what similar guns have sold for.

That's a nice old revolver there. Do you know anything of its history?

 

[Awsomepossum]

Thanks for the replies.The revolver was an bringback of my great uncle from WW2 along with an .22 mauser.I dont believe he got it from an german officer, but somehow he got it while stationed there.( sadly i still cant find very much info on how much its worth, just saw one auction where one sold for 1,000 dollars)

 

[awgrizzly]

Your best bet would probably be to Google some collector forums, specializing in those sort of guns if possible, and ask them for some ballpark value. Be ready to provide markings, SN, pictures and some estimate of condition. You can also find some books that would help.

My Standard Catalog of Military Firearms 4th Ed list them as EXC-$850, VG-$600, Good-$400, Fair-$250, Poor-$175. But this may be very inaccurate, especially of collector guns which typically sell for what the buyer is willing to pay. Also small differences between issues can make a huge difference. For example, if it were made by Mauser rather than Erfurt it would be worth several times more.

 

[XxWINxX94]

Dont worry I wouldnt shoot the revolver its over 100 years old

Why not? Have it checked out by a gunsmith, spend a little $ on the proper black powder ammunition/load, and use the gun for what it was made for: Shooting.

Otherwise, its a great looking piece and I hope you are proud of it!

 

[randerson]

I too have an Erfurt 1893 S# 5043b. It was sent back with my uncle's belongings after he was killed at the end of the first war. We were told it was a German officer's personal side arm. It is in very good cond. I am assuming they are fairly rare and I am wondering if anyone has any further information which they could share.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/index.php/cName/pistol-ammo-44-russian

 

[Awsomepossum]

Could you write down some of the marking on the revolver. They should be below the handle

 

[Pyro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1879_Reichsrevolver

It was the German service pistol before the Lugar. Cool!
I've got an old .32 revolver that's 100+ years old. I've shot a load of stuff through it, never black powder. No issues at all, although it likes the Federal Premium stuff.

 

[randerson]

It has the crown above the name on the left side above the trigger, I.M.11.23.132. down the back of the grip.

 

[rondog]

Myself, I'd be buying some ammo and shooting it! I seriously doubt modern ammo is going to be too hot for it, they know they're making obsolete ammo for ancient guns and aren't about to risk lawsuits by making their products too hot for old guns. Then I'd be buying the dies and components and rolling my own ammo.

But that's just me. Fondling guns is fine, but shooting them is what it's all about.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Why not? Have it checked out by a gunsmith, spend a little $ on the proper black powder ammunition/load, and use the gun for what it was made for: Shooting.

I agree. Except for laminated steel shotguns, I have no problem shooting century+ old guns. I shoot my 1868-manufacture S&W model 1 second issue.

 

[Jim K]

The marking is military - 23rd Infantry Munitions Column, Second Army Corps, pistol # 132.

The gun is military, made at the Prussian government arsenal at Erfurt. (Lugers were later made there.) I don't think there was such a thing as a civilian model, certainly not from Erfurt, though those were made by contractors also.

Jim

 

[Mizar]

Mr. Keenan, my info about DA civilian revolver model 1879/83 is from A. B. Zhuk's catalog "Revolvers and pistols". He does not talk about 1879/83 Reichsrevolver in DA, just for DA revolver model 1879/83, made for the civilian market.

Boris