New guy here looking for history on heirlooms...

[Tpierce]

Hey guys, ive been browsing around here lately and i finally decided to join. Ive been a gun owner since i was very young. My dad has taken me shooting for as long as i can remember. I was cleaning up the gun safe today and decided to ask someone about the history of two of my guns.

First, i have a shotgun. Its a .410ga shotgun and on top of the barrel it says "Thomas Agote". I did some research online and hes apparently a spanish gunsmith, but i was curious of the origin of my gun and its age. It was passed down from my grandfather to my dad then to me. So its 3rd generation in my family. Here is a pic, its the gun in the middle...



Next, is a Colt model 1911. It has plenty or markings on it, so someone please let me know which ones you could use to tell me the origin of the gun and the age if it is not from 1911. Oh, and it was passed down 3 generations to me, so that makes it a 4th generation firearm. Im not sure where my great granfather got it, because i never met him and my dad doesnt know either, and i cant ask my granddad because he passed away in 1997 so im just looking for whatever i can find on it.



Thank you for your help.

P.S. - Dont LOL at my jennings J-22 in the shotgun pic. I know the reputation the hold, and it was passed down from my granddad. He was a plumber and he used it to shoot snakes and rats under houses with rat-shot. I personally enjoy shooting it, when it works.

 

[Schofield3]

Nice collection and welcome to THR and its good to see you’re taking care of your family’s heritage and heirlooms. The Colt is an older original model as it doesn’t have the grooving on the grip area by the trigger housing, not much else I can tell you but someone with more knowledge will come along soon….

 

[Tpierce]

thank you for looking. Both guns are well preserved and all numbers and writing on them are legible so if anyone needs any numbers i can provide them.

 

[Jim Watson]

The pistol appears to be a 1911, (1912-1925 manufacture) not 1911A1.

ALL the markings matter. Even the ones that may be seen on top of the frame with the slide off, and on the barrel link lug, visible only with the barrel out of the gun.

Sharp closeup pictures are best.

Read up at www.coolgunsite.com

 

[Tpierce]

thank you Jim for that site. It helped a lot with the 1911. I field stripped it from the instructions i found online. This is the first time its been cleaned in at least 11 years. Still looking for info on the spanish .410 by Thomas Agote. I asked my dad and all he could tell me is that my grandfather bought it for my dad as his first gun when he was about 6. My grandfather got it used from a guy that worked with him at a papermill and all they know is its a spanish .410. Im clueless. thanks for the help guys

 

[jreid3000]

I also have a Tomas Agote gun

I have a 12 ga single shot shotgun made in Spain by Tomas Agote
do not know the age of the gun I bought it at a yard sale last year
just because of its size cause the gun is only about 3 foot long total.
Trying to find out the age and the value of the gun any info would greatly help.

 

[3pairs12]

http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=927126

I also read somewhere that he was a gun maker since before ww2. You may try to pm Dave McCracken in the user lists. He tends to know a lot about shotguns. BTW welcome to THR

 

[Jim K]

That Agote shotgun was one of the better made Spanish guns. They were sold here after WWII and generally were worth the fairly low price. The bad news is that (AFAIK) the company is out of business, and parts are unobtainable if anything breaks or wears.

Value is low ($100 or so), so not worth spending money on if something does go wrong.

Jim