WWII guns - looking for some info (lots of pics)

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matt21484

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My grandpa brought back several guns from his tour in WWII. I've only seen them once and I finally got the chance to take a look at them again and snap some pictures. I don't really know anything about them other than "it says Mauser on it" so here are some pictures. I'm just looking for some general info about them, are they still shootable, worth any money (not that I would ever get rid of them), how to clean/take care of them going forward, etc. My grandpa kept pretty good care of them as I did see some oil on the slides and wheels. But without further ado, here we go:
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Any documented WWII bringback is worth at least a bit of money.

Do you have documentation on any of them?

The first is a Mauser HsC. Pretty common gun that I think is still made to this day. That one is in 32 ACP it appears. (7.65 mm)

I know nothing about the revolvers.

The last is a Walther P-38. Again these will be worth a little bit depending on the specifics of which I dont know too much about. Finish, grips, and overall wear, etc. As long as it does not have import marks (bring backs should not have them) it will bring more money than any of the P38s that were imported after the war. It looks like it has the bakelite grips and might be a bi tone. Im no expert though and I do not know what these characteristics mean. If the holster is original then that is worth something as well.

I would not know without closer inspection but both the Mauser and the Walther should be good to fire. Use FMJ ammo.
 
Nice pictures of interesting guns. I can't help beyond what earlthegoat2 posted but I'll be watching this post, I'm curious as to what the revolvers are.

Thanks for the post.
 
Those revolvers look like velodogs;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velo-dog

Probably 5.5 mm. Late 19th/early 20th century. The proofmark on the back of the cylinder identifies that one as Belgian. The other one could be as well. Check for the same proofmark. Otherwise, try to match its proofmark here:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ian+proofmarks&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=isch:1

http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

To ID the manufacturer, warm up your clicker finger and go here to see if you can find an exact match:
http://www.littlegun.be/index.htm
 
Thanks everyone for the helpful tips thus far. I'm looking forward to what anyone else has to say. I believe the other wheel pistol has the same proof mark, but I can't be for certain. I'll try to get another picture of it up sometime.
I doubt there are any papers that indicate where these came from, how they were acquired. Next time I'm at my grandparents, I'll have a look around.
One thing I forgot to mention is that my dad is holding onto these (as they were his dads guns) but they are sitting in a gym bag. I want these to last as long as possible, what are some good tips for keeping them from rusting, breaking down, etc. Thanks in advance everyone
 
If they are going to stay in the "gym bag" for the most part, cheap insurance would be to buy 4 silicone impregnated gun socks and keep them in there. Take the P38 out of the holster during storage and put the pistol in a gun sock and just leave the holster be.

DO NOT try to clean them up with anything. Just try to preserve them as they are now.
 
Thanks for sharing the pics. It is so nice to see true pieces of history. There are so many imports floating around with stories about them being G.I. souvenirs that it's hard to trust anything.

Those revolvers are really neat. Haven't seen anything like that before.

I'm glad you aren't planning to sell them. I've been watching Pawn Stars lately and it gets me so sad to see heirlooms and personal history get sold away for a couple hundred bucks by grand kids and children of our vets. Cherish these and share them with your children someday!
 
The engraved one appears to be a Liège proofed bulldog. They were in some pretty obscure chamberings as well as the usual .32 S&W or .38 S&W, so don't try to shoot it till that is verified. Value isn't usually too high--they're mostly curiosities. But if there's a verified war story around it, that would change matters.

The other revolver is probably the same, but I can't see the proofs on that one.
 
The Walther P-38 appears to be late war manufacture, as I think I can make out a very faint "ac 44" on the slide. Quality of guns made this late in the war varied quite a bit, as problems associated with constant Allied bombardment of the factories, improper heat treatment of parts, and untrained slave labor used to build them, made for some very poor quality pistols. Please have the gun inspected by a qualified gunsmith if you are considering shooting it.
 
There's a product called Eezox that puts an invisible waxy coating on firearms. It will protect them for years if they aren't handled much.
 
I'm glad you aren't planning to sell them. I've been watching Pawn Stars lately and it gets me so sad to see heirlooms and personal history get sold away for a couple hundred bucks by grand kids and children of our vets.
Click to expand...

I watch Pawn Stars all the time and was always griping about these idiots selling off family history, great old pieces for half of their value and then one day I realized something important....

If they weren't selling those guns, they would wait for the next gun buy back program and get a coupon for a new pair of Nikes or some other trivial crap. Listening to some of those idiots, you can just imagine the discussion at the house:
"Honey, why do you have this old gun laying around?"
"I don't know dear, its something grandpa brought back from the war"
"Well, I don't like it...its a tool made for killing people...its just evil, it represents everything wrong with Americans."
"You're right honey, our little son Scooter should not grow up in a house where war and violence and (shudder) guns are a way of life. We should get rid of it and use the money for a down payment on a Prius!"
"Good idea sweetie! We could even send the money to feed starving African babies or something! Who is that big neandrethal guy on that TV show about pawn shops? Go take it to him and see if he will give you anything for it."
"I love you honey bunch!"
"I love you too snookie pookums!"

Anyway...it finally winds up in the world of collectors where someone can appreciate it, care for it and preserve it for the next generation...
 
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Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll check out the gun socks, I've seen those at Cabela's so I'll pick some up next time I'm there. I have some Hoppe's No 9 but might pick up some more. I am in no way shape or form going to try to "restore" them, I just don't want them to rust to the point of no return. I'm more interested in preserving them and maybe shooting them if I get them checked out by a gunsmith.
 
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The revolvers are not "velodog" revolvers because the cylinders are much too short for that cartridge. They are inexpensive pocket revolvers of the c. 1890-1910 era in Europe. They are probably Belgian and the one with the oval "ELG" (Liege) proof definitely is. Since I can't determine scale, the caliber is probably .320 or one of the metric centerfire calibers. Value is low, around $100, a bit more for the engraved one.

The P.38 appears to be a late war pistol; I don't see a manufacturer's code or date, though. The grips don't match, not uncommon on late guns when leftover parts and pieces were being used. Still, value would probably run in the $600-700 range. The holster is worth around $100+.

Jim
 
Thanks Jim, next time I snap some pictures, I'll put a ruler under them so people can gauge size.
I've read some people make comments on a complete "set" for the P.38s and although I don't have a picture of it, the holster does have the second mag with it. My grandpa also wrote his name on the inside of holster, which I would imagine brings down value, but I think is really cool.
 
The blued revolver looks like a rimfire. Look at the firing pin. I would venture to say the nickled one is Belgian. Not sure of the blued one. First one is HSC Mauser. They are good guns, and later manufactured guns came as a kit ie: .22, .25, .32, .380. different slides, barrels, magazines all in one box. And of course the last is a P-38. I wonder if the 1939 pin came from the same guy the P-38 did?
 
Great guns Matt. Glad your father...and I am sure that eventually you can appreciate them.

I watch Pawn Stars all the time and was always griping about these idiots selling off family history, great old pieces for half of their value and then one day I realized something important....

If they weren't selling those guns, they would wait for the next gun buy back program and get a coupon for a new pair of Nikes or some other trivial crap.
Click to expand...

There is lots of family history that does not interest people and they have not wish, desire, and in many cases no capability to properly care for it. It is actually better that the items do get sold so that somebody else can care for them.
 
i agrre that those revolvers are not velodog, but Pocket revolvers for defense. The engraving on the second leads to that conclusion.
The folding trigger was very common on the Lefaucheux/Pinfire
Revolvers already. So these are the same kind of guns, just modernized
to the new cartridge.

All of them are beauties.

Would be neat to have blued revolver inspected to see wether
it can still serve as a backup gun :D
 
Thanks everyone again for all the useful information. I went out to Cabela's on my lunch and picked up this. Think this is enough to keep them clean? From what I gather, I need to soak metal only parts in the rem oil, use a toothbrush and rub gently on the metal surfaces and then dry w/ a non lint towel, then store in gun sock?

sgt127, I watch Pawn Stars too, and I wish I could go on that show and talk to the handgun expert. I would love to hear what they have to say as he is always able to tell a story regarding the particular gun he is holding. Anyway, thanks for all the info thus far, I have really learned a lot!
 

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