"GUN EXPERTS" Spanish made muzzle loaded pistol

M

mikethemedic

Inactive
I need some expertise here! After many hours of exhausting web searches with numerous search engines, E-Bay searches, Wikipedia, Etc. I still don't know what I have. I purchased a single shot black powder pistol with a steel octagon barrel at a garage sale on the "cheap". It looks like a pirate style pistol with a plain wood stock that is nearly the length of the 10" barrel. The following stamped/engraved markings appear on the barrel; (top) "SPAIN" (Rt.) "34334 CAL 12 m/m" and "T.A." above the caliber. (L.) "10.3 01" (w/* over the 01) "700 Kgs" then a shield with and X in the middle, a sm. diamond above it and 2 wavy lines above the diamond, then there's 3 circles in the shape of a triangle. On the (R.) hidden from view by the stock is the following: "Fa De Teodoro Arrizabalaga Eibar=Espana" (followed by a group of unique markings) On the (bottom) of the barrel is "4 444" and "444 4" again stamped on the combustion chamber which is fused to the barrel. The 444 appears on most of the parts indicating matched parts I assume. All parts are cast steel or iron. I did find other "family" members with the same last name who were gun makers in Spain, but not much about this guy. No info could be found :confused:on this gun or when it was made. I need an expert to tell me what I have. Maybe it's just a wall hanger and maybe it's a rare find! Let me know.:confused:
 
I'd say not a rare find.

The fact that it is marked "Spain" means that it was made for the US import market, probably in the 1960s or later when there was a renaissance in the "old order" firearms.

The 12 m/m means that it's approximately 45-50 caliber and 700 kg is probably the pressure it was proofed at (black powder pressures).

"Fa De Teodoro Arrizabalaga" Teodoro Arrizabalaga is the manufacturer. Google the name and you'll find lots of hits mentioning the company. Fa is probably an abbreviation for fabrica, which means factory or firm.

I found this picture of a catalog from 1971. Do any of these look like your gun?


http://www.oficiostradicionales.net/es/industriales/pistolas/artesanal/fabricantes.asp
 
Mike

Mike, my gun does look like the 1st one in the picture. Thanks. What do you think it's worth?

Thanks again Mike, I guess I will just keep it for a conversation piece.
 
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Mendi Spanish Pistols

MendiTrioDec20114.jpg


I picked up a Trio of old Mendi Replicas over the years. Those old gun makers in the Eibar area made some interesting wall hangers.
 
Those guns are not the highest quality, but they were made to be fired (black powder only) and they can be fun to shoot. I would not write that one off as a wall hanger unless you want to use it that way.

Jim
 
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