hi there. i was recently cleaning out my grandparents house with my parents,and some of the things i found have me puzzled,to my knowledge my grandfather was never in the service,but his brother was i think.i found a colt 1911 #315xxx, a small nickel plated pistol with the word "INAKI"stamped in the side of the slide and made in spain next to the grip,a winchester rifle that says ".22 cal. automatic " on the top by sight and sort of a tear drop shaped hole in the side of the stock where i can only asume you wuld load it,and a harrington & richardson .22 pistol (9 shot) which says " H&R SPORTSMAN double action " on the side and says "A7xx" . the unusual part is that along with these guns were what i believe to be an american ww1 helmet , a german ww1 helmet and a pocket diary/calander printed in german and all entries are in german with a map of germany in the back and a route traced in pencil,and tucked inside the book were what seems to be prisoner of war post cards they say "correspondance des prisonniers de guerre"but i cant read make anything else out. if anyone has any info on any of the firearms i would really appreciate it ,im currently trying to find some who reads german to make out the book,no luck so far . thanks a lot jeff
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
not sure what i stumbled on to?
- Thread starter jh2530
- Start date
Deerinator
New member
jh2530-My father has a h&r 22 sportman. I don't know what its worth but i know it killed more than a few rattle snakes in its day. Hope you find out about the neat look you found. I remember going through my grand parent attic cleaning it out and seen my dads old record and old pictures. It was kinda neat. never did find that luger 45 though.
Sir William
New member
You sem to have a small fortune. Don't take the first offer for any of the firearms. You may have a few thousand in value. The H&R Sportsman isn't worth more than $95.00 though. The small Spanish weapon is most likely a Ruby pistol. I suggest www.simpsonltd.com for looking up values or appraisal. The paper ephemeria needs to be authenticated. My guess is that the diary was kept by a German POW, in a French POW camp. If authenticated, the 1911 alone could be valued at several thousand dollars.
N.H. Yankee
New member
jh2530, I know money is always nice but you want to give thought to finding out if it was a German POW, and offering it too his family if you can make contact. I am sure that the value to them far outweighs any monetary value you may receive.
You might try one of the online translators to get an idea of that is being said.... http://world.altavista.com/ might work.
Killer find, is there any way you can get pics up?
Killer find, is there any way you can get pics up?
what a find! it sounds like an important part of your family history and a piece of American (and obviously German) history. If I were you I would go
S-L-O-W before trying to sell those historical objects. As to the helmets and book I am sure you could find some info online with military collectors who could offer some insight . The info on the pistols could come from the blue Book of gun values or Flayderman's book and there are other book and online resources for finding monetary value however historical and family history values I am sure outweigh the money. Whata find- good luck and God bless the memory of your Grandfather- their's was a great generation.
NH Yankee - I like the statement at the end of your post and agree with it 110% sir!
S-L-O-W before trying to sell those historical objects. As to the helmets and book I am sure you could find some info online with military collectors who could offer some insight . The info on the pistols could come from the blue Book of gun values or Flayderman's book and there are other book and online resources for finding monetary value however historical and family history values I am sure outweigh the money. Whata find- good luck and God bless the memory of your Grandfather- their's was a great generation.
NH Yankee - I like the statement at the end of your post and agree with it 110% sir!
Jeff, the 22 rifle may be a Winchester Model 63 or it's predesessor the Model 1903. Both have a take-down thumb screw on rear of receiver. Or it could be a Model 74 which also loads through the stock. If it's a Winchester, the model number should be on it. Good luck w/the detective work.
Sir William
New member
Local college, university etc might turn up someone who can translate paper for you in person. Depending on what part of the country you live in there are many communities with significant German-descended populations, many of which have clubs and gatherings like "Oktoberfests" etc. Take a pocket tape recorder and some tapes; ask them to read it to you, or if possible transcribe on paper. Aside from that, I personally wouldn't let that 1911 go anywhere, except for an appraisal perhaps. Unless the circumstances are dire I can not understand people parting with family heirlooms of this type.