Real Nice early Colt handgun found hidden in Distillery

[CaseHardened]

Distillery owner shocked by loaded Al Capone-era gun hidden in wall: 'Relieved we found it'

Owner of Thornton Distilling Company in Illinois uncovered a loaded, century-old pistol sealed inside an underground limestone well. It's believed to date to the Al Capone era.

www.foxnews.com

Even in a holster !

 

[CaseHardened]

I think this is the actual firearm.

Posted upside down, as the news article showed it that way.

 

[Saltwater60]

I could only be so lucky.

 

[That_FNG]

Looks like a 1903 hammerless. Would be interesting to know if after 100 years of being load the magazine would still feed cartridges reliably.

 

[That_FNG]

yup that’s a 1903 pocket gamer less finished in nickel or chrome. Running the serial number thru colts website it’s either a 32acp 1903 that was made in 1921.

 

[Robin]

Got one and gave to one of the kids. .32, very good quality gun.
Robin

 

[Cavalry]

Call me a pessimist but I call bullshit on this story. The founder (and also conveniently director of marketing) for unknown reasons was tracing a route for new conduit. Given its a small company but doesn't he have people for this? For more unknown reasons he started digging around in some loose mortar for this discovery. Is was in a limestone well, I would assume for water, but for more unknown reasons there is a chimney for a stove in the well? The pistol appears to be only in a leather holster sitting in what appears to be coal ash or ash of some kind which is corrosive. Sure, nickel plating offers some corrosion resistance but we are to believe that it was sitting in a corrosive medium, in almost a 200 year old basement which is not located in a desert environment, poorly sealed, and is in nearly pristine condition after 100 years?

 

[CaseHardened]

I've read enough screwy stories of unlikely "finds" that I think this real.

Trivia: For a period of time the .32 held the title of the nations most deadly caliber. The reason was it was so common, and antibitoics were not invented yet. So those shot may not have died on the spot, but they most certainly died from infection.

 

[thegatman]

Dillinger carried one.

 

[fresch]

You would think the leather would mold.
In a historic building, looking for the easy way for electrician type work is standard ops.. Old pipe, conduits, chases, moldings, depends on what the need is and keeping inspection/codes.

 

[Jsmegs77]

My dad had one of those, many years ago. Bartered it for a piano for my mom. I would’ve preferred he kept the pistol.

 

[CaseHardened]

You would think the leather would mold.
In a historic building, looking for the easy way for electrician type work is standard ops.. Old pipe, conduits, chases, moldings, depends on what the need is and keeping inspection/codes.

I have an old Iver Johnson .38 Revolver. It's a Black Powder handgun, so a bit older than this Colt. But not that much. During that time most firearms had a transition from Black Powder to Smokeless. (Automatics do not play well with dirty Black Powder).

The reason I mention it, is it came in a Holster that almost certainly was sold with it a century ago. The bottom on the holster had some wadded up newspapers from the early 1920's, likely to sop up any excess oil dripping from the barrel end. I kept them to date the weapon, and because stuff like this is very cool. (I also own an 1884 Brown & Sharpe large micrometer. 1884 was the first year of the patent it used, which all modern micrometers use to this day. Anyhow the guy that bought it clearly paid a lot at the time, and decorated, likely from boredom, the wooden case with designs formed with a pair of dividers. Inside he also created a small place for a framed wooden mirror. In my mind I envision a young man, skilled, and straight out of school. He was smart and was willing to pay for the newest and the best. And he wanted to look good for the ladies after work ... LOL)

I don't know how my Iver Johnson was stored, though almost certainly not in a well (and I don't think that was a water well. Maybe an overflow well that never overflowed).

To the point: Leather can last survive a long time.

 

[CaseHardened]

My dad had one of those, many years ago. Bartered it for a piano for my mom. I would’ve preferred he kept the pistol.

Pianos are not only worthless, they cost $$$ to dispose of. Colts .... otherwise.

 

[CaseHardened]

I have a small collection of antique firearms. Most I liberated on the Spanish Main. Or Gun Broker. Or local gun shops. Good Times.

Condition is excellent for all ... but all for the most part are off brands that are fun but not crazy valuable.

Most are black powder in completely impossible calibers. Some I have no idea even what they take. But they have major character.

One of my favorites is small, not a .32 but close. English, and clearly made for an English Lord. The characters are hand engraved by an expert. Like most of my favorites, is locked in case. And within a 12 foot area. That is stuffed from floor to ceiling and totally inacessible.

I may be a "Hoarder", but my hoard is not worthless crap.

 

[CaseHardened]

Another favorite of mine is an enormous, and I believe from Belgium, Calvary Revolver with Lanyard Ring. Heavy, huge, perfect, and uses an huge BP Cartridge.

A very cool beast, but lost in time.

 

[CaseHardened]

It takes a lot of love and luck for anything to survive a century or more.

 

[CaseHardened]

Sorry no pics.

On a related matter, Mosin Nagants, which I always found homely, and passed up when they were begging for $100, are now desirable ?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1144311364

 

[CaseHardened]

I guess I'm happy I bought what I did, when I did.

 

[CaseHardened]

Sadly, in Mas#acusetts, like NY, you are more likely to buy a box full of Dubloons at a Yard Sale than a firearm.

Guns are so scary.

But Socialism is not.

 

[Robin]

I'd love to see pictures of your collection Case, but if you choose not to post them I guess I understand. sounds very cool!!!
Robin

 

[Brawny71]

Sorry no pics.

On a related matter, Mosin Nagants, which I always found homely, and passed up when they were begging for $100, are now desirable ?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1144311364

Though the roof! I remember them for $89 at Herb Phillipsons. Same with Mossberg Cruisers and the like. Price them now.

 

[Brawny71]

My dad had one of those, many years ago. Bartered it for a piano for my mom. I would’ve preferred he kept the pistol.

True act of love. I hope she picked up on it.

 

[Cavalry]

To the point: Leather can last survive a long time.

That it will. I have found garbage dumps on my property with well preserved children's shoe uppers (the soles had deteriorated). Judging from the rest of the trash and bottles that could be dated, it was from around 1900.

 

[CaseHardened]

I'd love to see pictures of your collection Case, but if you choose not to post them I guess I understand. sounds very cool!!!
Robin

They are padlocked, and I do know where they are.

Under a 12 foot pile of neatly organized boxes.

Some are indeed cool. Not crazy valuable, but nice.

I'll have to try to find them before 2027.

 

[CaseHardened]

I can't see Mosin Nagant rifles remaining valuable for long.

I do have a Nagant Pistol that I like. And Ammo for it. Very weird and nice.

I bought a dozen screwdrivers one time and sold them, one by one, on eBay.

I actually saw the last few in December as I moved my storage unit from one facility to another. I need to start selling them again.

 

[thughes]

I can't see Mosin Nagant rifles remaining valuable for long.

I guess time will tell, but considering that run of the mill 91/30's are going for @ $500, and the legit snipers are running $2-3k , I'll just hang on to mine and ride the market for a bit longer. The SAKO M39's in the collection have appreciated nicely too. Pretty much every single milsurp rifle in my collection has appreciated 200-500% over the past decade or two, so I'm not really understanding where you're coming from.

Do you know something we don't about the Mosin market?

PS: The pistols are cool, don't own one but wish I grabbed one back when they were well under $200. Not sure what they're fetching now.

Edit: I just looked....pistols are selling for $900-1000.

 

[CaseHardened]

I guess time will tell, but considering that run of the mill 91/30's are going for @ $500, and the legit snipers are running $2-3k , I'll just hang on to mine and ride the market for a bit longer. The SAKO M39's in the collection have appreciated nicely too. Pretty much every single milsurp rifle in my collection has appreciated 200-500% over the past decade or two, so I'm not really understanding where you're coming from.

Do you know something we don't about the Mosin market?

PS: The pistols are cool, don't own one but wish I grabbed one back when they were well under $200. Not sure what they're fetching now.

Edit: I just looked....pistols are selling for $900-1000.

I never understand things I don't like.

I always believed the Mosin Nagant Rifle was ugly and common. I did not understand the attraction even at $100.

At one time the Russian Nagant Revolver was $250, and as a C&R very interesting. So I bought.

But what I really wanted was an original from Belgium, which, I thought at the time was a straight-up antique and totally unregulated. But $650 so I passed.

 

[thughes]

It is ugly, and was common...dime a dozen, so I don't fault your reasoning at all. I just lucked out, being that I like old (and sometimes ugly) guns, and caught the collector bug. It was never about investment, just feeding the 'tism. Hindsight is 20/20, right? Nice appreciation on that pistol though!

 

[CaseHardened]

Ugly and Common is in the eye of the beholder.

If another person loves their Mosin Nagant, I don't question that at all. Things I like are most likely crap to the minds of many.

But I do try to be honest, hopefully without being offensive.

One thing I wish I bought ages ago is the AR15. I don't find them ugly, nor beautiful. Just a very practical and serviceable firearm. I carried the M16 version in my day (later version with cartridge assist), and found it remarkably easy to fire and maintain. Never had a misfeed or FTF. I was never in combat, but did carry it through dirt, dust, mud, etc.

However, I did not anticipate how powerful the Democrat Communists would become in limiting access to them so effectively.

 

[Cavalry]

I bought a dozen screwdrivers one time and sold them, one by one, on eBay.

In the start of the MN heyday original stripper clips were fetching $2 each on ebay. I was buying cases of 54r on strippers for like $80 or $100 shipped, dumping the ammo in 5 gallon buckets and selling the strippers 5 for $10. Needless to say I never will have to buy 54r again.