Original or Modern Copy ?

[rickystl]

Hi Guys

I would bet this pistol is one of the Japanese copies of British Tower pistols most of us are familiar with. It's being offered as an "original". It just has a used/antique type finish. From the sounds of the description, I don't think the seller even knows it's a copy. What do you guys think ? It even has a number of bids posted.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890188167
Rick

 

[Rudyard]

I once restocked one of these we smashed in proofing it , But this isn't it , Ide say its just a jap copy the' GB 'would confirm that
.Rudyard

 

[bubba.50]

Looks real to my untrained eye.

 

[tenngun]

Looks just like the Japanese guns used to be about $35

 

[Sam squanch]

Japanese as a silk kimono and a December 7 sneak attack. The high bidder will be VERY disappointed when he or she tries to sell it later.

 

[dragnetbill]

Hi Guys

I would bet this pistol is one of the Japanese copies of British Tower pistols most of us are familiar with. It's being offered as an "original". It just has a used/antique type finish. From the sounds of the description, I don't think the seller even knows it's a copy. What do you guys think ? It even has a number of bids posted.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890188167
Rick

Just pulled my Hawes Japanese made Tower out of the closet and it looks just like it, but in better condition. The heavy rusting on the left side of the barrel in the breech area would "disappear" the serial number and Hawes stamp on my example. That area also looks a little flat to me; like it might have seen a file or abrasive before rusting up. I'm no expert, but that don't look original to me.

 

[rickystl]

Looks just like the Japanese guns used to be about $35

I think that's what I paid for mine back in the mid 1960's. Bought it from Dixie Gun Works. Ordered it with the extra option of a reduced frizzen spring and hardened frizzen which was an extra $4.50 (later went up to $6.50). LOL

Rick

 

[rickystl]

There's another 10 days left in the auction. So it will be interesting to see what final price it sells for.

 

[flintlock75]

I have three of the Jukar pistols, they are .67 caliber, one thing I do notice is that the listed gun is a little more streamlined than the ones I have. Otherwise this is identical, I would say it’s a copy , if not I will sell one of mine for $1000.

 

[user 49399]

I had one just like it a couple years ago, made in Japan. I bought it for $30 and a cheap pocket knife. With a good flint it would fire, but I only used light loads of birdshot.

 

[44-henry]

Buyer beware, up over $600 now, but even when these are being sold as replicas the parts are bringing ridiculous prices on Ebay. Many were sold as decorators only to begin with.

 

[Artificer]

Yes, it is a repro. The dead give away is there is no View Mark or Touch Mark on top of the barrel- amoung other things.

I almost bought one in 1972 in the huge open air market in Naha, Okinawa. It would have cost $15.00 using the conversion of USD to Japanese Yen in those days. I knew it was only a decorator piece, but it was not worth more than 1/10 of my two week's pay.

Gus

 

[Buck Conner]

.
When still in the Gun Library at Cabela's we get an 1874 Sharps rifle in-trade during the day from another store. I work the night shift and come in an see this rifle, very nice condition, everything looks great and correct.

I go to work getting some antique firearms packed to go to another store. I kept thinking about the Sharp rifle and its excellent condition. Just something didn't set right and when in the back room with our cameraman, we both give this gun a close look. In the front of the breech (lower section where lever attaches) we could see some ding marks.

Bill (cameraman) takes some pictures of this area and then blows them up to a 2 foot frame so we could really look at this area.

​

Once enlarged with the breech the size of your head we see small marks like a dull chisel had been used on this area, then finished over (nothing bright metal). After pulling the wood off we could see it wasn't as old as the outer finish made us believe. Who ever did the finish on the wood and metal was a master at his trade (would love to know his process, it was "right on"). This rifle had been purchased at another Cabela's and a customer had it sent to us to look at.

This is the same area that C. Sharps Arms has their stampings as does several others that offer this gun. It's to late to go after the guy that traded it in as the other store paid him $4.500 cash for it. It's a $1,200 firearm, but neat.

Like said "buyer beware", we got stung .........


.

 

[hawkeye2]

I sent the seller a message, what do you bet he'll ignore me? I also sent a link to this discussion. Current bid is $655.

 

[springfield art]

OMG! That thing is a Copy, cheap one at that; had one back in the early '60's. Good someone sent seller a msg.; at least he'll know someone is 'onto' it....

 

[hawkeye2]

There was an episode on "Pawnstars" where someone brought in one of these after having paid a lot for it at a gun show. He was quite upset when they told him what it was. It's also quite possible the episode was staged.

BTW, I offered the seller my tuned one for only $400, hope he jumps on it. He stands to make an easy $800 on it. Should I tell him I'm selling cheap because I need the money for my great-grandmother who is stricken with a rare tropical disease and needs expensive cannabis treatments in Mexico?

 

[springfield art]

There was an episode on "Pawnstars" where someone brought in one of these after having paid a lot for it at a gun show. He was quite upset when they told him what it was. It's also quite possible the episode was staged.

I like watching the Pawn show, but almost everything about it is staged to some degree. Just look at the Credits at end of the show...they don't pay an expensive camera TV crew to sit there all day waiting for something to come in. That said, you do learn something each time, I'm not saying it's all faked, just more "managed" than we see on the screen.

 

[Buck Conner]

I like watching the Pawn show, but almost everything about it is staged to some degree. Just look at the Credits at end of the show...they don't pay an expensive camera TV crew to sit there all day waiting for something to come in. That said, you do learn something each time, I'm not saying it's all faked, just more "managed" than we see on the screen.

.
It can be as bad as "The Road Show". Some of the prices they tell these poor people are way off at best. My family has been dealing antiques for over 150 years and they watch this program like it's a comedy show. At Cabela's (in the back room from the Library Office to the storage area I put a large sign up that read: "This Is Not Your Road Show Moment" that would make the employees grin as they went into the Library.

.

 

[hawkeye2]

It looks like he has another repro listed as original here. This gun was never a flint and to me it just looks wrong.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890246341

 

[hawkeye2]

I received the following reply from the seller and it seems he is a very honest person and will do all he can to correct the situation. I intend to follow up with a positive response and also offer my thoughts on the percussion conversion pistol. The link he mentions is a link to this thread so everyone here had a hand in this.

"Thank you for passing along this link. I have reviewed the many informed comments about the item and agree with the conclusions that it is not from the period."

"Gunbroker does not make it easy for sellers to take down a listing once it has bids. I have submitted a customer service ticket explaining the situation and asking them to take the item down. If they don't by the end of the week, we'll add to the description that we now believe the item to be of modern manufacture and will not hold the high bidder to buy the item."

"Hopefully GB will just take it down and make it much easier."

"Thanks again,"
Xyz