Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What is your oldest gun

My oldest is a smith and wesson tip up made in 1878

Looks like it's in pretty good shape. Is it original, or refinished?

My oldest is a Remington model 8 Granddad bought new in 1915 when he homesteaded. My dad sent it back to the factory for a new barrel and got the metal refinished, the wood is pretty rough, and it has a couple minor home-made parts. I took an antelope with it a few years ago just for the heck of it.

Winchester 1894 in .30 W.C.F. bought new in 1912 for my grandfather's 12th birthday.




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from passed down thru the family.. a real early Savage 24.... .410 and 22 LR on top...
belonged to my grandfather who passed in 1968....

I've got a real old vintage Marlin 1893 in 25/20...

and a 1898 Model 30/40 Krag, in an issued Cavalry Carbine, but the stock was replaced with
something sporterized... a Bishop stock...

I got my dads Remington Model 11. I think it was made in the late 40’s..I had it blued and the wood refinished. Still hunt it a few times each year.

I have an old 8mm Mauser made in 1942, a German 9mm Luger my wife's grandfather carried in the German navy, a 1903 A3 Springfield and my Dad's old Mod. 99 in .300 Savage made in the 50's.

Great to hear these stories of guns handed down from generation to generation. Mine's a had-down too. It's an 1851 Colt Navy that was carried by the man I'm named after. He served in a unit from Pennsylvania during the Civil War. Just a neat old gun I've never fired and never will. There seems to be some conjecture on it's origin though. All the serial numbers, including the cylinder match, and from what I've been told, the chances of having a combat-carried revolver with a matching SN on the cylinder are pretty rare, as they carried multiple cylinders and swapped them out for quicker reloads as opposed to reloading one cylinder in the gun itself. At any rate, it's a family heirloom to me.

I've owned older guns, including an 1851 Navy manufactured in 1852 and a model 1842 US Musket, the manufacturing date forgotten. This one is a Smith and Wesson American in 44 rimfire aka 44 Henry probably manufactured in 1871 or 1872 with a cut barrel.

Honorable mention goes to my Smith and Wesson American in the Russian caliber aka 1st model Russian, made in 1874 and with old if not original, ivory grips.

Here is a Winchester model 1866 rifle that I sadly, don't own anymore.

I have a Winchester 1897 that was my grandfather's. It was made in 1902, the year of his birth. The story goes that Gramps mowed a neighbor's lawn all one summer in exchange for the shotgun. It was not well taken care of, and Grandpa had a time getting all the rust off. However, it became his one and only shotgun into adulthood.

In the mid-30's or so. The neighbor's son wrote Gramps demanding the shotgun as a family heirloom. Grandpa declined to answer.

I have an 1873 Winchester in .44-40 given to me by my father before he passed......

1915 Webley MK V .45 ACP.

1853 paper cartridge Sharps

I had an 1859 model Sharps carbine that had been converted to metallic cartridges by the military. 50-70 Gov't. I ordered Bell brass from an outfit in Idaho, procured the dies and got a bullet mould. I moulded up some bullets and poured the brass full of 2fg black and then crimped in the bullets. Shot it enough times to be accurate and then touched one off at a good buck on closing day with the light almost gone. Didn't get him, but got the experience. Of course, I traded it off.

I've got a early Colt Bisley in 45 Colt. I think it was manufactured in 1895 or 96.
It still shoots and I've been running Trailboss through it. The only thing I don't like
about it is that it shoots to the left. Really far to the left. I guess I wouldn't be so
bothered if it shot to the right.
I also had a Ballard that might have been older but someone made me an offer
that I couldn't refuse.

1873 Winchester made in 1884

I carry my Father's guns, and my Grandfather's guns, so older guns are the norm with me. However, my oldest is a Sterlingworth SXS 12ga more than 100 years old. I still hunt with it each year.

Mine is an 1895 Savage saddle ring carbine shipped in 1896. Compared to some already posted, it's not that old, but I'm proud to own it. I wonder what I'll look like at 122 ?

I had a Colt 1851 and a Springfield 1868 50-70 that had belonged to a family member. Both were in pretty rough shape, and I got a notion to sell them and did. They were the oldest I've owned. I currently have a Winchester 1893 12 gauge pump, and a double barrel Essex 12 gauge shotgun that are my oldest. The Essex is the old rabbit ear hammer type, with Damascus barrels, and belonged to a great great uncle. I also had a couple of 1891 Argentine Mausers at one time, both with low numbers, that I'm assuming were of early manufacture. I have some other guns that were made in the early 1900's.

Probably my Winchester 94 from about 1910.