[JoshT]

Prior to dad's passing the oldest I owned was probably my Sears & Roebuck Ted Williams Model 100 (store branded Winchester NM 94) .30-30. Can't find a definite list of date ranges for these, but Apparently they were produced between 1964 and 1980. Based on some changes in production and parts used for the NM 94, it appears this one was made between '64 and '70.Was given to me by a friend of dad's in the early '00s.

Oldest I've actually bought was the New Model Super Blackhawk I bought a few weeks ago. It was an '83 IIRC.


The oldest that I would consider to be a functional rifle from dad's collection is a Marlin Golden 39a that has a '57-'58 serial prefix. My grandmother bought this one for my dad "with the first paycheck (she) ever earned." He was born in 54, not exactly sure when the gun was bought though. There are a few that might be older, but I'd consider them to be non functional for various reasons:

• LC Smith "Field Grade" 12g double barrel. Hard to tell age. Some stuff seems to suggest around 1915 while others suggest around 1945. It's rough and dad's wouldn't even shoot it.
• 1947 Remington 511 Scoremaster, this was another that belonged to his father or grandfather and is not in the greatest shape. Have enough other .22s that it isn't worth trying to shoot.
• Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1 probably sporterized (cut down barrel and stock?), but still chambered in .303 British. I'm not sure about date coding these. 12C**** serial number. Don't know where it came from. Dad always had it in the back of a closet, and I never saw it used.
• M1916 Spanish Mauser, not sure when it was manufactured. It's been sporterized and apparently rechambered to 308 according to the notes I have. Same deal as the Lee-Enfield. Z**** serial number.

I'd imagine that he picked up the last two before I was born or when I was a baby as project guns. He was a mechanic, and liked tinkering with things to include DIY gun smithing. Back then his gun hobbying was mostly action/trigger work and relaoding, but I can see him picking those up many years ago as a bigger project that he never got around to.

 

[wingspar]

An old French flintlock that I believe dates back to the 1700's. I was about 5 years old when my father won this at an auction at an old barn somewhere in Vermont about 1951. I have memories from the auction as I was there with him. After he retired, he got some flint and got it working to be a display piece in his den. It can not be shot. I still have it.

A 1943 Remington 1903-03A 30-06 that my father gave me when I was 15. I still have it.

A Ruger Standard that my father bought brand new in 1950 for $37.50. I still have it.

A Stevens 56C in .22 LR that my father bought for me when I was 5. I have no idea if he bought it new or used, but I got it around 1951. I still have it.

I have no idea of the average age of all my firearms.

 

[Hoopharted]

Sharps Pepperbox , 1859- 1874

 

[rodrick]

Not sure off the average age of my guns, but my oldest gun is an 1891 Argentinian Long rifle. The rifle was produced in 1893. The importer shortened and sporterized the rifles sometime in the 60s. I found the rifle in a gun shop around 10 years ago. The scope is not traditional, easier to use than iron sights.

The scope i

 

[New Yorker]

My oldest is a Japanese 7.7 mm Arisaka Type 99. My Dad picked it up during his stint in WW2, 77th ID, 306 Regiment. It was missing the safety spring, I fixed it all up and got it in working order, I never did test it. I did the research, found the armory and if memory serves me it was built somewhere in the 1930’s so I know it seen action. My Dad never talked about it so I don’t know any more about it.
my second oldest is my Mossberg 183D .410 shotgun. Manufactured in 1947 (my birth year). My Grandmother gave it to me when I turned 14. She won it in a church bingo game way back when. Those 2 guns are my favorite and most personal, I’ll always have them till the end…….

 

[Moose Ears]

I have an 8 Bore BP rifle made by Redman that I believe was made around 1830. Supposedly went to Africa on safari. Original in every way. Shoots 1/8oz balls like a target rifle!

I also have a 10Ga Mortimer SXS made around the same time. Beautiful wood and impressive mechanical function for for it's age.

Both firearms are amazing, considering the technology of the time...

I'm trying to get pics of the SXS to load...

 

[Hoopharted]

 

[Prisoner6]

Long ago I had a pre-war S&W 38 revolver and a 1860s Springfield rifle. That's as far into history any of my firearms went. Now, the oldest item in the safe is a 1967 Model 28 HP ... everything else is from the past three decades.

 

[Hoopharted]

American Arms two cylinder rotating derringer 1866-1878 chambered in scarce 32 RF

 

[DQL5150]

1880 on the single, the Winchesters, 1901 & 1904.

Handsome pair of '90s there!

 

[BigPapa53]

My oldest is my Grandad’s ‘56 Sweet Sixteen. Newest is my ‘22 EC9s. Average age is just over 40 years old. Throw out the EC9s and it jumps to just over 46 years old.

 

[tsbirddog]

My oldest is a Smith and Wesson .38 target revolver that was made in 1952. It's a model 14 but it is not stamped with that designation. There is a Gerbuder Merkel made in the GDR, and a Ruger Woodside. None of the S&W's are newer than 1993 but several Ruger's are. I'm not afraid of buying used or pre-owned.

 

[Hoopharted]

My oldest is a Smith and Wesson .38 target revolver that was made in 1952. It's a model 14 but it is not stamped with that designation. There is a Gerbuder Merkel made in the GDR, and a Ruger Woodside. None of the S&W's are newer than 1993 but several Ruger's are. I'm not afraid of buying used or pre-owned.

used are the best , great deals on nice and often out of production firearms

 

[CBP Pat]

My oldest firearm is a Colt 1903 Pocket Pistol in .32acp. It was manufactured by Colt in 1916 per Colt. I bought it at a gun shop in northern Michigan in 1975 for a whopping $85! Worth much more than that now.

 

[pasound]

Total of all averages 21 years. If I discount all that I started buying in the past 5 years, it nearly doubles, and that is weighted by a group of 12 S&W's that range from 42 to 113 years old.

 

[DanIII]

38 years old on average, range from 4 years to 104 years.

 

[BRM]

I have a Stevens Model 25 that was my paternal grandfather’s. It is 22LR and has an octagonal barrel. I don’t know the year it was made but guessing it may be around a hundred years old. I inherited after my father’s passing in 2008. It is in a condition that shows it was used for hunting rabbits and squirrels more than a few times. I’d like to get it checked over by a gunsmith before shooting it because it hasn’t been fired in many decades.

 

[Hoopharted]

1905 Steyr Mannlicher , internal 10 round magazine , 7.62 mannlicher

 

[Dstegjas]

I have a musket the was made by E. Robinson in New York. The patient date or mfg. date on the musket is 1884.

I also have a Kentucky Long Rifle made by Josh Gulcher. No date on it but it’s probably from the late 1800’s. The brass around the stock I’m not sure about. It could possibly be a repair of a broken stock or just something they did at the time.

I also have a Winchester 1892 that dates to 1918. It was converted to 44 magnum at some point in its life. My dad bought it for my mom who hunted deer in Pennsylvania with it.

I have my great grandmother’s Winchester model 2. It’s a 22 short single shot that as the story goes she sat on the front porch and shot squirrels for dinner.

last is my M1 Garand that dates back to September 1943.

The rest are from the early 1960’s and newer.

 

[flyboy61]

Not all that old...the elder statesman is from 1983, and the pistol is from about a Decade later.