Old rifle

[Rigger]

Can some please help me out as I can open any sites from here to do with fire arms.
One of the expat workers has been given a Martini henri .577/450 falling block rifle and a live round in working condition . Can some look at any auction sites and see what it maybe worth

www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8285749 - 17k -

[baldrick]

this weapon - 0•577-450 Martini Henry "Long Lever" overall length 48 3/4" and 33" barrel, only £750-00
http://www.micksguns.com/antique%20guns.htm

[Rigger]

Thanks baldrick & Jizzybloke yes thats the rifle and about the same condition and at that price I will tell the old bedouin to go find me a few more and I will give him a few dollars each for them

[Norton]

Checked out a few sites. Prices range from $600 to $900 for short lever and $750 to $1,100 for long lever.

[dirtydog]

The odds are they will be fakes rigger, you need to check the stamps on them.

[Rigger]

The odds are they will be fakes rigger, you need to check the stamps on them.

I am in the middle of the desert in Oman why would a crusty old beduin be running around with a fake old rifle. Anyway what stamp

[baldrick]

^ the nike or adidas one

[dirtydog]

The proof mark stamps, ie where it was proofed.

[Rigger]

The Martini Henry Mark II Rifle

I found this site so we will check it out tomorrow

[DrAndy]

Oman is a great country to be in Rigger

I doubt if they would be fakes there, there is no real market, not so many tourists. Worth a check although it would be fairly easy to tell just by handling them

[dirtydog]

The 2 main proof houses in the uk were London and Birmingham, many countries like India etc used to copy the guns that were being manufactured in the UK at that time, so yes it will be old and feel the same but the proof mark will be different.

[Looper]

When I was in Dubai a guy was selling a couple of working Henry Martini rifles in the bazaar. They looked cool and I was itching to buy one. They had certificates of authenticity and looked like genuine articles but they were only $250 so I guess they were fakes. I ended up settling for a much cheaper replica pistol - which was lucky as I was yet to discover that all firearms, fake or real, get taken off you by Australian customs and crushed by a big steamroller

They did let me take in a couple of large and scary machetes which I think is no longer allowed these days.

[Rigger]

Just got two more form the same guy and paid 4000bht each for them will post pics later

[blackgang]

You planning on the WARLORD thingy and getting a few guys to take over the rig??

[Whiteshiva]

Oman is a great country to be in Rigger

I doubt if they would be fakes there, there is no real market

Oh no? Try a walk around Zouk Muthra in Muscat - full of fakes: Swords, knives, guns, nautical brass stuff (bells, navigation aids, etc), pashmina skarfs, etc. The real stuff is rare, difficult to find, and rather expensive. Out in the desert, you may be luckier, but I would personally be reluctant to spend big bucks on anything "antique". Now a nice fake for a good price on the other hand......And even if you get it out of Oman, would you be able to get it into another country? Unless you know a diplomat or two, that is....

[Rigger]

I would personally be reluctant to spend big bucks on anything "antique". Now a nice fake for a good price on the other hand......And even if you get it out of Oman, would you be able to get it into another country? Unless you know a diplomat or two, that is.... __________________

I wouldnt call 4000bht a rifle big money unless of course you are a TEFLER. We have the getting out of Oman sorted legaly, We can also import into Australia not sure about Thailand

[Rigger]

Oh no? Try a walk around Zouk Muthra in Muscat - full of fakes: Swords, knives, guns, nautical brass stuff (bells, navigation aids, etc), pashmina skarfs, etc. The real stuff is rare, difficult to find, and rather expensive. Out in the desert, you may be luckier

My gun expert Aussie mate here says have you ever seen a real old gun before

[dirtydog]

They started faking them like 100 years ago, so yeah they will look old, it has value as a fake, but nowhere near as much as an original would cost, have a search for world wide arms, it's in Birmingham UK if it's still in business, they used to specialise in importing fakes and reproductions.

[Rigger]

They started faking them like 100 years ago

Then that would make them copys anyway from what I have seen with pommie engineering the indian ones would most probably be better

[blackgang]

If the proof marks look good and match the ones in the site that you posted, I would not worry about it to damn much.
Go for it Rigger..

[Whiteshiva]

Oh no? Try a walk around Zouk Muthra in Muscat - full of fakes: Swords, knives, guns, nautical brass stuff (bells, navigation aids, etc), pashmina skarfs, etc. The real stuff is rare, difficult to find, and rather expensive. Out in the desert, you may be luckier

My gun expert Aussie mate here says have you ever seen a real old gun before

And what was your reply?

Jokes aside - if you can get your hand on the real thing, well done. And considering where you are, the odd could be in your favour. But the global market for fake antiques is immense, and even experts have problems telling the difference at times. Personally I tend to stick to good fakes at low prices. And a rifle for 4,000 baht sounds like a good deal, regardless.