Is this authentic? What's its story? What's it worth?

[MVPD16]

[Ghoulardi]

it's a Model 1842 DRAGOON Pistol. can't see when it was made you cut the back side of the lock where the date would be

if it is real, it looks to me it just might be, someone polished up the brass and refinished the wood, which I would believe would hurt value tremendously

[retread12345678]

IF you can get a copy of a Flaydermans Catalog. It will give lots of insight and info on US weapons. As to value, there will be a guideline as well

[indy1919a4]

it's a Model 1842 DRAGOON Pistol. can't see when it was made you cut the back side of the lock where the date would be

if it is real, it looks to me it just might be, someone polished up the brass and refinished the wood, which I would believe would hurt value tremendously

Not questioning what you say about polishing the brass hurting the value.. But let me ask in what way...

For example say said gun was dusty and dirty and the brass was dark with a little green here and there,, say one takes some Brasso over it and clean up the metal would this be considered Polishing the brass???? and would that hurt the value..??

[Ghoulardi]

like any antique which what this pistol is, if you go sanding and polishing things up (and yes BRASSO is a cleaner and polisher) and make it look like it was just made yesterday, what you do is diminish the value of that piece substantially by taking away the patina and the bruise and bumps it has honestly seen in it's history.

there is a line between conserving a piece so that it retains the history and character of the piece and hacking on it by scrubbing and sanding on it to make it look "pretty".



same as taking a rare coin and making it all shinny. yeah, it will shine but the value of it once had is now less then half of that or more. same goes to antique firearms

[retread12345678]

Agreed. Once knew a guy who polished up a Henry rifle and regretted doing it

[indy1919a4]

Now Gentleman just take this to the base question, we are talking a hand polish that did not remove any metal that in 30 years it will tarnish back up??? We are not taking some kind of metal buffer???

[gi jeaux]

If you don't ever intend to sell it and get the full value that you could realize for such a piece, polish away. The guys are giving you some good advise but, nothing says that you have to take it.

Al

[DaleH]

Clean? YES

REMOVE any existing patina? NO