Old Metal Hollow Gun

[tarcan99]

My father found this lodged inside a tree trunk while he was cutting wood. It appears somebody thought it would be valuable and hid it there and forgot about it. I just wanted to know if it is worth anything? It is not made of gold, but another metal which i am unsure of. It has lots of flowery designs on it and a hook on the inside to connect the two pieces together. It does not have any moving parts. Has a couple of scratches and chips from where my father was cutting the tree. It is not magnetic. Any kind of information is appreciated. Thank you.

[talesofthesevenseas]

It looks like a decorative reproduction of a flintlock pistol. I've never seen a cast piece like this that was hollow and immobile. I am guessing that it was a kid's pirate toy. That might also explain how it came to be inside a tree. The "pirates" were probably hiding their treasure and couldn't find the tree! I will be interested to find out if we can pin a date on this. Most modern reproductions have moving parts. This appears to be something earlier. NEAT!

[Rauville]

It appears to be cast brass and designed to be hung as ornaments on a wall as a matched set. I say that because each half has it's own separate lock and hammer. I'm sure some young man found it too tempting not to put the halves together and have a real "man stopper" for himself. An unique and interesting find.

[mart]

That was my first thought Rauville !! Perhaps hung in a gentlemans study !! They could have been given to boys to play with after some years and decorations changed !! Half for each boy as a toy would have been typical for the period !!  And boys do have a habit of hiding things !!  Does look like cast brass perhaps early 1800`s !!
The halves do not match so couldn`t be put together !!  I would research the history of the property they were found on !!  Great find anyway !!

[fancypants]

Nice little find , tarcan99 .

The "scrollwork" seems sorta like it's got a scandahovian/norski influence , on the design .

[cogar]

Me thinks those might be a matched pair (left & right) of cast bronze emblems , like this one:


…. and if so are worth a few bucks according to this:

1650s ANTIQUE MUSKETEER BRONZE EMBLEM w/TWO PISTOLS
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1650s-ANTIQUE-MUSKETEER-BRONZE-EMBLEM-w-TWO-PISTOLS-/290486629402

[mart]

Could be used similarly even if they do not match !!

[tarcan99]

thank you all for your responses and information, i should point out that the guns are not small, they are around 30cm in length. I was wondering if it would be worth the effort to try and sell it?

[cogar]

even if they do not match !!

But Mart, ...... close counts in horseshoes.

And the "early 1800's" moldmaker might not have been a pro at carving "matched" halves.

------------

Almost 12", huh?  And "yes", it wouldn't hurt any to send a picture w/dimensions to websites that deal in such items. It don't cost anything to do that. They might be "junk" or they might be a "rare" find.

I am curious as to the size/age of that tree and if they were found in the "hollow" of a tree trunk or were imbedded in the tree growth. Like if left in a "notch" and the tree grew around it.

Anyway, .......

Maybe they were a gunsmith's "display" item so that a customer could see that he could order either a "right" handed, ..... "left" handed .... or both models of that pistol.

A lefthanded person would prefer the "hammer" on the left side, .... right?

[KC]

Have to agree with the previous assessments from our diehard, reliable crew here on Antique-Shop.

You will find items like these were popular even in the early 1940's onward.  They were made small scale and even large scale.  I have seen some large ones over the years that graced a study/den/lodge or two.  I believe that Turner was a name that pops up quite often for making "dueling pistols"  or "mirrored images" of all types (western, civil war, etc).  You will find them free hanging or in shadow boxes.

Is it worth something?  yes.  Will someone buy it.  Yes, most likely.  How much?  Not sure, but you might best fare on an auction type site.  Just some examples out there:  I personally like the patina that has developed on yours (at least how it looks in the pic).


This one from the 1960's selling for $15 for one on IOffer


Maybe these guys hid them!

[tarcan99]

thank you once again for your opinions, me being quite impatient i wanted to get rid of these asap as i have had them for a while and been meaning to sell them. i have put them up for auction on ebay earlier today using the information and opinions that you wonderful people have provided. if anybody is interested here is the linkhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270964333895?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

[tarcan99]

I just got information from my dad as to a question asked earlier about how it was in the tree and he told me the tree grew around it. and he did not see it untill he started chopping the wood. The pistols also left a indentation in the tree once removed so i dont know how this was possible. i hope that answered your question.

[KC]

See you go some bids!  Hope it goes well for you.

Too bad your dad didn't get pics! 

[mart]

I would rather have a slice of that tree with the impression in it !!

[cogar]

I just got information from my dad as to a question asked earlier about how it was in the tree and he told me the tree grew around it. and he did not see it untill he started chopping the wood. The pistols also left a indentation in the tree once removed so i dont know how this was possible. i hope that answered your question.

Thnks, Tarcan, that means you could "date" just about when it was placed there.

A tree adds 1 more growth ring each year so by counting the # of rings from the center of the stump you could determine the age of the tree when the gun was placed there.

Anyway, if anything is pressing firmly (unmoveable) against the tree bark, even another limb of a tree, especially in the notch of a limb or like a spike or even an ax that is driven iinto the side of a tree, the tree rings will continue to grow outward and will eventually ecompass said object and the tree bark will grow back together ..... completely hiding said object.

Modern sawmills all now use computer monitored X-rays to detect such objects to prevent damaging the saw blades.