Advice on antique firearm needed

**Cali Craft and Gems** · 20-04-10, 14:43

Hi all,

We have a family heirloom which to us has been around "forever". It is a Baby Browning firearm in excellent condition. To be honest, I'd be surprised if it has ever been fired!

Calibre is .25 (or 6.35mm), serial number WR100390

From my research on the net I can see it's either from around the early 1900's or from a serial number record sheet, early 1950's. I know it's a big age gap thus the enquiry.

Would also like to know it's value or average selling price if possible.

Thank you in advance,
CCG

**lilythepink** · 20-04-10, 16:42

Not allowed to sell firearms and/or ammunition on BoB. But, Cali - is that the firearm which "grandmother" appropriated? lol (Sorry - if one doesn't laugh, then one cries! Hope you got the old lady sorted out today). :)

**Cali Craft and Gems** · 20-04-10, 17:09

Hi Lily

Firstly, I'm not wanting to sell the firearm on BoB - if it has a good value, then it will be handed in at an antiques / collectables auction. If minimum value, then it will be professionally framed along with other antiquities from the family.

Secondly, yes, it is the one that Gran got hold of... thank heaven's it is out of her hands, but she is still "on the loose"! Grandpa now locks his bedroom door when he's inside and especially at night. (it's the least one can expect when your wife of 59 years tells you that she is going to kill you because you 'just won't die'!)

**lilythepink** · 20-04-10, 17:21

Cali - just keep smiling, lass! It will come to an end. I promise you that! :)

**Technik** · 21-04-10, 09:46

The Baby Brownings were quite common - and the 1950's is spot on. I see you are from the Eastern Cape - my hunch is that BKB in PLZ and surrounds (I've asked my dad to confirm this, as his were bought there, according to the receipt) might have had a "special" on these around that time. In our family, between my parents and in-laws there are (were) 3 of these, belonging to the 85 - 99 year old age group. There are (were) also several more - 14 to be exact - between the 18 brothers/sisters on both sides.

In our experience, they were not worth much as a used firearm (but confirm this with a local fire-arm dealer), for re-sale. We decided to go through the licensing process and get them licensed to our adult children which was a real pain and took ages. We had similar experiences with the Anglo-Boer war firearms and shot-guns, bar one which was a muzzle loader that we did not need to license. The best info on the process were found at Home Page as well as contacts for fire-arm dealers and gunsmiths.

If you would like to frame it, you can get a gunsmith to make it inoperable, in which case you do not need a license for it - we did that with a Martini Henry that belonged to my grandfather.

Good Luck - it is not easy to deal with the elderly, but the fact that one's parents (grand-parents/great-grand-parents) are still alive and have had the opportunity of a good life and still has a good quality of life at 99 and 91, is fortunately consolation enough (and an enormous blessing) - and far outshines the little problems - like not understanding why renewing an expired drivers licence is important - and that you should ideally not drive yourself at 99. ;-)

**WRANGLER_4X4** · 24-04-10, 21:55

It is not worth much in money terms, however as to your family history it might be worth more, but in money terms you will in fact be lucky if you find a gun shop that will offer you R50.00 for it, to have it de-activated is a lengthy business and will cost you +- R2 to 400. to be done, if you no longer want it then just hand it in at a gunshop or the SAP. But you could also contact SAAACA South African Arms and ammunition collectors association there is a Border chapter in East London, I do have their details if required.

**Cali Craft and Gems** · 24-04-10, 22:03

Thank you for your replies.

We do have the forms and information to get the Browning deactivated so that it can be framed. In the mean time we have followed the correct procedures for it to be stored in our safe (hubby is the only one with an updated / new-type licence).

It is a beautiful piece (mother-of-pearl inlays) and the W/O at our local SAP didn't want to have it destroyed so helped us with the correct procedures in order to keep it in the family.