Yesterday's Weapons Forums

For those of you keeping track of revolver markings, here's a Bernadelli Bodeo. I haven't seen too many of these. Like this is the only one. Bodeos would make an excellent collecting category! Now is the time to grab them while little is in print.

If any of you gents ever see a Bodeo at a gun show or shop that seems made of layers of some metal or another that have been brazed together, please get the seller's contact info. These aren't valuable - they are mentioned in books, but so far no pics have been found of one in America.

I'm after one just as a curiosity. SW


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Here's a Beretta mark sometimes found on the bottom of the receiver ring. I haven't seen it too often. SW


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Here's a numbered M91TS I just grabbed from gunborker for the minimum. I figured some of the die hard collectors would jump in and bid, but no.

Seller sez no CAI import mark so we can rule out an Albanian rack number. Post war, Italian police were given a quantity of M91TS - mostly with shot bores - for use as tear gas grenade launchers. The cup clamped around the front sight with a wing nut arrangement. Most of the launcher TS were parkerized. This one is not and shows no scuff marks near the front sight.

But it still could have gone to some police department where it was simply racked against future need. That's my A guess anyway. Better pics when I have it in hand. SW


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On another site, there was a discussion relating to the "six slice pie" mark seen under the wrist of certain Carcanos. It has yet to be positively IDed. Then, certain rifles from the Spanish Civil War have an "8 slice pie" mark which is also unknown.

Airdale sent me this image of a SEVEN slice pie mark. Nothing like further confusing the matter! Looking over a few rifles in my meager collection, I suspect - but can't prove - this is the mark of a sub contractor who either supplied the stock or performed some operation to it. Hard to say for sure. Never a dull moment in this thread! SW


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This one doesn't get discussed very often. The metal name plate seen on some Fascist Youth Balilla moschettos is the name of a fallen Italian soldier. The idea was to inspire the junior fascists to greater glory while remembering one of Italy's fallen.

Balilla moschettos with a name plate are worth a small premium. SW


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This one is very uncommon... like the only one I've ever seen. I contacted Raphael Riccio who is writing a book on the topic, and he'd never seen one, either.

Translated, the device on this Balilla moschetto shows some attachment to an artillery school. We know the Italian Navy and Air Force had junior fascist students; perhaps the artillery did, as well.

This does add substantially to the value... just not to the $850 BIN the seller is asking.

The fascist youth carbines could easily be a separate collecting category. There is a wide variety of them by different makers in various configurations. SW


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The Italian Carcano book tells us there are headspace replacement bolts in a series from 1 to 4. All are marked FP which is for F Pedrotti. While cruising for unusual Italian items, I found this poor pic of a #6 headspace correction bolt. Only one I've ever seen.

If I can get an entire set of them, I'll take measurements. SW


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On the topic of markings, here's the lack of same, or don't do this. On this 8mm conversion stock, we see where someone has scraped away the white Arabic "taleem" painted mark. Removing this mark reduces the value considerably. SW


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Challenge time. Produce a picture of the "White Taleem" mark.

Best Regards,

Mark

Why sure! It was right here in the Uncommon Marks thread! SW


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This guy is good, real good. Now what does that mean exactly?

Best Regards,

Mark

My Arabic isn't much better than my Hindi, but it means "training" or a variation thereof. SW

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All that and they didn't even get those small kiddie training Carcanos? Oh the horror.

Best Regards,

Mark

Here's one I didn't know existed - an 1897 M91TS. Everything I've seen indicated M91TS production began in 1898 & only a few were made. Here is evidence to the otherwise. Serial # is A1xx = the lowest my friends with extensive data bases have seen.


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In this overall photo we see there's no provision for side mounting a sling. Also uncommon. I would have bid, but it has been badly abused by rebluing and gold plating. A darn shame on something this unusual. SW


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Gold plating or gold paint? Oh the horror!

Somewhere in hell Il Duce is laughing.

Best Regards,

Mark

We've talked before about marks found on partisan guns. Here's a good example of a cross pressed into the stock with an empty cartridge case. Some will even have the Greek Orthodox lower "bar" also seen on the Russian Orthodox cross.


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I can't explain this one. It's in the same location as the "six slice pie" mark seen on guns mostly from Albania. These pics are from a live auction in which a friend is bidding, so I'll wait until it's over to add other pics with discussion. SW


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Okay - the auction's over (our pal, HairyGreek grabbed it) so more markings about which little is known.

In addition to the E which shows Greek nationalists rechambered this to 6,5 Greek Mannlicher, we see three dots. What do they mean? Once again, "I do not know." But while moving various Carcanos aside to get one for Comrade Artist, I happened upon MY cav carbine which has the Greek E. And the three dots I'd never noticed before.

I've never seen the three dots on any other firearm, Greek or otherwise. Also keep in mind cav carbines with Greek E are very uncommon so we don't have a big selection to examine for similar dots on the receiver.

So many questions - so few answers. SW


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11-20-17
I have in my modest assortment a moschetto with no E but it has the 3 dots. The light blub came on for me & I tried a 6,5 Greek cartridge in it. Chambered just fine! From this unscientific test, it very much appears the 3 dots show rechambering from 6,5 Carcano to 6,5 Greek Mannlicher.

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Here's an other odd one from the German auction site. This Terni M91 long rifle has a Gardone refurb mark but also the FNA mark. I've no idea why, but we'll think on it. SW


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This is an early Brescia revolver mark. Not seen very often. SW


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This isn't a mark but something the collector needs to keep in mind. In Germany, "deko" guns are fairly popular. Those are deactivated by drilling as shown and sold without the need for a license.

If any of you folks in the military or with friends recently returned have a chance to buy a Carcano originating there, be sure to take the action from the stock and inspect for holes. SW


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