Big Boys Hobbies

Gun or toy?

B

beepster

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2013
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16
Location
San Clemente, CA
Found this at a city park yesterday, about two inches down in a marginal area of bare ground and big pine trees. I couldn't figure out if it was real or not; it was highly corroded due to soil acids around the trees. I thought it was probably real because of the weight, remnants of a wooden grip on the butt, bolts holding the grip, and what seemed to be a clip on the bottom of the butt. So I took it to the local police station and the desk officer wasn't sure either...but he did remark "the clip is still in it." So, I assumed it was real and left it at the station.

More interesting than most finds, but all things considered, I'd rather have a Wheatie.
esudy9e4.jpg
 
It could be a Colt .25 auto, they made a number of small models years ago. Think they also made .22's but I know the little .25 was very popular. If it is, really cool find !
 

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The bobbed hammer at the back means it can't be a Colt, which had no hammer. Looks more like one of the cheap ones imported by FIE in the 70s through the 90s. Italian or Spanish made, open slide and really cheap. Still it beats nothing in a bad moment! If it was thrown away, likely means previous owner was up to no good!
 
I'd hit that up with some electrolysis :) or some other method of cleaning.

It is a "magazine" not a "clip" also.

Oh bummer, just reread that it was left at the station, maybe that's wisest actually. Murder weapon or what-not.

Cool find!
 
Found it a park in Santa Ana, near work. I go out on my lunch hour most days.

I've been hunting that park for over 10 years but it's been mediocre at best for the most part. Lately I've found a couple better areas though. Some years ago the grounds keepers tore out a big hedge near the parking lot and I had a field day for a week or so--lots of coins (all clad, of course, around here) until I cleaned it out. I'm guessing there used to be a hedge where I found the gun--there's an existing one about six feet away. Makes more sense somebody would throw a gun into a hedge, than bury it two inches down in open ground.
 
jbkelly3 said:
The bobbed hammer at the back means it can't be a Colt, which had no hammer. Looks more like one of the cheap ones imported by FIE in the 70s through the 90s. Italian or Spanish made, open slide and really cheap. Still it beats nothing in a bad moment! If it was thrown away, likely means previous owner was up to no good!
Click to expand...

Actually they made a number of small models with hammers. Here's one from 70's.
 

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How broken up is it. I have never seen a real gun break apart and missing the trigger guard. I am thinking pot metal and a toy. Are the cracks in metal or in wood?

With only one picture its very hard to know for certain.

Hope its real BUT, it seems like if it was real the police would have wanted it.

They wanted both I found. One was lost probably in the 1800's

I see you left it after reading again. So I guess you will never know.
 
Last edited:
ScubaDetector said:
How broken up is it. I have never seen a real gun break apart and missing the trigger guard. I am thinking pot metal and a toy. Are the cracks in metal or in wood?

With only one picture its very hard to know for certain.

Hope its real BUT, it seems like if it was real the police would have wanted it.

They wanted both I found. One was lost probably in the 1800's

I see you left it after reading again. So I guess you will never know.
Click to expand...

I have to agree, it looks like a toy to me, based on the way the trigger guard is corroded off, plus looks like some other white spots which looks to be corrosion from pot metal/zinc.
 
Gun

I have been collecting cap guns for teen years. And can not recall any that had wooden grips. Unless they were custom made replacements.
 
The trigger guard area that is broke looks like pot metal. I think it is a toy. Guns will rust up not fall apart like that.
 
I would have kept it. if its real with some work that baby would clean rite up after a few electric baths.
 
Real or toy

Looks like a toy.... If it's light, its a toy...


beepster said:
Found this at a city park yesterday, about two inches down in a marginal area of bare ground and big pine trees. I couldn't figure out if it was real or not; it was highly corroded due to soil acids around the trees. I thought it was probably real because of the weight, remnants of a wooden grip on the butt, bolts holding the grip, and what seemed to be a clip on the bottom of the butt. So I took it to the local police station and the desk officer wasn't sure either...but he did remark "the clip is still in it." So, I assumed it was real and left it at the station.

More interesting than most finds, but all things considered, I'd rather have a Wheatie.
esudy9e4.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Beaker said:
Actually they made a number of small models with hammers. Here's one from 70's.
Click to expand...

Yes, but not the Colt Jr model pictured at the start of the thread .... it was hammerless. The newer (70's models) are not the same design. All Colt products are solid slide designs, and the recovered item clearly has an open slide
 
It's possible that the trigger guard was cut off. I was just reading on another forum that doing that was really big in the 60'/70's. I forget what the cops on there were calling it.

A couple manufacturers even made a few models with that standard.
 
Looks real to me.

The slide profile isn't quite right for a Colt - see how it's squared about halfway back, then milled down to a rounded profile?

My bet is that it's a Spanish copy of a Colt .25. The previous posted is correct that there were a ton imported, and they're not worth anything even in great shape.

Be careful with it - it's quite possibly loaded. While I don't think the action would work in the state it's in, dropping it could make it fire.

For those who are saying that it's too corroded to be real, you're right when it comes to modern, quality pistols. These types of guns were neither - they were crude, cheap, and made with poor metal. Considering that most of the gun doesn't need to take any pressure, pot metal is fine.

The gun I carry every day is a Glock 31. It has a plastic frame and trigger guard - only the contact points between the slide and the frame have any metal at all. If plastic can hold up, pot metal will be at least as good.
 
Bitpusher said:
Looks real to me.

The slide profile isn't quite right for a Colt - see how it's squared about halfway back, then milled down to a rounded profile?

My bet is that it's a Spanish copy of a Colt .25. The previous posted is correct that there were a ton imported, and they're not worth anything even in great shape.

Be careful with it - it's quite possibly loaded. While I don't think the action would work in the state it's in, dropping it could make it fire.

For those who are saying that it's too corroded to be real, you're right when it comes to modern, quality pistols. These types of guns were neither - they were crude, cheap, and made with poor metal. Considering that most of the gun doesn't need to take any pressure, pot metal is fine.

The gun I carry every day is a Glock 31. It has a plastic frame and trigger guard - only the contact points between the slide and the frame have any metal at all. If plastic can hold up, pot metal will be at least as good.
Click to expand...

Aren't the modern composites as strong or stronger than steel? I've owned a few cheapo .25's and they are cheap.
 
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