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C. Bartels Hofbuchsenmacher in Wiesbaden and Zella

Ruckin69
My mother in has a what looks like a .22 caliber pistol. Silver with alot of etching and a black handle. Single shot. Anyone have any info? I figured out that Wiesbaden and Zella are places in
Germany and that alot of independence were making guns before WWII? Is there any value to it?
Thanks
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • perry shooter
    There is always value to well made fire-arms How much value is the question I will take a WAG and say it is most likely a so called FREE PISTOL single shot pistol used as target pistol in international style shooting and in Pubs sort of like darts. Pictures are a must and directions on how to post pictures are noted as "STICKY" the top few entries of this forum.

    EDIT definite a FREE PISTOL TYPE Looks like it could have started life as a STEVENS pistol made in the U.S.and then modified if not it could of been a hand built direct copy or at least used a Stevens as a model. That said It looks to be HIGH GRADE workmanship . Nice gun let us know if you put it up for sale.
    EDIT#2 If this is factory engraved when the pistol was made it could enhance the value but It will take very close ups about 6 inches away to even have a guess if original to the pistol
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  • MP
    C. Bartels Hofbuchsenmacher in Wiesbaden and Zella
    C. Bartles, Carl Heinrich Christoph Bartels Wiesbaden, Germany 1840-1908
    Hofbuchsenmacher ( Gunsmith to the Court) Not a big deal because most gunsmiths worked for one level of royalty or the other, they owned all the land and game.
    Beyond this, good clear pictures are needed before I could even ask a question that would help.
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  • Ruckin69
    susangun7.jpg
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    susangun1.jpg
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  • Ruckin69
    susangun3.jpg
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  • rufe-snow
    It appears to be a "Stevens type" target pistol. Stevens was a U.S. manufacturer who made very similar single shot pistols for a fifty year period starting in the late 1860's.

    We need quality close up photos of the pistol for valuation purposes. If the engraving and plating are original, and high quality? The pistol much MIGHT have substantial value?
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  • Ruckin69
    Everything is original and in good original shape, alittle light pitting bt an untampered with gun. What value range are we talking about? Consider it good condition for grading value!
    Thanks
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  • rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by Ruckin69
    Everything is original and in good original shape, alittle light pitting bt an untampered with gun. What value range are we talking about? Consider it good condition for grading value!
    Thanks


    Without closeups we can't give you any help value wise. Similar pieces came home as souvenirs with the G.I.'s after the war. Unfortunately our guys liked to pretty things up, so a lot of of the guns were nickel plated and crudely engraved by the Germans for a couple packs of Camels.

    That said, if yours has original engraving and plating it would probably have more value in Germany nowadays then here in the U.S. Lot of the early antique collector guns that the GI's "liberated" are highly coveted by collectors in the fatherland now.
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  • Ruckin69
    Got it. How would I know if it was plated and engraved afterwards?
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  • MP
    Several years ago at auction there was a Berlin makers Stevens type pistol about like yours but I can't find the catalog. It seems these were popular in Germany and France. I don't know if they were made there from scratch or if they used Stevens pistols but I have seen several like yours over the years. That pistol was cased and if I remember it sold for well over $1000. Now having said that, your pictures are not good enough to make any kind of guess to the quality. They need to be close-up and CLEAR!
    001a-1.jpg
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