What do we have here?

[Moe]

An elderly gentleman approached me as I have antique handguns and wanted to know if this gun he acquired as a youth and now registered as prohibited could be an antique and removed from the registry. This to facilitate passing it on to family easier. I explained the 12(7) thing but he does not want to burden family with getting an RPAL. So any ideas out there?

Thanks for helping out.

 

[bearhunter]

No manufacturer's marks visible, so no records to access

I don't recognize any of the proof marks

Without that information, the pistol is going to be next to impossible to date and re classified to antique status.

 

[Waba]

The style is that of the "Hero" pistol although most of the originals are brass framed with steel barrels.
I recall that Dixie sold a modern steel framed version as well as an all brass model but to the best of my memory they were all 41 caliber, 31 was common in the originals.
I've never seen this type with a riveted hammer pin rather than a screw, and mainsprings of the era were single leaf.

Your example certainly has the "look' of age to it but I must concur with bearhunter regarding reclassification.

 

[Alex McKr]

Proof marks difficult to decipher, but could be Belgian.: The highly stylized script letters "EL" to indicate provisional proof...muzzleloading shotguns and smoothbored pistols. In use after 1853. Mark next to it might be a "perron"..indicating that the firearm passed final proof. However, this mark is so badly corroded that positive identification is next to impossible.
Mainspring is an obvious replacement and of much later date than the pistol. Original likely broke and strips of spring steel used as a cheap fix. Likely also the case with the hammer pivot screw. Original lost or badly damaged. Condition of other screw heads suggests this was likely the case. So a rivet of about the same diameter substituted.
Bearhunter is correct. Next to impossible to date and classify as an antique.

 

[rgbai]

Looks like a Manhattan hero to me also known as a poor man's derringer

 

[mooncoon]

I am grasping at straws but if you have a large scrap yard near you, they may have a scanning gun which will tell you what elements are in the barrel and frame. If you are really lucky and can have it scanned in small segments along the barrel and butt, you might find the metal is not homogenous. Modern barrels and frames would be homogenous in composition but the tough part would be getting the RCMP to accept that the gun is made of wrought iron and that such metal was not used in modern times

cheers mooncoon

 

[JP]

Markings look like Arabic numbers to me, but no way to date it.

 

[Prisoner627]

Proof marks difficult to decipher, but could be Belgian.: The highly stylized script letters "EL" to indicate provisional proof...muzzleloading shotguns and smoothbored pistols. In use after 1853. Mark next to it might be a "perron"..indicating that the firearm passed final proof. However, this mark is so badly corroded that positive identification is next to impossible.
Mainspring is an obvious replacement and of much later date than the pistol. Original likely broke and strips of spring steel used as a cheap fix. Likely also the case with the hammer pivot screw. Original lost or badly damaged. Condition of other screw heads suggests this was likely the case. So a rivet of about the same diameter substituted.
Bearhunter is correct. Next to impossible to date and classify as an antique.

Belgian is my guess, too. Lots of simple cheap Belgian guns from that time.

 

[wr.sainsbury]

In any event this piece is not really anything special and probably not worth any effort to get "antiqued". An interesting paperweight that unfortunately will be sacrificed to our silly rules regarding these old style things. Real value on it would be -I think- less than $200-

 

[Moe]

In any event this piece is not really anything special and probably not worth any effort to get "antiqued". An interesting paperweight that unfortunately will be sacrificed to our silly rules regarding these old style things. Real value on it would be -I think- less than $200-

I get that but he got this when he was a teen and now in his 70's wants to see this gun passed on to family. It is about personal value and family.

Cheers
Moe