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I’m new to the forum and found an 1897 Trench Gun in a small gun store, but I have reservations about it. Serial number is 734xxx, so it was made in 1920. It is solid frame and has stock without a comb. Barrel is marked CYL and it looks like it had a bead on it at some time, now removed or ground down. Large US letters without periods are on the left side of the receiver with a flaming bomb. Flaming bomb also is on the barrel near the receiver. There is a GHD cartouche and ordnance stamp on the left side of the butt stock. The heat shield has six rows of holes. The butt plate is plastic. I would appreciate any thoughts on this. Is it a “made up” Trench Gun? Many thanks!
April 15, 2005
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Based on your description, it certainly appears to be a “made up” Trench gun. The “GHD” cartouche is definitely way out of place, as it is only correctly found on Trench & Riot Guns manufactured after May 1942. Furthermore, only the WW II production Trench & Riot Guns were marked on the left side of the receiver frame. The early WW II production had just the “U. S.”, while the later guns had the “U.S.” with the flaming ordnance bomb on the left side of the receiver frame.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
The shotgun has a lot of issues including the marital markings. Not only is the stock cartouche from a different time period, it’s a total fake. The OP linked photos of the shotgun on another forum. Here is the link to the pictures:
December 31, 2012
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Don’t walk away from that gun. Run as fast as you can. As a former martial arms collector I can tell you that gun is as fake as they come.
Pictured, a near mint one from 1943. Big Larry
April 15, 2005
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Now that I have the complete serial number, when I surveyed that gun several years ago, it was a standard commercial Riot Gun. It has been intentionally altered (faked) by a scumbag dealer for the illicit purpose of ripping off an unsuspecting buyer.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
December 31, 2012
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A lot of that going around. A friend was sold a gun just like it and I told him to get rid of it, and he did. He would have been out the $1,700 he paid for it. He had two others and I got the one pictured from him. Great gun too. Big Larry
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