Trapdoor on 'Pawn Stars'

[PhillipM]

On 'Pawn Stars' Sunday there was a guy selling a Burnside carbine and a trapdoor that the expert couldn't identify and said it was most likely experimental. Does anyone know what he had?

[jnz]

I saw that one. It was an Austrian Wanzl. They are somewhat scarce in this country but production went way beyond the "experimental" stage and they can still be found in about the same price range as the trapdoor. The one shown was cut down and I don't believe it was an armory job. Perhaps for a military school or some other concern. Click on this to see one http://www.hungariae.com/Wanzl.htm

[PhillipM]

Thanks much! I've never see one of those before.

[dave]

I think it was cut down also but not original by an arsenal. As I rememmber there was too much barrel out ahead of the stock end, just didn't look right to me. I smelled 'bubba'!

[jnz]

I had to go back and watch that part of the Pawn Stars episode online. After viewing it again (with the luxury of being able to pause for a longer look) I am of the opinion that it has been heavily modified. The bands are the same style as those used on a Civil War era Enfield rifle musket and the bands and barrel look to have have been blued fairly recently. The stock and lock may also be from something else. The only original Wanzl part appears to be the action! The cleaning rod appears to be a reproduction Enfield ramrod. Perhaps made up a hundred years ago for the natives in Africa or some third world army, or perhaps 2 years ago by someone with some extra parts who wanted to sell his new "Confederate breechloader" for big $$$$. Who knows?

[Dick Hosmer]

"Pawn Stars" is a FUN show, but don't expect to get any REALLY good Springfield info there! :-)

[dave]

I really laughed when some one brought in a WW1 German "butcher knife" engineers bayonet and the guy (the one who appears most) said it looked like 'someone took a file and put those teeth on it in his garage'! His 'expert ID'ed it correctly and valued at 250-350 bucks. Seemed a 'lil hi to me but perhaps not anymore! A file would not even touch that steel!

[free1954]

I saw that one. It was an Austrian Wanzl. They are somewhat scarce in this country but production went way beyond the "experimental" stage and they can still be found in about the same price range as the trapdoor. The one shown was cut down and I don't believe it was an armory job. Perhaps for a military school or some other concern. Click on this to see one http://www.hungariae.com/Wanzl.htm



thanks for posting that hungarian arms link. found a lot of info on a frommer stop pistol my grandfather brought back from the first world war.