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Old guns from Afghanistan

redsox03redsox03 Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
edited January 2008 in Ask the Experts
I got these while I was in the Army in Afghanistan. They have Tower engraved in them. I dont know if its the brand or what? The dates engraved on them say 1852. Are they worth anything?

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Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They have been making stuff like you have, in that area, for the tourist trade since the 19th Century.

    Chances are they were made last year, in Abdulla's back yard shed.

    They were never meant to be functional firearms, just decorators for somebodies fireplace.
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  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    redsox03,

    What Rufe said. I hope you didn't spend too much of your hard earned money on it. It'll be worth something in a few years as they will eventually; even as show items, not functional; appreciate in value.[:D] riiiiigghhht....

    p.s. welcome to the forums.
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  • rhmc24rhmc24 Member Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    These are real and typical of Afghan types that could have been used well into the 1800s. Locks on guns from that area are often marked Tower. Some may be actual English Tower (of London) marked locks and some locally made using the Tower marking to enhance value. The decor on these pieces is not the poor quality and skill seen on cheap tourist stuff that has been popular from the middle East since WW2. The pistol can probably be ID as (probably English) military of around 1840 that received its Afghan decor during its use there.

    That they are real does not mean that they are anywhere as high in value as European pieces. When I was bouncing around Europe in the '40s to '60s such pieces were available for $5-10. European pieces there were not a lot more. Now Afghan pieces are seen priced upward of $400.

    Check it out with a reputable dealer.
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  • Lucky007Lucky007 Member Posts: 308 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I saw a TON of these guns for sale all over Afghanistn in every open air market available to foreign buyers (and at US military and ISAF bases as well as street vendors in Kabul)....they all looked EXACTLY the same. I agree with the earlier post....I examined alot of them, and I always noticed something about each gun that proved they were made for the rich non-natives in some Afghans back yard compound. They are interesting conversation pieces, but I would not in any way whatsoever attempt to fire one of these home made Afghan tourist pieces.
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