QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A Gun Of Many Names
Q
I have this old revolver marked “National Arms Company, New York U.S.A.” It is chambered in .38 S&W, but is not so marked. It has no serial number that I can find, and on the bottom of the grip frame there appears to be a date stamp of “9 10 23.” It also appears to be chrome- or nickel-plated and has pearl grips and no safety mechanism. Can you help me with information regarding my gun?
A
I believe this revolver was manufactured by the Meriden Firearms Co. around 1910-1920. Meriden was owned by Sears & Roebuck from about 1909-1920. It made handguns and shotguns for Sears with the name “Aubrey” on them. In 1910, Sears began offering these guns to hardware stores, large dealers and others with any brand name the buyer wanted to use. Some examples of revolvers, like yours, can be found marked Eastern Arms Co., Chicago Arms Co., Howard Arms Co., etc. These off-brand revolvers of the early 20th century are of little interest to collectors, and, therefore, retain minimal monetary value. —MICHAEL F. CARRICK, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Mid-Range Trajectory
Q
I am having a hard time understanding the term “mid-range trajectory.” I have seen this dimension expressed using a line from the muzzle to the target as a measuring point. I have also seen the mid-range trajectory expressed using the line of sight. Which one of these mid-range measurements is the correct one to use? The mid-range expression with a line from the muzzle to the target gives a yardage of 50- to 55-percent total yardage. This seems to be the reason for the name mid-range, whereas, the mid-range expression using the line of sight gives a yardage of 60 to 65 percent. continued on p. 52
PROJECTILE PASSES THROUGH
LINE OF TRAJECTORY MID-RANGE TRAJECTORY
50
TARGET
HERE FIRST
LINE OF SIGHT
50% OF TRAVEL JANUARY 2018
AMERICAN RIFLEMAN
MAXIMUM ORDINAL HEIGHT
55% OF TRAVEL
