Help, please! Need to track down a dealer who was at the Marlboro show

[BuggsBunny]

Hi friends,

I need a little help.

When at the Marlboro show on September 21, I saw a particular gun that piqued my interest. Didn't have the money at the time, and - a biggie - didn't really know what I was looking at, so I just gazed at it for a few seconds (didn't handle it, and didn't converse with the dealer at all) before moving on.

By pure chance, I have come across some information in the last several days concerning the type of gun in question, and this information suggests I might have missed a good opportunity. (Money situation is only marginally better ).

Here's the problem: I was in such a daze that Sunday that I didn't even notice the name of the dealer who had the gun I was interested in. I don't even know if he was a MA dealer or not. I do somewhat recollect the appearance of the display - it was one of those collage kind of deals with some mood-setting militaria that gave it an early Cold War feel. There were various C&R-looking handguns nestled in some olive drab cloth among the other items, and I think the whole deal was behind glass.

Guys and gals, does any of you know if a list of all firearm vendors at the Marlboro gun show on Sept. 20/21 can be obtained, and if so from whom? If it can, I'll call every dealer on it until I hopefully find the one who has/had the gun I saw.

Also, if any of you just happens to think you know the identity of the dealer I'm referring to (based on my hopelessly vague description), I'd be grateful if you'd tell me.

Thanks much!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Carole (promoter) maintains the only list of who was there and where exactly they were situated. If you knew the aisle letter that could be a big help (for her to help you).

That's your best bet unless someone knows who they are from your description (sorry, I can't figure out who that might be).

 

[BuggsBunny]

Carole (promoter) maintains the only list of who was there and where exactly they were situated. If you knew the aisle letter that could be a big help (for her to help you).

Thank you, LenS. Though I don't know the aisle letter, I could reconstruct pretty much exactly where the dealer was located on the floor if shown a map of the layout with the aisles marked.

It looks as though I should get in touch with Carole. Do you know how this may be done?

Have to go to bed now, will be back tomorrow night.

 

[Len-2A Training]

914-248-1000 is her business number.

Good luck!

 

[JoeT]

or you could tell us what gun it was and maybe someone remembers seeing it at the show, and could tell you who had it

 

[MichaelJ]

or you could tell us what gun it was and maybe someone remembers seeing it at the show, and could tell you who had it

x2. Never know...someone here might have picked it up or saw it.

 

[BuggsBunny]

914-248-1000 is her business number. Good luck!

Thank you very much, I'll see what I can find out.

or you could tell us what gun it was and maybe someone remembers seeing it at the show, and could tell you who had it

You're right, I should have mentioned up front what this fabulous firearm was .

It was a Tula Korovin .25-caliber pocket pistol, manufactured in Russia from 1926 to 1935. It is a seldom-seen gun. I didn't even get that good a look at this one - it was a ways back from the edge of the table (I'm getting confused trying to remember exactly how the display was set up, it doesn't seem like the typical arrangement of the tables would place anything as far away from the edge as I remember this being. Maybe I was looking across the gap at the opposite side???).

I just remember moseying along, looking at everything and nothing, and suddenly being struck by the sight of it sitting there. The Korovin has a very distinctive appearance, particularly so the trigger and trigger guard. Its size is also unusual among older guns; it's rather larger than most old .25s, but smaller than most old .32s, about the size of a Kahr MK series.

This one looked well worn, with plenty of blueing gone, and, as many Korovins do, it had pronounced sweep marks from the manual safety on the left side being moved through its stroke. I don't know if it had the early wooden grips or the later bakelite ones.

I did get a look at the price tag as I passed by: $875.00. A decent chunk of change - but, before scoffing at the idea of paying that for a worn old .25, go over to Gunbroker and look at the two they have listed there. Both are upwards of $2000.00, and at least one doesn't look to be in much better condition than the one I saw. I do know that book prices, at least as of a year or so ago, had the Korovin valued at maybe $700.00 to $800.00 for an excellent specimen. But, though the Gunbroker.com ones may be overpriced (or not - I don't know about holsters) those book values seem low to me judging only from how infrequently they are seen.

Anyway, I at least want to find out who had this gun for sale and if it's still available. Then I can think about maybe taking a closer look at it.

Unless one of you guys bought it between 1:00 and 3:00 that Sunday.

 

[Hoppy]

I did get a look at the price tag as I passed by: $875.00. A decent chunk of change - but, before scoffing at the idea of paying that for a worn old .25, go over to Gunbroker and look at the two they have listed there. Both are upwards of $2000.00, and at least one doesn't look to be in much better condition than the one I saw. I do know that book prices, at least as of a year or so ago, had the Korovin valued at maybe $700.00 to $800.00 for an excellent specimen. But, though the Gunbroker.com ones may be overpriced (or not - I don't know about holsters) those book values seem low to me judging only from how infrequently they are seen

i would be extremely hesitant about using gun broker as a guide. and i would be even more reserved considering its a pistol you dont know much about. maybe the one on gunbroker was an extremely rare year or example.

maybe its the equivalent to a 1907 carbine and the one at the gun show is the '43 91/30

just trying to warn you, you may think its a screaming deal, but it may not be .

 

[BuggsBunny]

i would be extremely hesitant about using gun broker as a guide. and i would be even more reserved considering its a pistol you dont know much about. maybe the one on gunbroker was an extremely rare year or example.

I appreciate the warning. I do realize that Gunbroker.com has tons of sellers who place outrageous starting bids on their items hoping for an impulsive sucker to come along.

$2599.00 for a standard, well-used Korovin is, in my opinion, ludicrous. The one listed at that price on Gunbroker was not claimed to be of any particular special variation or year, either. The seller simply stated that it was "VERY SCARCE". Typically, when you're asking that much for a gun, there is a lot more in the way of a verbal description. Of course, that doesn't mean anything.

Here's the link to the Gunbroker.com auction for the Korovin:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=112518031

Odd thing is, while poking around online trying to get information about the Korovin, I ran across photos of that very same gun (identified by the grips and various surface blemishes - undoubtedly the same gun) that were posted on the Gunboards.com forum back in July of this year. That poster wanted to trade his Korovin for something else. Here's the link to the thread:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=53892&highlight=korovin

The user (UplandGunner) said this in his ad:

I have a Korovin TK pistol to trade. The pistol was originally plated, only traces remain. There is a piece missing from the left grip . I believe the trigger bar is installed upside down. Please see the attached pictures.
I would like to trade for a left handed bolt action deer rifle, preferably in .30-06 or .308 ( no magnums please). I would also consider a USGI M1911A1.

The post was edited to say "TRADED" ten days later.

Remember, this is the same gun that now shows up 3 months later on Gunbroker.com with a starting bid of $2,599.00. Now, I know some GI M1911A1's can easily run that much depending on condition. And some rifles from the very high-end makers could as well. But, though there is no way of telling what he got for the Korovin, I'm somehow skeptical that UplandGunner got anything worth $2600.00 in trade for that Korovin. Doesn't even seem remotely possible. Smells like an attempted rip-off to me.

Back to Hoppy:

just trying to warn you, you may think its a screaming deal, but it may not be .

As far as thinking that $875.00 is a screaming deal, I actually don't think that it was a deal, no. In fact, I'm fairly sure (from my brief glance at this gun) that it was priced considerably above its value. But I just wanted to at least locate the gun so that I could look at it if I decided to. You see these guns so infrequently that one at any price is bound to generate some interest.

Once again, though, I'm grateful for the admonition to proceed with caution. I will do so.