deepdiver
Campaign Veteran
I'm trying to find some info but as it is a blank/tear gas gun it isn't in any of my pistol guides and much net searching finds info on later models and reproductions but almost nothing about pre-WWII versions. Here's the story - any help will be appreciated:
My wiife's grandfather died a few years ago. Her now 92 year old grandmother has been slowly cleaning out things in the house and came across this little pistol that grandpa had given her, she thinks in the '50s, to carry in her purse. She said she always thought it was a BB-gun or something like that, but knew it wasn't a real firearm. So she carried it in her purse for some 20+ years and finally put it in a tobacco pouch in a drawer and forgot about it.
She came across it and gave it to me as I am the closest thing to a gun expert in the family (which just ain't saying much) and asked me what it was, where it might have come from and what to do with it. It was pretty mucked up, surface rust on the inside and had obviously been shot and never cleaned but the exterior and plastic feeling grips are great condition under some grime. Some messing around got it kinda dry fire functioning again and we'vve agreed that I'm going to clean it up to the best of my ability and give it to my brother-in-law, maybe even make a little desk case for it or something nice as a family momento.
Anyway, here's the info on the pistol:
I know it is pre-WWII as it reads Rohm RG3 on one side of the slide and Made in Germany on the other (internet info indicates that post WWII had a hyphen between the RG and 3 and W. Germany). The frame and slide are black. The grips look to be probably plastic and have inserts that are a brass color with a black bulls eye pattern overlayed and the letters EIG.
The "EIG" lettering seems to have some significance as I have seen other pre-WWII models with different letters and I would like to know what it means.
Lastly, if anyone has any value info that would be great. I have seen everything from $25-100 online. It really doesn't matter but I'm just curious.
I want to use this info to provide a "fact sheet" when I give it to my brother-in-law. Info on this pistol, or suggestion of a reference book (in English - high school German was a long time ago) that I could find it in, etc would be greatly appreciated.
My wiife's grandfather died a few years ago. Her now 92 year old grandmother has been slowly cleaning out things in the house and came across this little pistol that grandpa had given her, she thinks in the '50s, to carry in her purse. She said she always thought it was a BB-gun or something like that, but knew it wasn't a real firearm. So she carried it in her purse for some 20+ years and finally put it in a tobacco pouch in a drawer and forgot about it.
She came across it and gave it to me as I am the closest thing to a gun expert in the family (which just ain't saying much) and asked me what it was, where it might have come from and what to do with it. It was pretty mucked up, surface rust on the inside and had obviously been shot and never cleaned but the exterior and plastic feeling grips are great condition under some grime. Some messing around got it kinda dry fire functioning again and we'vve agreed that I'm going to clean it up to the best of my ability and give it to my brother-in-law, maybe even make a little desk case for it or something nice as a family momento.
Anyway, here's the info on the pistol:
I know it is pre-WWII as it reads Rohm RG3 on one side of the slide and Made in Germany on the other (internet info indicates that post WWII had a hyphen between the RG and 3 and W. Germany). The frame and slide are black. The grips look to be probably plastic and have inserts that are a brass color with a black bulls eye pattern overlayed and the letters EIG.
The "EIG" lettering seems to have some significance as I have seen other pre-WWII models with different letters and I would like to know what it means.
Lastly, if anyone has any value info that would be great. I have seen everything from $25-100 online. It really doesn't matter but I'm just curious.
I want to use this info to provide a "fact sheet" when I give it to my brother-in-law. Info on this pistol, or suggestion of a reference book (in English - high school German was a long time ago) that I could find it in, etc would be greatly appreciated.
