CFA Antique & Collectible Firearm Eras 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When appraising a Winchester Model 1873 rifle, which feature most significantly increases collector value?
- Original blue finish over 90% (Correct answer)
- Replacement walnut stock
- Re-barreled to a more common caliber
- Modern rubber recoil pad installation
Correct answer: Original blue finish over 90%
Originality of finish is a primary value driver; over 90% original blue on a Model 1873 substantially elevates collector desirability and market price.
Question 2: The 'Single Action Army' Colt revolver is most associated with which American historical period?
- War of 1812
- Mexican-American War
- Indian Wars and Frontier/Cowboy Era (Correct answer)
- Spanish-American War
Correct answer: Indian Wars and Frontier/Cowboy Era
Adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873, the Colt SAA became the iconic sidearm of the frontier period, widely used by cavalry, lawmen, and cowboys through the 1890s.
Question 3: Smokeless powder began displacing black powder in military firearms primarily during which decade?
- 1860s
- 1870s
- 1880s (Correct answer)
- 1890s
Correct answer: 1880s
French Poudre B (1884) was the first practical smokeless powder, and major militaries adopted smokeless powder cartridges throughout the late 1880s.
Question 4: A firearm described as 'in the white' means it:
- Has a nickel-plated finish
- Has never been heat-blued or otherwise finished — bare metal (Correct answer)
- Has a white polymer grip
- Has been re-parkerized to a light gray color
Correct answer: Has never been heat-blued or otherwise finished — bare metal
'In the white' is a collector/trade term describing a firearm in bare, unfinished steel, typically indicating a factory-fresh or unfinished state.
Question 5: Which action type was standard on most US military long arms from the end of the Civil War through the early 1890s?
- Bolt-action repeater
- Lever-action repeater
- Single-shot breech-loader (Correct answer)
- Semi-automatic
Correct answer: Single-shot breech-loader
The US Army issued single-shot breech-loaders (Springfield Trapdoor series) as standard infantry rifles from 1866 until the adoption of the Krag bolt-action in 1892.
Question 6: The 'proof house' system for testing firearms is historically associated with which two European countries where it originated?
- France and Russia
- England and Germany/Belgium (Correct answer)
- Spain and Italy
- Austria and Sweden
Correct answer: England and Germany/Belgium
Birmingham (England) and the Belgian city of Liège established among the earliest formal proof houses, and their marks are commonly found on antique firearms in the US collector market.
Question 7: A Colt Single Action Army revolver with a barrel length of 7.5 inches is referred to by collectors as a:
- Cavalry Model (Correct answer)
- Artillery Model
- Sheriff's Model
- Buntline Special
Correct answer: Cavalry Model
The 7.5-inch barreled SAA was the standard cavalry contract length issued to the U.S. Army, earning the collector designation 'Cavalry Model.'
CFA Antique & Collectible Firearm Eras 3
When appraising a Winchester Model 1873 rifle, which feature most significantly increases collector value?