Firearm Antiques

Above, after discovering it, I immediately cleaned and oiled the Manton shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To start this off, antique is generally defined as follows (Source: Wikipedia):

An antique (from Latin antiquus 'old, ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that is old. An antique is usually an item that is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human history. Vintage and collectible are used to describe items that are old, but do not meet the 100-year criterion.

I am not an antique collector, but I do have a couple of items that are classified as antiques. They just happen to be firearms (specifically, shotguns).

Above, the Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first one is a Joseph Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. It was made somewhere in the 1800s (19th Century). It is not known what year exactly as it has no serial number. It is on display in my living room and I regularly keep it cleaned and oiled.

My dad bought it and I had no idea he even had it until I opened a rifle case and found it. 

Above, the Winchester Model 12 shotgun I bought.

The second antique is a Winchester Model 12 12 gauge shotgun. Its serial number indicates that it was made in 1919. Winchester Model 12 shotguns were produced from 1912 to 1964. 

As both these shotguns are over 100 years old, they fall into the antique category.