All About Pocket Knives

Posted this on a different forum on AAPK, and through conversation thought someone on the switchblade forum may have some input. My question being,is there a way to tell if this little blade is an automatic? If it is,it is not functioning. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Re post as follows:
I found this little gem at a flea market some time ago. The gentleman that I bought it from said it was seized up and could not open it. I bought it for a dollar. When I got it home I put a drop or two of BreakFree on the slider and the "push button".After some push/pull trial and error the 2 1/4" blade came free from the liner.
This is NOT an automatic. You do however,have to depress the button to manually open the knife. The slider acts as a lock and prevents the button from being pushed. The tang is stamped Rostfrei.(Rostfrei is not a branded word for a German knife, but it is the German descriptive word for a knife made from stainless steel. The word, when translated, means "rust-free,as defined by Ask) So any thoughts?

It's very well made, brass liners and bolsters,dark wood scales, (some dents in the wood by the slide pin and slight damage to the pin head) maybe someone got to aggressive attempting to get it opened. I think it was the old gent at the flea market, What do ya want for a buck?
Thanks for reading, Bear

The knife was originally, and still is, an automatic. The spring is broken.
The knife was made in Maniago, Italy between 1957-1970 (approx.)
The handles are not wood. They are cow horn. The bolsters are nickel silver, not brass. The safety cap is missing.
A very nice little knife, and a very good candidate for repair.