On Sunday
 

Sunday mornining I was a phoine bidder for an gun auction in New Hampshire....www.jcdevine.com you can see some of the catalog...

They were auctioning the life long collection of a noted Griffin & Howe collector, among other things...Griffin & Howe is a custom rifle and shotgun maker that started business back in the 1920's...producing high quality rifles. They were among the first to chamber for the 22 Hornet in 1930, and were closely associated with the Springfield Aresnal in it's development.

I was paticularily interested in 3 of his rifles that were chambered for the 22 Hornet...and several Smith & Wesson revolvers that were customized by King Gun Sights...another respected gun maker of the period..

What really astounded me was the strength of the auction prices, nearly eveything went for 40% ABOVE the auction estimate...

I was paticularily interested in a G&H Hi Wall in 22H based upon the Winchester model 1885..single shot rifle...the estimate was 3500 to 4500...I didn't even get a chnch to put a bid in before it closed at 8000 with buyers premium....

Even more astounding was the Smiths King conversions...one closed at 3825.00 wt an estimate of 1200 to 1600....another at 2400 with an estimate of 800 to 1200....until now I have been able to purchase these revolvers within the estimated price....

But the most astounding were the closing prices on two especially highly engraved rifles...one at $66,700 and another at $41,400 ....record prices for G&H rifles.....

At this point I don't know if this represents a feeding frenzy for collectable guns or just that this gentlmans life long collection was highly sought after....

Tabs,

You have guns in your house?

Michael

I thought Savage was the first Hornet with the Model 23-D?

edit - oops. Just saw "among the first". Sorry. Back to my hole....
:)

yeah,, the registry wishes he'd use one, we here in PP OT just get worried he has when he's been silent a few days.

Mother won't let me have any guns, she thinks I might hurt myself with one....anyway...

In the 1998 Gun Digest there is an article by Mark Benneson on the Development of the 22 Hornet cartridge and rifle by the Springfield Aresnal. Further there is a short chapter in "The Springfield 1903" by Col. William Brophy (ret) on the Hornet..I believe page 157...

The Springfield boys...Whelan, Woody, and Woodward developed the 22 Hornet in 1929, had Winchester make up some cartridges and the rest is history...So the FIRST 22 Hornets were converted from the Model 1922 Springfield. What is unusal is that the bolts started life as centerfires and not reworked 22 rimfire. G&H and Sedgley very quickly jumped on the bandwagon and started converting 1903 and 1922 Springfields into Hornets to meet demand as it was the hot new cartridge. Soon thereafter Winchester models 54/70 and Savage 23D began producing Hornets.

The first Hornet that I didn't own was a Savage 23D with Unertl scope...the previous owner shimmed the barrel with some brown paper to make it shoot straight...he claimed it was as accurate as a Sako. I didn't pay $200 for that rifle.

The ultimate rarities in 22 Hornets are the Springfield produced guns... Benneson has tracked 12 of them with several others being known that were not included in his article. The Holy Grail (the first one) of 22 Hornets whereabouts is unkown...it was built on a Martini Henry Action and was presumed to have a Schuezen style Stock?

As an interesting aside Sedgley built 22 Hornets on converted Colt New Service and Single Action Army frames. Colt also made a prototype New Service Target in 22 Hornet...so Ruger is just playing catchup 60 years after the fact...

Monday Mornining Blues
 

I can't spend any money on non guns if I tried...I'm ZERO for SIX....this mornining I bid on an English Muzzleloading Target Rifle circa 1872...made by Peter Harris. Who Peter Haris was is anybodies guess without quiet a bit more research. The estimate was 5000 to 8000...I was the underbidder.....the winner with buyers premium is in at $12,000 plus sales tax if applicable...unreal....www.juliaauctions.com ....Session #2 lot 377.

Tabs,
What might be a fair market value on an 1876, 30-06, Eddystone in decent shape? Just curious.

Thats also known as a Pattern 17 Enfield....when I started out they were $150.00, but that was 25 years ago....today they are worth about $650 in excellent shape...most were used in 2 world wars and then sold as surplus...so the condition on average isn't great..

They were also made by Winchester and Remington as well as Eddysotne....the Winchesters obviously are worth the most...

It has been widely believed that Sgt Alvin York used a Pattern 17, but a recent American Rifleman article on sgt York set the record straight ...he used a Springfield 1903...

The British used a Pattern 14 rifle which is the same rifle as the Pattern 17, except the Pattern 14 is chambered for the British 303 cartridge...

A frind of mine recently sold a Pattern 14 Sniper Rifle, which was one of 50 or so built after WW1 for 10K....I had only seen one other Pattern 14 Sniper and was the underbidder at 5K about 6 years ago...the auctioneer was amazed at how much was bid for that rifle....

Ohhh BTW: Griffin & Howe in NY bumped the prices of their used rifles from $4250 for a Springfield action G&H in 30/06 to $8000.00
today.

Hey Tabs...I picked up another Colt yesterday but it is a bit weary. Do you know anyone who can reproduce the charcoal gray finish of the old Colt autos?

Doug Turnbell can restore any Colt or Winchester to better than new...however I will ask afriend of mine if he knows of anyone else....there is a well known 1911 dealer, who passes off restorations as orginal.....
.

Thanks P.M. me the names and numbers if you have them.

Henry & Buddy say Hi.

Go to....www.turnbullrestorations.com

This guy ain't cheap, but he can make it look better than new. I have only briefly talked to him in passing at the Shot Show in January....

The gun you want to restore has to be something specail to make it worth while...and remember in guns the operative word is ORGINAL CONDITION....so restoration has been frowned upon...but now with the prices of the best pieces being so high...restoration is gaining some respectabillity.

Talk about a worthless WebSite...Turnbulls is it......here is his phone number...585 657 6338.....maybe that will provide better luck...

I took it over to Bob Cogan over here. He has done some work for me before. He is seeing if he can just touch it up so I can keep most of it's originality.Yeah i know everybody frowns on refins..but,,, 1. It's 1903 they made a zillion of them. 2. It's mine to shoot, as all the rest of my Colt's. Like my 911.. I drive it for Christ sake. I probably won't sell them anyway, I'll keep them in the family. Hell by the time I go they will be worth something. I will see what Bob says today and maybe give your guy a call. Thanks bud.

Turnbell is a museum quality restorer...and I don't think it would be worth while for you to do a 1903...32 ....with him....you could buy one barnd new in the box for what he would charge you...

I'm looking for a good used Colt model 1908 in 380....85% gun...to shoot...