Here are some samples of the
educational displays presented by UGCA members.
We hope you enjoy them. Part of the pleasure of
gun collecting is learning about the historical, technical, and artistic
features associated with firearms. Gun shows provide members, and
the general public, a chance to appreciate these aspects.
If you collect guns,
we invite you to join UGCA.
Membership benefits include
for free admission to all UGCA shows, reduced table rates, and a great
newsletter.
Click
here for membership information and application
Copyright 2002 by Utah Gun Collectors Association. All rights reserved. Box 711161, salt Lake City, UT 84171
Let's go to the UGCA gun show!
Before we look at the
displays, lets see some items that showed up with dealers or the guests.
Two items with local connections showed
up, from two of the great Utah gun makers.
John M. Browning, arguably the greatest firearms designer of all time, worked in Ogden, Utah, about 10 miles for the show location. The great Browning Collection in Ogden is well worth a visit. Browning first achieved fame from his invention of the single shot rifle that is now known as the "highwall" or Winchester Model 1885, which is still in production by various makers.
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Parker O. Ackley is another famous gunsmith who operated in Salt Lake City, Utah after World War 2. His specialty was manufacture of fine sporting rifles and development of new cartridges. This is a well used .22-250 made on a Mauser action, but with one of the fanciest maple stocks we have seen. As indicated by the stock design it was probably made in the 1960s. Ackley made it as a special item for his cousin, but it has since passed through another owner before arriving the in the hands of the collector who brought it to the show.
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Lots of people bring old guns or related items to our show for free appraisals or to sell. Maybe you want to do this at the next show.
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Left- the "full size" .45 caliber Single Action Army shown with two of the smaller .22 caliber versions. Right shows two of the original shipping boxes, which collectors love to find, in this case they are from a consecutively numbered pair of pistols.
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Old Sarge in front of his great display, and helping a visitor learn
more.
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Civil War Carbines- used by the cavalry during the Civil War, and many
were used later in the Indian Wars.
Left: Spencer, Sharps, Burnside, Smith, Gallagher, Starr, Maynard,
and Merrill.
Right- Cosmopolitan, Warner, Ballard, Sharps & Hankins, Frank Wesson,
Joslyn, Hall, Palmer, Ball and Triplett & Scott.
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Civil War Handguns and Ammunition for rifles.
Left- Starr, Whitney, Smith & Wesson, U.S. Model 1842 "horse pistol."
Right- Colt 1860 Army, Colt 1849 Pocket model, Remington Army, Savage
Navy revolver.
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Model 1901 predecessor to the M1903 rifle (unfinished receiver only)
Model 1903 rifle with rod bayonet (all but a few hundred were later modified to take the knife bayonet)
Model 1903 rifle in .22 caliber for training (known as the Hoffer-Thompson)
Model 1903 National Match Special- one of about 150 made with special stocks
Model 1903A1 rifle marked "ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL but actually made at Springfield
Model 1903A2 rifle for use in artillery sub-caliber device
Model 1903A3 National Match rifle- one of 140 made before they realized the design was worthless.
Model 1903 NRA Sporting rifle, used as the basis for a classic 1930s style sporting rifle.
Model 1937 "Bannerman" Springfield made from salvaged scrap parts from many different types of rifles.
Mann Accuracy Barrel, assembled to M1903A3 action for testing ammunition accuracy.
Model 1901 Springfield bolt and receiver, predecessor of the Model
1903. Note that the 1901 safety lug on the bolt is lower, and rear
receiver ring is rounded, while on the M1903 the is a raised bridge needed
to clear the higher safety lug. Note the difference in the cut for thumb
clearance when loading stripper clips. The 1901 parts turn
up from time to time, but were unfinished scrap, and rifles built using
them are not safe to fire.
The Original .30 caliber cartridge, Model of 1903 (top) with heavy
round nose bullet and case about 0.10 inch longer than the .30 caliber
cartridge Model of 1906 (.30-06) shown below. About the same time that
the rod bayonet rifles were being converted for the knife bayonet, they
were also being altered for the much better .30-06 cartridge.
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"About as poor an invention as I ever saw"- President Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 letter to the Secretary of the Army put an immediate end to production of the original "rod bayonet" design of the Model 1903 rifles. Only a hundred or so of the rifles escaped being converted for the new knife bayonet design and new .30-06 cartridge. These are very rare collector items, and even the few restored examples (such as this one) are extremely scarce and expensive.
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Left- The Bannerman and Hoffer Thompson rifles.
Right- "Bannerman" rifle, built about 1937 by the famed surplus dealers
using scrap and salvaged parts. THis has a low number M1903 receiver,
with a barrel from an unknown gun. Bolt, stock and trigger guard
are from M1917 Enfields. Krag bands and rear sight (jammed into a
M1903 sight base) add an even more mixed pedigree.
Detail of the "Hoffer-Thompson" .22 caliber version of the M1903.
Each of the special "cartridges" is an adapter that is loaded with a .22
short cartridge, and has a firing pin in the rear portion. The regular
rifle firing pin striking the adapter firing pin into the cartridge and
sends the bullet down the barrel which is only .22 caliber. This
rifle allowed practice firing on indoor ranges with cheap .22 ammunition
and required use of stripper clips for loading. These were only used
from about 1907 to 1919.
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Left- Model 1903A1 rifle marked Rock Island but actually made at Springfield.
Right- M1903 NRA Sporter rebuilt as a custom sporter in the classic
1930s style with Griffin & Howe mount and Lyman Alaskan scope, Lyman
48 rear sight. Note the cheek piece on the right side of the stock
for use by a left handed shooter. This gun exhibits the finest quality
workmanship of a fine gunsmith.
The Model 1903A2 is essentially a M1903 barreled action with the sights
removed and the trigger pin staked in place. Some, like this one,
had "A2" added to the markings. Many seem to have used salvaged barrels
(set back a turn). Using .30-06 subcaliber devices in tanks and other
artillery pieces allowed training on regular rifle ranges with cheap ammunition
instead of regular artillery ranges with huge safety area requirements.
Model 1903A3 National Match. Special target sight added could
only be positioned in one of two locations, one blocked operation of the
bolt, and the other blocked the clip slot for rapid fire use. OOPS!!!
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The Mann Accuracy Barrel. For test firing it is held with the barrel
resting in two "V" blocks to make it as accurate a test of the ammunition
quality as possible. The small piece of stock is just used to hold
the action parts together and provide a minimal surface to grip during
test firing.
Clearly marked ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, but they stopped making rifles
or receivers in the low 400,000 range. About 2,000 receivers that
were nearly finished and had been marked Rock Island turned up in parts
at SPringfield about 1928 and were finished, given Springfield serial numbers
and built into rifles
Another oddball tidbit. The "spare parts container" carried in
many rifles from about 1911 to 1917. This wooden case had slots for
a firing pin, cocking piece and extractor, and was carried instead of the
nickel plated brass oiler and thong case. A very scarce accessory, and
most people would not recognize if they had one.
Very scarce collector's prizes include a Volcanic pistol (top center)
Model 1866 "Yellow boy" and 1873 rifles on the left, and Henry and Model
1876 rifles on the right.
It all began with the Volcanic pistol, but you can see the operating
lever, exposed hammer and tubular magazine under the barrel which have
been common features of most Winchester arms for over 100 years now.
The evolution from Volcanic to Henry is pretty obvious. This
fine example features original engraving and remnants of the silver plated
finish on the brass parts.
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And here are five superb Garand rifles, ranging from service grade
to special National Match quality rifles.
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Kids see some of the names and hometowns of Utahns who have sacrificed.
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Two Relics of Utahns killed at Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941
Left, the Congressional Medal of Honor presented to the family of Chief
Watertender Peter Tomich. As his ship, the USS Utah (BB31/AG16) was
sinking, he ordered the rest of the engine room crew to safety while he
stayed behind to secure the boilers, giving his life to save hundreds of
his shipmates. The bell from the USS Utah is preserved on the University
of Utah campus by the NROTC building.
Right, the sleeve from the uniform of Captain Mervyn S. Bennion, a
Utah native, who insisted on remaining in an exposed position on the bridge
of his ship, the battleship USS West Virginia, to direct resistance to
the Japanese attack. After being injured by enemy attack, he refused
to leave his battle station and died after ordering medical personnel to
attend to other wounded men first.
About 25 guns are included in this display. It was well received at
the Colt Collectors Association show.
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Left- A 1851 Colt Navy .36 caliber revolver with shortened barrel. Note
that it has been struck by a bullet damaging the frame and also puncturing
the cylinder. Found in an old cow town or mining camp, it certainly
must have an exciting story to tell, but no one will ever know what it
is, as it was dug up.
Right- Colt 1848 .31 caliber Pocket model revolver that has been shortened
and converted from a revolver to a single shot pistol. An evolutionary
step backwards that is almost unheard of. Was it some desperado's
attempt to keep a weapon operating, or simply something hastily salvaged
to provide a youngster with a gun to practice with until ready for a better
piece?
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