Antique Firearms

[frawin]

As many of you know I grew up with Brothers that Loved to Hunt and I do to. I love Guns, any kind of Guns, over the years I have accumulated over a Hundred Guns, as I am getting Older, I have been splitting my Guns with my 2 Sons and my Daughter. All 3 of my Children love Guns and love to Hunt.I have Given them most of my Guns, I have kept a Few to Bird Hunt with . I have had two Antique ones. One is an 1880 Colt 45, good Condition. I have Fired it a couple of times. A Photo of it is attached. The other is an 1894 Marlin  Lever Acton Rifle in 25-20 Caliber, I have Fired it also. I tried to Post pictures of both at once but for some reason it would not let me, I am not sure why.

[frawin]

Attached is the Lever Action Rifle. In addition to the 2 Guns Posted , I had an 1882 Colt Pistol with Mother of Pearl Grips, it was in Awesome Condition, I had it Evaluated and the Gun Expert that Evaluated said he had never done one like it but it would probably be worth $8,000.00 or more. My Daughter wanted it, and I gave it to her. I wish I had a picture of it to Post. It is a Beautiful Gun.

[frawin]

Here are two more that I really like, they are not Antiques but they are Really Pretty in my opinion and they both handle well. The one with the Fancy Grips has 2 Cylinders a 22 Caliber and also a 22 Mag. The other is a Browning, in 22 Caliber, it has Beautiful Wood Grips, they look like
Walnut Wood but I am sure they are not. That both shoot Great.

[dutch]

Those are some awesome nice guns, Frank. I too like them all and one of my favorites is an old Colt Woodsman that my dad bought new back in the depression days. I said he "bought" it new, but that is not entirely accurate because he or any other common citizen actually couldn't legally even buy a semiautomatic pistol in the U.S. way back then. Well, he was in Texas at the time working and going to college off and on and it was in the Austin area that a gun shop there would issue a "99 Year Lease" on such guns. I have looked for the paperwork for the "lease" but have never found it. I'm bettin that the paperwork would be worth more than the gun itself right now.I still may find those papers.   

[frawin]

Dutch, the interesting thing is how I got these Guns, they were both free. The Rifle was given to me, there was a Couple that lived in Howard named Cecil, "Pop" and Sue Allen, some the "oldtimers" will remember them they were "Super Good". Pop had a Big Metal Building  in the Alley next to where we lived, he did Woodworking and other Hobbies in it, I don't remember when but if I saw his Car there I would go over and talk to him, we had some great conversations. When I was somewhere around 15, sadly Pop passed away. Sometime after Pop passed away, Sue asked me if I would help her clean out the Building, there was an Old Closet and in that Closet was the Old Marlin 25-20, and 2 or 3 Old Muzzel Loading Shotguns, Sue asked me if I wanted them,  WOW was I excited, I said "I don't want the Shotguns", but I sure want that Rifle, I have regretted to this day that I did not take the old Shotguns.     How I came by the Old Revolver Also is an interesting Story, at least it is to me. In 1970, Myrna and I moved to Bartlesville Oklahoma, we rented a little House in the South part of Town, there was an Elderly Couple that lived in the House next to us, the Maurice Woods, we got to be really good friends with them, then as now I loved Guns and I was out in the Garage Cleaning my Old Browning A5 12 Gauge and he came over and Visied with me. He left and came back shortly with the Old Pistol and it was wrapped in an old Oily Rag, he handed it to me and said" I see you out here Cleaning and working with your Guns and I was wondering if you would want this one, I was Flabbergasted, I said"I sure do"". he proceeded to tell me how he got it. " His Grandfather was Sheriff in Nevada Missouri, and this was the Gun he used, He was Sheriff sometime in the late 1800s, and he left the Gun to his son who was Mr. woods Father. I soaked that Gun for Days in a solution to get the old Oil and Gease off of it. I have had lots of offers for the old Rifle and Pistol, but I have never once thought about selling them. At one time I had over a 100 Guns, my Wife says I have never seen s Gun I didn't want, and she is right about that. I have given my 2 Sons and my Daughter lots of Guns, I have kept some that I am not ready to part with. My Daughter is my youngest Child and when we Lived in Midland, TX she would go Dove and Quail Hunying with me a lot. She and my 2 Boys are all Excellent Shots. I asked her if she wanted any of my Guns, she gave me her List, she wanted an old Single Shot Remington Rifle that had been my Dads, an old Old Colt 32 Caliber Six Gun , with a Blued Finish and real Mother of Pearl Handles, How I acquired it is also an interesting Storey. In 1980 we moved to Midland Texas, I was head of the Phillips Crude Supply office in Midland , after 8 years a good Friend that I did lots of business with made me an offer I couldn't resist, a Salary that was a lot more than I was making and a Position as Vice President. There was a Young man working there as the Accountant, he knew somewhere between a little and nothing about guns, when his Uncle Passed away His Wife gave all the Guns the uncle had to him. He came into the Office one day with several of the Guns, and said he really didn't care about the guns, would I like to buy any of them, I immediately Grabbed the old Colt, I knew it was valuable,he said "will you pay me $500 for it, I jumped on that. I have had it appraised and it was appraised at $8,000 or more. When I asked my Daughter to pick the Guns that was one she wanted, and I gave it to her with the other Guns. Well I have probably bored you enough with my long winded Stories, but they are some I love to repeat, wishing everyone on the Forum a great day. I do wish I had a picture to post on the Forum of the old fancy Colt.

[dutch]

Very interesting stories on some of the guns you acquired over the years. My dad always liked guns and I remember him telling me that the colorful Billy Denton would let him and my Uncle Ray on occasion shoot the Pearl or Ivory handled Colt 45s that he wore quite a bit of the time. I've even got some pictures of them doing that when they were somewhere around 13 or 14 years old. They hunted and trapped enough one year to buy a Model A or T to go to Howard High back in the day when the fur market was good.

[Diane Amberg]

I have one of Uncle Bill's hand guns. I think it's a 38. It's in the gun safe. I'll have to look. I haven't thought about it in years. I wonder whatever became of that 45?

[dutch]

Diane...As best as I can remember, Dad said Billie had a matched pair of 45 revolvers that he wore on occasion. I am too young to remember Billie, but have heard some tall (or not so tall) tales of his life and times. I can still picture the old three legged wind generator that was on his corner and remember the extensive set of lead celled batteries that powered his radio and more, that sold when the had the final sale and auction there on his corner, located at Limestone Road and 7th Road. I do however remember the Ambergs fondly and my folks thought well of them, too.

[Diane Amberg]

Aw, it's nice to know that someone remembers them.They are all gone now of course, but I remember our visits and lots of phone calls over the years. When I was much younger I remember riding Blondie. Her mother was a pinto named Skeeter. We caught fish in one of the ponds, and I was fascinated with the oil wells and how they worked.
Uncle Bill loved science and was a charter member of National Geographic, if I remember correctly.
As a young man, Daddy drove him on quite an adventure to Mexcio. I have film of it around here somewhere. I know he was quite a character, as was Uncle Teddy. Any stories to share?

[dutch]

Diane, I do remember your Uncle Ted. Back in the 50s, Dad and I were feeding cattle in the morning and had just come out of a gate out west of town when Ted pulled up in his two-toned blue Mercury. He had just stopped to chat...nothing important but a couple of minutes later we heard some shotguns going off about a mile south.Ted went on point and said to my Dad, "I think they're on your south 80!" Dad said he hoped not 'cause Doc Reid and Glenn Miller and a couple of American Legion buddies were coming out to hunt quail after lunch. He didn't want the coveys busted up and scattered all over.
Ted said lets go run em off! I'll back you up! He fired up the Merc and took off southbound with the pipes cackling and the gravel flying. He slid around the corner a mile south and pulled up behind their car about a quarter mile east. By the time we caught up Ted had already jumped out, shotgun in hand, yelling something about 'sunny beaches' from Sedgwick County just shot some more of your birds. Those guys were picking them up when Dad got there. He was fuming mad and red in the face. He asked them what they thought they were doing in there hunting on his posted land, to which one of the guys said he didn't know it was posted. Well, that did set Poppa on fire and he wheeled around to the gate we just went through and the corner that Ted slid around and two other corners with signs up pointing to all the posted signs. Then, get this Ted walked up, shotgun ready, and Dad said "Empty out all my birds out of your game bags right here on the grass and get the hell out of here and don't ever come back!"  They did as told and left in a hurry much to Ted's delight. Dad said he wouldn't have done the bird collecting if it hadn't been for you backing me up, Ted. Ted really liked that recognition and they would have a good laugh now and then talking about that day. That incident was quite a deal for a young kid to be in on, and I still think about it to this day.  Good times in Elk County!!!