McGivern's Guns?? LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!

Reminds me of a conversation my son and I had about a couple of commemorative 1911s his unit had custom made for themselves after their deployments. He asked me if he should shoot them or keep them in pristine condition. I told him that since he had his name engraved on them that they wouldn't be worth anything more in pristine condition than any other 1911, and maybe even less. I also told him that if he became famous it wouldn't matter what kind of condition they were in, they'd still be worth a good bit of money. He chose to shoot them.

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Well if that's the case, I for one am a happy camper!!

Somebody up above reported the sale price of $12,000, and I repeated it---sad on the one hand that someone had been taken for a ride---also sad that my prior contact with the auction folks had been for naught---not that I really expected them to pull the lot on my say-so---but hoped they would.

Whether they did or not is an unknown, they may have not sold simply because the bidding didn't meet a reserve.

Whatever, the bottom line is this story ain't necessarily over---and we very well may never know the ending!

Ralph Tremaine
 
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There seems to be a big double standard here. During my time here the standard has always been who or where the gun shipped to backed by a factory letter. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have provenance after that and sometimes it's just hopeful speculation. Bekeart was a dealer but his name on the paper is deemed important enough by collectors to have multiple classifications of Bekeartness. Same goes for a Jovino gun. In my opinion it's pretty hard to discredit a McGivern lettered gun just because he sold some guns. I would think he handled and shot more S&Ws than many other historically relevant gun owners.
 
Let's get this straight…

If I'm BUYING a McGivern owned revolver, it's no doubt promoted as his revolver, letters as such, surely worth a ton.

But if I'm SELLING that very same revolver, it's one of many, many to pass through his hands and not all that unusual and, therefore, worth very little?
 
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Ralph's guess seems to be correct. These guns did not sell, but the bidding closed at $12,000 as I was following the auction. Lot #1455 (McGivern K22s) and Lot #1456 (Engraved Colt) did not appear on the realized price listing. The reserve was $16,000 - $24,000 for the pair of K22s. We might well see them again at auction or maybe the auction house and bidder settled on a price??
 
My favorite gun scammer is Zerelda James, Jesse's mother.

She supposedly sold hundreds of old guns, each with a sales receipt describing "My son Jesse's gun".

I'd love to have one of those old receipts!
 
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My favorite gun scammer is Zerelda James, Jesse's mother.

She supposedly sold hundreds of old guns, each with a sales receipt describing "My son Jesse's gun".

I'd love to have one of those old receipts!
I have a pencil and paper, and for the right price I'll send you one signed by Zerelda her own self...For a small extra gratuity I'll date it as your birthday...:rolleyes:...Ben
 
gun storys

When it comes to telling a story about a gun I have three. I have a K22 bought 3-19-47. It is in it's factory box with all tools and papers 98-99%. It was my granddad's. I have another one bought 12-23-48 in Fac. box with all tools and papers 98-99%. this belonged to my granddad's friend. I have another one belonged to my granddad's friend. It is in it's fac.box with tools and papers 98-99%. My granddad Jim Long lived in Long Beach Calf. worked at McDonald Douglas aircraft. He was born in Hayesville Iowa and own a farm that his friend Keith Kliensmiht farmed. Keith lived near Hayesville Iowa. He was the owner of the second gun that I talked about that I have. The third gun I have is from another friend from Ottumwa Iowa. Feeman McCoy he was an Army pilot trainer in Ottumwa during WW2. These were life long friends and they liked buying what the other one's bought. They rarely shot there guns they just had to have one.The first two are lettered the third isn't yet. I can't decide if I will I know the history already. These are all one line address. The first one has a lerk rod. These guys are from the right era when hard work was rewarding.
 
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You could go to a small gun show in Bug Tussell......

....and chances are fair that you might see a revolver there with a sign that says the gun was owned by Hank Williams Jr. The sign would also have inflated price for the gun because of previous ownership.

I have seen dozens revolvers of his at many different gun shows. I am very pleased that this great country music artist is of the gun culture. I don't think that his previous ownership adds a lot to the value of the gun. Sure it does a bit for big fans of his or folks that just like to say look who owned this.
Have seen at least a box car load of guns that belonged to Jesse James, maybe 2 or 3 of them had a remotely believable documentation trail.
Stories by the million. At the Little Rock gun show one year a fellow
from Memphis had what would be best described as home made Winchester lever gun on his table. He had an astronomical price tag and a written story about the guns creation and ownership. He stated it was built by the noted Cherokee Outlaw (?) Ned Christie while he was in the Oklahoma State Prison.

Asked him if he would like to have little more info to go with it and he said yes. Told him that was impossible for Ned Christie to have built the rifle , that Ned had been killed by a posse at home years before Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Prior to statehood criminals in Indian Territory & later Oklahoma Territory were either housed in Federal jails. Oklahoma later contracted with Kansas to house prisoners.


Best thing you can do with a historic gun is to obtain as much ownership and use proof you can. If you are wanting to sell a fake object better check your story against your history book.

Cavet Emptor (& Sellers)
 
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gun storys

The story behind the three K 22's I have is I inherited them they were all my friends . Many Saturday nights we would have cook outs in the back yard of my granddad's home in Hayesville after he retired from McDonald Dougals in Long Beach. Freeman an I were very close. I inherited all of his guns most new in boxes. Keith and Fussy was close to which I inherited all of his guns. My granddad's guns which I've got also most like new including a 1956 Colt SAA 45 in black box and papers and clean tools. This has SN. 60xx. I really miss the coon hunts and deer hunts and the cook outs and all the storys we had. If anyone is interested in seeing these S&W guns I would consider listing them.
 
We love S&Ws. richardandsheree, please start a new thread and tell us about your guns. Sounds like you have a bunch of good ones. This forum is for hand ejectors: 1896-1961. Chances are you have a bunch that would fit this forum.
 

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