What is the most interesting gun you've had your hands on?

[Pig Hunter]

A cased pair of Dickinson round action 12 bores owned by Lenard Bull. Wonderfully engraved and swung like a feather, just about as good as it gets. Mark

 

[JayCeeNC]

.357 Combat Magnum serial number K260,006.

 

[BearBio]

I forgot a couple:
1886 Winchester in 50-90, british proof marks. Made for some British Colonel.
I used to hang around at the Pony Express Shop in L.A. Knew the guys pretty well. They took in a martially marked Henry. Got to handle it (with gloves!)

 

[2152hq]

I remember when the Gable gun sold. That right there is kind of an "ouch" story, although I'm sure your work was wonderful.

It is as you say an 'ouch' when you don't know the whole story.

Would a buyer pay the same if they had been told of the replaced part and the circumstances surrounding it?

It would be one thing if the part had been damaged at some point in it's life, perhaps even while in Gable's possession and restoration was done to bring the Parker back to original form.
That is true restoration and should be noted so when passed along.

But this was nothing more than a stupid mistake done during a money grab upgrade. Plus nothing was allowed to be marked on the part or under it to signify the work.
Goes on all the time.

Very nice Nambu BTW. Untouched history..

 

[reddogge]

Although not rare in the classic sense or a "blood gun" this Parker VH has a history. It carries a couple of pellets in the right side of the wrist where a previous owner had been shot in the right side of the face. Don't know his name but they are there and that was the story. It's 12 ga, 26" improved/improved, straight stock and is 100% original although not mint by a long shot. It fits me like a glove. My friend sold it to me because it wasn't up to his standards and I am in his debt for that. Just a fine honest gun and I've owned it 30 years or more.

 

[jimmyj]

An American Luger that belong to a member of the Dillinger Gang at the gun battle with the FBI at Little Bohemia, Wisconsin in 1934

 

[lawandorder]

For the last 40 years or so.........

I have chased the history of outlaws & lawmen and during that time have been really privileged to examine a lot of firearms & artifacts from both sides of the law.

The two I enjoyed the most were a Winchester rifle that a banker in Harrison Arkansas used to end the career of Henry Starr.

The other was really two a Winchester model 12 & a Colt 1911 that Chief Otto Reed of the McAlister Ok PD. had with him the day he lost his life in the Kansas City Massacre. I am firmly convinced the Chief Reed shot Frank Nash rather than let him be freed.

 

[NFrameFred]

Back in the early 70's I visited an obscure off the beaten path backwoods gun shop that I was never in before or after. Not knowing what I was looking at, I handled an original Jurras .357 Automag and remember thinking to myself, "who in the world would pay $1300 for something like that ?"

You have to remember, at that time many new cars could be purchased for $3500, so that was indeed a princely sum in that day.

 

[handejector]

In the 1970's, Bob Berryman had a shop in Atlanta. Bob split up Robert Q. Sutherland's collection for him when he was getting divorced. Are you familiar with the Sutherland collection? If not, think of The Book of Colt Firearms from 1971 by Larry Wilson and Robert Q. Sutherland. THAT collection! I was allowed into the office where much of it was. Simply OVERWHELMING. I was too young and too naive to be able to enjoy it like I could now.......

Also in the 70's- another shop in Atlanta dealt in high-end stuff by appointment. You could drop by, but you had to ring a doorbell and answer the intercom to get in. A friend of mine ran it, so I could get in- otherwise, my financial level would have made my gaining entry very doubtful.
One day no other customers (YEAH- like I was a customer!) were there, and he said "I want to show you something". He produced a case containing the 51 Navy that Sam had presented to Albert, the Prince Consort of England, and told me to pick it up! The hair on my arms stands up as I type this........

A few years back, I owned the SECOND 1911 shipped to Browning Bros Store in Ogden. I HAD to wonder if John Moses held it or maybe even shot it!

I owned an S&W 2nd American that came from the original owner's family. The fam legend was that he was a deputy of Pat Garrett's and had helped arrest Billy the Kid a couple of times when he was drunk, so I assume the gun had been pointed at the Kid.

I held Clark Gable's K-22 at a gunshow. Solid provenance.

I held some, and probably could have held any of the guns in Sheryl's 30+ Reg Mag display with Reg #2, the prototypes, Gary Cooper's gun, Baughman's gun....... but why print them up?

I've held the ORIGINAL NICKEL S&W Mod 1917 in 45 Colt that belonged to Lone Wolf Gonzaullas.

I held the guns of Texas Ranger Senior Captain Clint Peoples when Lyle had the collection.

I've held Osa Johnson's G&H 7x57. It resides in Atlanta with a friend. (most of you are wondering?)

A few years ago, I stopped a man walking through a gun show because I saw an interesting knife in his belt. He relayed that he had inherited several interesting pieces. Among them was Ed McGivern's Registered Magnum. I thought to myself "Yeah, right". We kept talking, and he assured me it was documented by a factory letter as shipping to Ed. I took his card, and we soon arranged a meeting. After a long drive, I walked into his home, and Ed's Mag and the letter were laying on his dining room table. He DID indeed own Ed McGivern's Registered Magnum! A few days later, I did.

I've held the guns of FBI SA Jerry Campbell. Jerry was one of the "Shooters" that J. Edgar recruited.

I've owned a couple of Reg Mags shipped directly to the FBI for agents in the 30's.

There may be others, but they don't come to mind right now.....

 

[A10]

I am happy to see you chime in Lee. I figgered you'd have a few good ones to share!

 

[A10]

How'd that three barrel point, Moondawg?

 

[Cooter Brown]

It is as you say an 'ouch' when you don't know the whole story.

Would a buyer pay the same if they had been told of the replaced part and the circumstances surrounding it?

It would be one thing if the part had been damaged at some point in it's life, perhaps even while in Gable's possession and restoration was done to bring the Parker back to original form.
That is true restoration and should be noted so when passed along.

But this was nothing more than a stupid mistake done during a money grab upgrade. Plus nothing was allowed to be marked on the part or under it to signify the work.
Goes on all the time.

Very nice Nambu BTW. Untouched history..

The ouch came from the fact that a nice old gun was molested without good reason, other than maybe ignorance or greed...like you say, I'm sure it happens a lot, unfortunately.

Moondawg, that's a cool old Dickson three barrel--not many of those, and I think most if not all were 16 bore.

 

[JOE MACK]

I got to shoot a prototype Ruger Red Label owned by the late Tom Ruger and handle a custom Winchester being shipped to Bill Sr. Sorry, I've got more Rugers than anything else.

 

[cmore]

Mine would be one of the M29s used in the first
Dirty Harry movie. It was brought to the SW bunch
meeting in Tulsa by Jim Supica(IIRC) and several of
us had our pictures taken with it.

Or perhaps an old model 10 that I bought because it
had such a smooth action.
It was alleged to have been used in several murders.

 

[guy22]

Marlin 60

Bought in 1967 a Westren Auto Revelation .22lr (marlin 60). With my own money!!!. Bought four boxes of Rem. .22lr at $.35 each. This rifle is very dear to me.
First semi I had ever shot. Everything before being bolt. For me this was a revelation!!!
Has keep me going for 45 years!!!
guy22

 

[doublesharp]

This 1886 Winchester in 45-90 from 1890s has been in a friends family since new. Just a few chiggers but all original and this picture doesn't do the vivid case color justice.

 

[Gunzuki]

Two Really special Pieces
a Purdy Elephant gun in something Like .500 express and worth what 300k or more? Somethin like that. And a guy at a gun show had an MP-40 and let me handle it. I never thought I would ever actually see one let alone hold it.

 

[hittman77]

How about a Colt '21?

I also got to handle one of these recently and a Drilling 16x16x.225

 

[jag312]

A Swiss K31 carbine that had been carried by a nice fellow from Geneva until 1958, when it was taken back and he was given an automatic rifle. He always missed it, he told me, when I was able to contact him after buying it at a gun show. Many of the Swiss rifles have a tag under the buttplate with the soldier's name and home town! If you have one, take a look; the real Swiss Army knives fit the screws perfectly.....

I have a K31. I looked, and there is a tag underneath the buttplate. As best as I can read it, it says:

Roggo Erwin
J. (or 5) Sept…… Il…
Bundtels
Duchingen

I tried to add a picture, but all I get is UP LOAD FAILED. I'll rephotograph it, and add it later. I sure would like to know who this man is.

 

[wbraswell]

Gee, I feel my gun safe is quite boring now. A basic worn Garand is all I can come up with. CptCurl, I guess that Thompson and all it's accessories is yours? I would expect that from a man who appreciates fine arms like you. So what else can we expect to feast our eyes on? Maybe a BAR or Lewis gun? I think you should take advantage of the forum's album capabilities. Heck, I'd just like to see you take pictures of my guns. Your eye with the camera is as fine as it is for quality firearms.