Rare find, very rare

[hoosierdoc]

Wow! I was wondering where I put those! To ID them, those guns all shot bullets, right? Had some sort of grip on each?

 

[lrahm]

if they go to auction let us know would love to see them

I'll see what I can do. One or any would be a treat.

 

[Colt556]

Inside were 15 rare guns complete in their display wood boxes. The cleaning rods were not used. All of the guns had target hammers and triggers. There were also several makes and models. Each were engraved and had never been fired. I tried the trigger pull on several.


Nice of you to try the triggers and turn the cylinders on someones rare and unfired weapons.

 

[indiucky]

Inside were 15 rare guns complete in their display wood boxes. The cleaning rods were not used. All of the guns had target hammers and triggers. There were also several makes and models. Each were engraved and had never been fired. I tried the trigger pull on several.


Nice of you to try the triggers and turn the cylinders on someones rare and unfired weapons.

I hope you didn't close them up the old "Hollywood Gum Shoe" method with a flick of the wrist!!!! Just kidding. As someone who collects Smiths the trigger is nearly always good on their revolvers. My cousin stoped saying "Man, that's a nice trigger" after he realized he had said that about the last 70 Smith's he had held. If it says Smith and Wesson on the frame that is one thing you do not really have to check. IMHO (which is biased I admit.)

 

[lrahm]

Inside were 15 rare guns complete in their display wood boxes. The cleaning rods were not used. All of the guns had target hammers and triggers. There were also several makes and models. Each were engraved and had never been fired. I tried the trigger pull on several.


Nice of you to try the triggers and turn the cylinders on someones rare and unfired weapons.

Most were all Smiths, they were all inspected and they were all empty. When I tried the hammar pull, the cylinder was open

 

[singlestacksig]

by law everything in a bank box must be reported to the state unclaimed property department..

 

[.45 Dave]

Oh That's where I put them! Now I remember! Just ship them to me and I'll be more careful in the future. Sorry for all the fuss.

 

[lrahm]

by law everything in a bank box must be reported to the state unclaimed property department..

It is, they won't take weapons. The bank will broker them.

 

[lrahm]

I hope you didn't close them up the old "Hollywood Gum Shoe" method with a flick of the wrist!!!! Just kidding. As someone who collects Smiths the trigger is nearly always good on their revolvers. My cousin stoped saying "Man, that's a nice trigger" after he realized he had said that about the last 70 Smith's he had held. If it says Smith and Wesson on the frame that is one thing you do not really have to check. IMHO (which is biased I admit.)

No, I was very careful. I even wore surgucal gloves to pick them up. Unpowdered. I have several myself and carried a nickle 19 for almost 20 years.

 

[lrahm]

One gun was from the mid 1800's, still in the leather display box. I looked only.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

THANK GOD YOU FOUND MY UNCLES BOX!!! We've been looking for records of where he kept them for years!!! PM me the info and I'll be down to pick them up ASAP...

 

[lrahm]

THANK GOD YOU FOUND MY UNCLES BOX!!! We've been looking for records of where he kept them for years!!! PM me the info and I'll be down to pick them up ASAP...

Stand by, it's in the mail.

 

[Kagnew]

Damn. Must be a bigger lock box than the one I've got!

 

[lrahm]

Damn. Must be a bigger lock box than the one I've got!

A full grown person could almost sit in one. It was almost 3 X 3 X 3.

 

[Kagnew]

A full grown person could almost sit in one. It was almost 3 X 3 X 3.

Jeez!

 

[tolle house]

In my job we open these security deposit boxes and in my 37 years have never seen anything like that. COOL.

 

[Kagnew]

In my job we open these security deposit boxes and in my 37 years have never seen anything like that. COOL.

I do believe I would have shat me knickers!

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Here are couple of stories in this vein that I post here solely in the hope that the readership will find them interesting…

Story # 1:

I covered my troops on a burglar alarm in a very upscale neighborhood in Cincinnati. We found a broken basement window, and the front door was unlocked (the richer people are, the worse they are about locking up.) I ordered my men to toss the house.

We made a thorough search and found nothing amiss. Just as we were preparing to leave, the owner returned. I explained the situation, and although I no longer recall how we got on the subject I told him that I was on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association. He said, “C’mon back in the house, I want to show you something.”

I dismissed my men and accompanied the gentleman. We went to the basement. I had noticed something under a tarp but hadn’t looked at it. I was looking for burglars…what a citizen chooses to keep under a tarp in his basement is no concern to me unless I have a search warrant.

He removed the tarp, and beneath it was a mint condition honest-to-god Gatling gun, with its original carriage and the upright box magazine. Needless to say I was mesmerized.

We weren’t done. There was a strong room in the house, and that's as much as I feel comfortable saying about that. Its location was concealed. In this room was the bulk of his collection, and I mean quality stuff, Japanese matchlocks, truly museum quality pieces. We wandered around for awhile as he showed me the collection, then he pointed to a big-frame Winchester on the wall (I now can’t remember whether it was a ’76 or an ’86).

He said, “Have you ever seen ‘HOW THE WEST WAS WON?’”

I said, “Sure, lots of times.”

He said, “You remember the scene at the end where George Peppard is shooting it out with the train robbers?”

“Yep” I said.

“Well,” he said. “That’s the rifle he was carrying.”

Way cool.



Story #2:

The Ohio Gun Collectors always have an exhibit in the hall at the NRA Annual Meeting. At the meeting in Anaheim one of our well-heeled collectors had prepared an exhibit of martial Colt pistols, from “back in the day” to the present day.

In the first panel were four revolvers.

The first was the only know surviving Paterson revolver with military proof marks from a shipment of 150 (I think) sent to the army for testing.

The next two were the only cased pair of first or second model dragoons (I can’t remember) to ever come from the Colt factory.

But the fourth was the jewel of the collection.

When the Texas Rangers were through testing the Patersons they got from Colt, they were favorably impressed, but they had definite improvements in mind. Colt was receptive to the Ranger’s suggestions, and Ranger Captain Samuel Walker was sent to meet Colt in person.

The result was what we now call the Walker Colt, the massive .44 caliber percussion revolver that is the grand-daddy of all wheelguns.

In recognition of Captain’s Walker’s contribution, Colt made a pair of Walkers which he sent to Walker, who by that time was in Mexico with the Rangers in the Mexican War.

Walker received the revolvers and was killed in action a few days later.

The fourth revolver in the exhibit was one of THE pair of Walkers (the other, at that time, was in a private collection in Australia. They were eventually reunited and I THINK the NRA Museum has them).

Needless to say, these were some damned valuable pistols.

As we were tearing down the exhibit I was experiencing my usual cop paranoia and I asked the owner what he was going to be doing with the guns in the exhibit until the following morning when we loaded them on the rental truck for the trip back to Ohio.

“Um, they’ll be in my hotel room,” he said.

“No,” I replied. “They’ll be in MY hotel room. I’m prepared to repel boarders…you’re not.”

The collection was carted to my room and pretty much filled the available space. I had enough room to get in the one bed and had a path to the bathroom and that was about it.

I informed my fellow directors that I would now not leave the room until they returned in the morning and would have my dinner delivered by room service. I instructed them to knock on my door in the morning and LOUDLY identify themselves, which they did and the collection was sent homeward without mishap.

So, for one night, I was the custodian of one of the most historically significant handguns in American history.

Also way cool.

 

[perry]

Here are couple of stories in this vein that I post here solely in the hope that the readership will find them interesting…

So, that's where the "Walker, Texas Ranger" tv show got its name from. Chuck Norris liked the name and went back in time to change Smith's name to Walker

Cool stories, thanks for sharing!

 

[lrahm]

These were top notch in their days. All of the extras added onto them. Cleaned and preserved, never fired. One box had two guns in it. It was locked and we were not going to tamper with it. Heavy frames, target hammers and triggers. Soem had special grips. I wish I had pictures to show.