GMC II
Gold Medal Concours d’Elegance of Fine Guns
at The Vintage Cup World Side-by-Side Championships & Exhibition 2001
Proudly Presented by the NRA
Because of the terrible events of September 11, participation in the second Concours was lighter than anticipated. Nonetheless, 41 very fine and rare shotguns and rifles were registered for judging, along with four outstanding examples from the National Firearms Museum, and attendance was excellent. (People’s Choice ballots were exhausted by Saturday afternoon!)
The Gold Medal Concours would like to thank the judges for their hours of deliberation and discussion, and their discerning selections. They were:
Stephen Helsley — chief-NRA, ret.; law-enforcement executive, tactical shooter, shooting writer and collector of British single-shot rifles
Chris Batha — E.J. Churchill Gunmakers; competition and game shooter, shooting instructor, and a lifelong veteran of the British gun trade
Malcolm MacGregor — representing the Order of Edwardian Gunners; former gunsmith and lifelong shooter and connoisseur of fine guns
John Milius — writer, shooter, fine-gun connoisseur whose films are renowned not only for action and adventure but also for total accuracy with regard to weaponry
Vic Venters — senior editor of Shooting Sportsman and author of that magazine’s esteemed Gun Review column for many years
Sincere thanks go also to the NRA, the presenting sponsor of the Concours; to Jim Baker, head of the NRA’s Institute for Legal Action, for his personal support; and to Phil Schreier, of the National Firearms Museum.
Thanks also for their support and participation to the German Gun Collectors Association, the Parker Gun Collectors Association, Shooting Sportsman, Double Gun Journal, Grouse Point Almanac, Edward E. Ulrich and the Vintagers.
Orvis Sandanona, in particular Dan O’Connor and Brian and Peggy Long, deserve thanks and applause for offering their excellent new building to house the Concours–and for completing its renovation the day before the event began.
Ray Poudrier and his Vintager board–Jack Dudley, Chris Gilgun and Frank Conroy–and all the staff of The Vintage Cup, who together “held the center” and gave us this welcome respite; thank you.
Last but hardly least, great thanks to everyone who braved travel difficulties and personal concerns and sorrow to attend both the Concours and The Vintage Cup. For a few days we all were able to gather with friends and to collectively shoulder the burden of September 11.
Awards
Classic British Sidelock SxS 12-Bore
Gold Medal Holland & Holland Royal Gun #22709
Sal LoCicero
Silver Medal Boss & Co. Gun #6484
Sal LoCicero Vintage British Hammer Smallbore
Silver Medal Wm. Pape 28-Ga. Gun #6014
Victor R. Simone
Classic European Boxlock SxS 12-Bore
Gold Medal Prussian Daly Empire-grade Gun #25757
Paul Chase
Special Awards
The Double Gun Journal Award for “Best Double Rifle for North American Game”
Holland & Holland Royal .500-31/4 BPE Rifle #19008
R. L. Edwards
The Grouse Point Almanac Award for “the Ideal Light-Gauge Upland Gun”
Boss & Co. 20-Ga. SxS Gun #9099
Victor R. Simone
The Shooting Sportsman Award for “a contemporary custom-fitted game gun less than
$15,000 in value that best typifies the ideal for upland gunning”
Ithaca Classic 28-Ga. Grade 6 Gun #470226
Bill Davis
The Edward E. Ulrich Award for “Best American Double”
Winchester Model 21 20-Ga. Gun #5437 (owned by Walter Chrysler)
Roger Bain
The German Gun Collectors Association Award for “Best German Gun”
Merkel detachable-sidelock SxS 12-Ga. Guns (matched pair) #23365/24258
Henry O. Smith III
The Parker Gun Collectors Association Award for “Best Original Hammer Parker”
10-Gauge Underlifter Gun #13565
Kevin McCormack
The Parker Gun Collectors Association Award for “Best Original Hammerless Parker”
Parker Prototype Hammerless 12-Ga. Gun c. 1884 (unserialized)
Roger Bain
The Parker Gun Collectors Association Award for “Most Outstanding Parker”
8-Gauge, 40-inch Hammer Gun #88112
Roger Bain
The Vintager Award for “the vintage side-by-side gun that best exemplifies the standards and traditions of The Order of Edwardian Gunners”
Brancquaert Hammer 12-Ga. Pigeon Gun #935
Victor R. Simone
The NRA Cup awarded to “the gun or rifle of greatest historical significance to the development of sporting firearms”
Parker Prototype Hammerless 12-Ga. Gun c. 1884 (unserialized)
Roger Bain
The Boothroyd People’s Choice Award (by popular ballot)
Parker Bros. Special 12-Ga. Gun #165750(the Tsar Nicholas gun)
Charles A. Herzog, Sr.
Best in Show (by consensus of the judges)
Boss & Co. 10-Ga. O/U Gun #6839
Sal LoCicero