MILLBROOK, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 17/18, 2004-
The remnants of hurricane Ivan brushed The Vintage Cup, dumping two inches of rain on New York’s upper Hudson Valley on Friday night and into Saturday, but shooters and show-goers buttoned their Barbours and pressed on. If anything, the weather drove more people into the Concours building, where they had 83 registered guns and rifles to admire.
      The Norman R. Blank Award for “best in show” (chosen by the judges) was given to a superb heavy 12-bore 3-inch side-by-side rifle, a hammerless Holland & Holland Royal (SN#7439) with a Jones underlever, the No. 2 of a pair that had been made for H.H. the Nawab of Bhawalpur and delivered in 1882. With its case and fittings, and engraved with unusually sophisticated (for the time) images of tiger, lion and elephant, it is the epitome of a Concours “best.” The owner is Peter Marcovicci of Long Island, New York. The rifle also won the Double Gun Journal Award for best double rifle and earned a Gold certificate in the Vintage British Double Rifle class.
      The Boothroyd Award winner (chosen by popular ballot) was a Charles Boswell 28-bore ejector over/under shotgun with pinless sidelocks, SN#19001. It is the first of the new Boswells, a name revived by British gunmaker Chris Batha, and it belongs to Garfield Beckstead of Florida. The action and barrels are by Famars, in Italy, and the wood, engraving and finishing & proofing were done in England. Note: As Batha was a Concours judge, this entry was eligible only for the Boothroyd award, which is chosen not by the judges but by Concours visitors.
      The 8th Concours is indebted to James Stockham, of South Carolina, for bringing 20 guns from his noted collection of pinfires. He received the Grand Collection Award, and one of his guns earned the NRA Cup, for “the gun or rifle of greatest historical significance to the development of sporting firearms.” It was a late-1850s side-by-side 16-gauge shotgun, SN#7615, by Casimir Lefaucheux, inventor of the pivot-action gun and, more notably, the pinfire ignition system. The pinfire was the first successful break-action, cartridge-based breechloader; its historical significance is beyond dispute. The Blank, Boothroyd and NRA Cup guns will be invited to be displayed at the National Firearms Museum, in Fairfax, Virginia. Photographs of all the Concours winners will be posted on this site shortly.

8TH GOLD MEDAL CONCOURS SPECIAL AWARDS & WINNERS

THE NORMAN R. BLANK BEST IN SHOW AWARD — named in honor of the late California gun collector Norman Blank and determined by the judges
Holland & Holland Royal 3″ 12-bore underlever double rifle No. 7439 (1882)
Peter Marcovicci

THE BOOTHROYD ‘PEOPLE’S CHOICE’ AWARD — named in honor of the late British gun writer Geoffrey Boothroyd and determined by popular ballot
Chas. Boswell 28-bore pinless sidelock ejector over/under gun No. 19001 (2004)
Garfield Beckstead

THE NRA CUP — awarded to “the gun or rifle of greatest historical significance to the development of sporting firearms” Casimir Lefaucheux 16-gauge pinfire SxS gun No. 7615 (c. 1860). The pinfire was the first successful cartridge-based break-action breechloader; Lefaucheux not only developed the pinfire system, he also built this particular shotgun.
James Stockham

THE Shooting Sportsman MAGAZINE AWARD — for “a contemporary custom-fitted game gun of less than $18,000 value that best typifies the ideal for upland hunting”
Tate 28-gauge boxlock ejector SxS No. 006 (2002)
AngloAmerican Sporting Agency

THE VINTAGER AWARD — for “the vintage side-by-side that best exemplifies the standards and traditions of The Order of Edwardian Gunners.”
J. Purdey 12-bore back-action hammer gun No. 11847 (1883)
Dan Gomez

THE Upland Almanac AWARD — “the ideal light-gauge upland gun”
F.lli Poli boxlock ejector SxS three-barrel set (.410, 32, 28 bore) No. 2196/7/8 (2004)
Joe Norcom

THE GERMAN GUN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION AWARD — for the Best German Gun
Charles Daly 8-bore SxS hammer gun No. 969
Richard Raymond

THE AMERICAN CUSTOM GUNMAKERS GUILD AWARD — for the Most Outstanding Custom-Built Gun or Rifle
Ehinger SxS flintlock gun/rifle (16-gauge & .54-caliber barrel sets) No. 992 (1992)
Henry Blagden, Jr.

THE WILLIAM LARKIN MOORE AWARD — for the Most Outstanding Italian Gun
Piotti 12-bore traditional SxS hammer gun No. 9788, Terzi engraved (2004)
Paul Dorsa

THE DOUBLE GUN JOURNAL AWARD — for the Best Double Rifle
Holland & Holland Royal 3″ 12-bore underlever double rifle No. 7439 (1882)
Peter Marcovicci

THE GUNNERMAN BOOKS SIDELEVER AWARD — for the Best Sidelever Gun
Stephen Grant 12-bore hammer gun No. 7756 (1919)
Christine Brummer

8TH GOLD MEDAL CONCOURS CLASS WINNERS

CLASSIC AMERICAN SIDE BY SIDE

Gold Medal	L.C. Smith A-2 12-Gauge Gun No. 211469 (1909) Jerry Bowe
Silver	Lefever Optimus 12-Gauge Gun No. 46044 (1903) Jerry Bowe
Bronze	Parker AAHE 12-Gauge Pigeon Gun No. N107227 (1901) Ken Waite, Jr. & Ken Waite III
ANTIQUE BRITISH RIFLE
Gold Medal	J. Purdey 40-Bore Express Percussion SxS Rifle No. 7653 (1867) Malcolm MacGregor
VINTAGE BRITISH DOUBLE RIFLE
Gold Medal	Holland & Holland 12-Bore 3″ Underlever SxS Rifle No. 7439 (1882) Peter Marcovicci
BRITISH PINFIRE
Bronze	Sam’l & Chas. Smith Underlever SxS 12-Bore Matched Pair Nos. 6150/1 (1860) Kirby Hoyt, Vintage Doubles
GUNS OF MEMORY AND TRADITION
Gold Medal	Browning Grade V Superposed 12-Gauge Competition Gun No. 33449 (1953) that belonged to Robert Stack (with memorabilia) Kevin McCormack

BEST EUROPEAN SHOTGUN

Charles Daly Regent Diamond 20-Gauge SxS Gun No. 25273 (1920s, probably by Schüller) Jerry Bowe

BEST NEW SHOTGUN

A.H. Fox 28-Gauge Boxlock Ejector SxS No. F205719 (2004), Demunck engraved Lena Gershenov

MOST UNUSUAL ACTION

Darne Turnbreech 16-Gauge SxS Gun No. 11985 (1909) Paul Belpasso

BEST UPGRADE

Winchester 1886 .50 Express Rifle No. 35413 (converted to takedown; re-stocked, engraved, carved & refinished) Turnbull Restoration

THE GRAND COLLECTION AWARD

James Stockham, for his unique array of historically significant pinfire guns

PARKER GUN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

1ST PLACE
Ken Waite, Jr. & Ken Waite III	AAHE #N107227 12-Ga. Pigeon Gun (1901)
Ken Waite, Jr. & Ken Waite III	BHE #153693 12-Ga. Pigeon Gun (1909)
Ken Waite, Jr. & Ken Waite III	DHE #108912 12-Ga. Pigeon Gun (1902)
2ND PLACE
Turnbull Restoration	VHE / A1 Special upgrade 20-Gauge Gun No. 224941
3RD PLACE
James Julia, Inc.	AHE 20/28-Gauge Gun No. 160652
4TH PLACE
Stephen Farfaro	GH Damascus 12-Gauge No. 84006 (1897)
LEFEVER ARMS COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION AWARD
BEST LEFEVER IN SHOW
Jerry Bowe	Optimus 12-Gauge Gun No. 46044 (1903)

Respectfully submitted by the Gold Medal Concours staff, who also tender their great thanks and appreciation to the individuals and companies that participated in the event; to the NRA, for its unswerving support; to Dan Walter and Butch Searcy for their generous donations; to James Julia, for displaying several of his rare auction guns at the GMC/NRA breakfast; and to the Order of Edwardian Gunners, aka the Vintagers, for inviting the Concours to be a part of the Vintage Cup festivities.