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the Fifth
Gold Medal Concours d’Elegance of Fine Guns

Proudly presented by the
NRA
and in association with Butterfields
2003 Charity Sponsor B. Searcy & Co.

and The
Western Double Gun & Rifle Championships
The Roosevelt Cup, presented by Krieghoff International
The Nickerson Cup, presented by Atkin Grant & Lang

The 5th Gold Medal Concours d’Elegance of Fine Guns, which also included the 2nd Western Double Gun & Rifle Championships, took place on schedule, but in cold rain and gusting winds, very unusual for central California in the spring. Attendance was down, not surprisingly, but enthusiasm ran high among those who braved the weather, and many superb guns were displayed and many excellent scores were shot on both the shotgun and rifle matches.
      The first Gold Medal Concours raffle was launched as well, thanks to the generosity of Butch Searcy, who made the .470NE double rilfe that is this year’s prize, and Dan Walter, who made the fitted Invincible case for it. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold, at $20 each, and the drawing will take place on September 20, at GMC VI at The Vintage Cup. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the N.R.A’s institute for legislative action.
(Tickets are available by contacting [email protected]).

A more complete report will follow, but for now here are the high points, beginning with the GMC V panel of distinguished judges, who deserve our thanks for a job well and thoroughly done:

Roger Lake-Chief judge; fine-gun specialist at Butterfields, the San Francisco-based auction house; gun writer and widely traveled shooter. Livermore, California.

Laron Fields-Lifelong shooter and collector, member of the California Side by Side Society and specialist in American and British single-shot rifles; shoots a highwall Schuetzen rifle in competition. 2002 Stalking Rifle Champion. Fresno, California.

James Tucker-renowned stocker and gunmaker, most recently with John Rigby & Company. Member, American Custom Gunmakers Guild. Paso Robles, California.

David Moore-Long-time sales manager of William Larkin Moore, dealers & importers of fine guns, primarily from Italy and Spain. Scottsdale, Arizona.

Hans Pfingsten-His grandfather held the position of Imperial Forester during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II; his father was dedicated to the long-established German custom of game management. Moving to the US in his mid-twenties, Hans became an avid collector of European sporting arms. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book German and Austrian Gun Making of the Golden Age.

GOLD MEDAL CONCOURS V AWARDS & WINNERS

Shotguns
Vintage American Side by Side
Gold Medal Lefever Drilling
Ron Wedell
Classic American Side by Side
Silver Medal Parker 12-Gauge damascus DHE-grade No. 203198
Paul Dorsa
Vintage British Sidelock Side by Side
Gold Medal Scott Premier 12-Bore No. 42930
Richard Edlund
Classic British Sidelock Side by Side
Silver Medal

Purdey 12-Bore Pigeon Gun No. 22754, two barrel sets

Richard Edlund
Classic European Boxlock Side by Side
Gold Medal Belgian 16-Bore sideplated Guild Gun No. 885
Steve Helsley
Rifles
Vintage Target Rifle
Gold Medal Gibbs Farquharson .461 No. 1 Rifle No. 1287 (Metford Patent)
Dusty Erickson
Vintage British Hammer Double Rifle
Gold Medal Chas. Lancaster .577 Snider Howdah Rifles (pair) Nos. 4916/7
Dusty Erickson
Silver Medal Holland & Holland .500-31/4BP Jones Underlever Rifle No. 11388
Steve Helsley
Vintage British Single-Shot Rifle
Gold Medal J. Harkom .500-3″ Hammer Take-down Rifle No. 2247
Steve Helsley
Silver Medal Alex Henry .450-31/4BP Rifle No. 4262
Richard Edlund
Vintage British Sidelock Double Rifle
Silver Medal Purdey .450/.400-31/4BP Rifle No. 12014
Richard Edlund
Classic British Sidelock Double Rifle
Gold Medal Holland & Holland Royal .360-21/4NE Rifle No. 19354
Richard Edlund
Rifles of Historical Significance
Silver Medal Dougall .500-31/4BP Rifle No. 3076 (the George Bernard Shaw rifle)
Mal Weaver

Special Awards
The NRA Cup
awarded to “the gun or rifle of greatest historical significance to the development of sporting firearms”
Gibbs Farquharson .461 No. 1 Rifle No. 1287 (Metford Patent)
Dusty Erickson
The German Gun Collectors Association Award
for “Best Germanic Gun”
Prussian (Linder) Daly 10-gauge Boxlock SxS No. 3548
Terry Buffum
The Double Gun Journal Award
for “Best Double Rifle for Dangerous Game”
Holland & Holland Royal .577-3″NE SxS No. 19284
Richard Edlund
The Upland Almanac Award
for the “Ideal Light-Gauge Upland Gun”
Westley Richards ‘Ovundo’ 20-Bore Droplock No. 17560)
Richard Edlund
The Shooting Sportsman Award
for “a contemporary custom-fitted game gun less than $17,000 in value that best typifies the ideal for upland gunning”
R.G. Owen 20-Gauge Boxlock Ejector SxS No. 152
Terry Buffum
The William Larkin Moore Award for “Best Italian Gun”
F.lli Rizzini 12-Bore R-1 SxS No. 1928
Richard Edlund
Honored Marque Award

J.P. Clabrough Collection Display
Larry Shelton
The Boothroyd People’s Choice Award
(by popular ballot)
Chas. Lancaster .577 Snider Howdah Rifles (pair) Nos. 4916/7
Dusty Erickson

Best in Show
(by consensus of the judges)
Set of Four (10, 12, 16, 20-ga.) Exhibition-Grade Sauer SxS BLE Shotguns No. 169160, 162597, 135643, 133019

Paul Dorsa

The
2003 Western Rifle Championships
Proudly Presented by Krieghoff International

Stalking Rifle Champion

Ray Stewart/ Krieghoff Classic 7x65R double rifle
Stopping Rifle Champion

Butch Searcy / Searcy .470NE double rifle
Krieghoff Cup Winner-the ’03 Western Rifle Champion

Butch Searcy / Searcy .470NE double rifle

The
Western Double Gun Championships
Proudly Presented By Atkin Grant & Lang

Shooting Sportsman Magazine Small-Bore Champion – Larry Stauch
Field-Bore Champion –Larry Stauch
12-Bore Champion – Tim Ritter
Big-Bore Champion – John Shanafelt
Ladies Champion – Jeannie Kesselring
Hammergun Champion – Larry Stauch
Over/Under Champion – Bob O’Connor
Nickerson Cup Winner and the ’03 Western Double Gun Champion – Tim Ritter

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