|
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 |