I just got my auction catalog last week. I noticed that inside the back cover is an add for the August auction. It has a couple rifles pictured and it says featuring rifles from the Terry Buffum collection. I hope Terry is doing OK and has just decided to sell a few things.

John

Likewise GG, we have already lost two Alaskan friends John Wills, gunsmith extraordinaire and of course Michael Petrov. To loose a third from the same town would be a catastrophe. I do hope he's not selling his Zischang Borchardt, it's one of only two I know of with the ultra rare Zischang safety, and it's in magnificent condition.

Harry

Thanks for the good thoughts! Physically, I am doing fine; the loss of several friends over the past few years convinced me it was time to scale way back in the number of guns in my collection. I consigned about 250, kept about 50 including my projects.

The Zischang had been promised to Michael, so I let it go to a close mutual friend, much younger than either of us. I think that would have been its next successive home had Michael not left us far too soon!

Good news!

That is great to hear. We have lost way to many friends recently.

My son and I are leaving for CO tomorrow and he is determined to get a prairie dog with the Barney Worthen Hornet that I believe came from your collection. It shoots about like most of those old Hornets do, which is to say about mediocre at best. He was able to keep them in about 3 inches at 100 yards which should get us a dog if we can get close enough and we have enough ammo.

John

You may want to revisit Mark Benenson's article on the Early Hornets in Gun Digest. I suspect that Worthen rifle was actually part of the story.

I'm glad to see it in young hands and getting used!

Good to hear from you Terry.
I'm at the S&W collectors show and shopping for a new milling machine in Spokane. Hopefully collection sales will allow machinery purchase(?) There are no machines to buy in Montana...

Ben has that 'hard holder' look in his eyes. I going to bet on Ben!! Bad days ahead for the dogs!

Is that a Winchester 52 converted to Hornet? I never heard of such a thing. If it is, and is using the original barrel, it will be quite undersize. Use the smallest diameter bullets you can find.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the original Hornets were built on converted Springfield M1922's with .221" bores..

It's nice to see an old Lyman Junior Targetspot still in use. A fine scope, much like the Unertl 1".

No, it is a Springfield.

We made it to Colorado Saturday afternoon and had a little time for some shooting before dinner. It didn't take long to find a dog within range of the little Hornet. Ben connected on the first shot at about 125 yards.

We were not in a really dense town, but ended up getting about a dozen between us with the Hornet in a couple hours. The most cool part was getting to see a bald eagle land and pick up one of our dead dogs and carry it off.

Nice!

Great job Ben!! Glad to see you make the shots count!