doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Petrov's Gun Room (before) ...

"Were there any special guns that Michael wanted
to be kept in the family, if so what were they?"

Not to my knowledge,but I do know that once he got sick,he had planned to greatly reduce his collection, thinking ahead to the inevitable. There are 26 arms on the "Keep" list; I was pleased to see that those he got from me were among his "keepers".

I type slowly, so I may have to break this into a couple of sessions:

Wundhammer - First One, Match prize
Wundhammer restoration
Ross King 1903 - Pope
Adolph 1903 (Mixter)
Kirkwood Fancy 1903 Compass
Barney Worthen .30-06
Bob Owen, early
S R Griffin, Kornbrath
James V Howe 1903 w/Kornbrath, single lever
Niedner 1903.400 Niedner
Niedner .32-40High Wall, Shelhamer stock No 623 bbl
NiednerBorchardt .25 Krag
Niedner Ballard .32-40, Wills stock
Niedner High Wall .22-3000
Niedner Baker-Borchardt
Munier 1903
August Pachmayr take down 1903, Noske
John Wright & Sons Mauser
.33-WP Ballard ----(I think "WP" is Wills, Poss)
Trapdoor .45-70
.400 Whelen Model 70
Sharps Borchardt Long-Range .45-70
Krag .30-40 (House rifle)
William R Schafer "A" 12 gauge
Hoffman-Kornbrath 12 gauge (had tow,so I don't know which one he meant)
S&W 19-3 "Bike gun"
Winchester 64/94re-bore
"S-Man" 1903
Remington Model 12 .22 pump (family gun) ---- I hope that one got saved!
1922 .22 Shelhamer
Winchester 25 shotgun
Remington 700 .223 Leupold
Colt Cobra CCW
Remington 32-TC two barrel set

I hope you can tell my notes (preceeded by ----) from Michael's, I tried to just copy what he had sent to me, but felt the urge to add a couple of personal notes.

The Remington model 12 by Owen was my favorite out of all the guns shown in his first book.His collection is amazing. I can only wonder at all the time and research it took to find all those wonderful guns.

I am in awe of Michael's work and collection. It is not just the money, although there was a lot of that. To me, the really significant part is the scholarship and research, the effort made to track down each piece, not just guns, but all the accessories and tools. All the work building the histories of each set of items, all the time and travel. Every bit of it had to be a lot of fun for Michael.

With Michael's passing and now the auction, the curtains are closing on on one heck of a show. Of the hundreds of millions of people in the world of the internet, how many are there who are even capable of understanding what we have lost? My feeling is that our numbers are in the 3- or 4-digit range and most of us are a lot closer to the end than to the beginning. In 20 or 30 years, none of us will be here. What then? Are there any young people who have a clue?

I plan to be here in 30 years lord willing. But it might be pretty quiet around here.

John

Me too Gasgunner, 110 is possible isn't it?

Waterman what you lament is just the stock truth of the evolution of the human race. Your exact words have been spoken more then once over the pass millenniums. Sad but true.
We need to accept that and for us who have the bug, enjoy while it lasts. I am pleased Michael was able to pass some of that vast knowledge of our passion, albiet just a portion at best. Thank You Michael as you have done our addiction a significant fix.
Remember that the only thing that makes the human different from all the other creatures on the earth is the ability to communication in a permanent method, writing...and Micheal proved his humanity.

Joe, you have been a great help with what at times must be a difficult job and a sad one, full of mixed emotions. Thanks

To: SDH-MT ... Thank you for your compliment above.

To: PhysDoc ... There was one family rifle, the Remington Model 12 .22 pump-action rifle in Terry's list above that was passed on to Michael's sister. I don't know if she has children, but that was one gun that didn't go to auction.

I sorted through the "lesser" rifles and some of these were put on consignment at a local gun shop that Michael frequented -and- some were listed by me on GunBroker months ago. None of these were premium rifles. They were plain sporterized rifles or rifles that required some minor work.

I have been keeping a short list of notes, and although I am not a writer, I am thinking about writing an article about Estate Planning with Regards to Firearms. Both gentlemen that I have helped have been extraordinarily organized, but there are things they could have done better/differently. If your wife or children have some interest in our hobby, it may be easier, but if your family lacks interest, they could be prey to distant "friends", local businesses and other unscrupulous individuals. ... more on this later ...

... Joe

Joe, is the Model 12 Remington you refer to as the "family rifle" the Owen gun?

[quote=waterman] To me, the really significant part is the scholarship and research, the effort made to track down each piece, not just guns, but all the accessories and tools.
Every bit of it had to be a lot of fun for Michael.
With Michael's passing and now the auction, the curtains are closing on on one heck of a show. Of the hundreds of millions of people in the world of the internet, how many are there who are even capable of understanding what we have lost?/quote]

I don't see it that away at all. Michael's research lives on in his books, every day someone new shows up here attracted to this subject as this is the Only place to find Any info. They are lurking right this minute.
The curtains are opened, the collection dispersed to many other collections as seeds are sown to grown into new collectors with renewed passion for things made by thoughtful men with care and precision.
These guns are simply too precious to evaporate, someone will always desire to own them. Just because you and I are dying it doesn't mean it's over�

Every single item that Joe sells on eBay goes into an existing collection or is the budding of a new collection. This is the beginning, IMHO�
In the past couple of decades many long held collections have been broken up and dispersed to become the guns in our collections today. So it goes...

Michael's greatest concern was for his research papers. Terry, do you have any notion what the plans are for that material?

It is Michael's knowledge that has evaporated. He wrote that Dr. Mann's wife did not really burn the second manuscript and implied that something else happened. But what?

Having spent many hours visiting with Michael I can tell you with confidence that this conversation would make him very happy and even excited. I hope that it will motivate us all to exchange information and facts as they are developed. Michael will not be replaced. He had the unique blend of interest, passion, time, and intelect to conduct the research. I do not know who will have that same resume. I believe we can agree on that. I think Steve is right, however I do believe the numbers will be small (as they are today, there are just not that many of us) there will be interest in quality and history. We know that there was a time when a rifle scope was thought to be heresy. Cost nothing to hope for the best, and the resposibility of educating the next generation falls on us. I know that Michael had communication with the folks at Cody and the last we spoke specifically about this I believe that was the plan. Not a really good solution but keeping it intact was a top criteria.