4

DONATIONS WANTED .22LR ammo & rifles for Elbert County 4H Contact:

Bill Howard (719 481 3587)

Colorado Gun Collectors

President John Kelley 12990 N 6Th St Parker, CO 80134 303 840 2372

Gun Show Chairman Les Palmer 3490 E. Orchard Road Littleton, CO 80121 720-482-0167 CGCAShow@MSN.com

Secretary/Treasurer Newsletter Editor Bill Pittman 8075 S. Harrison Way Littleton, CO 80122 303-773-0238 SecTreas@CGCA.com

Monthly Meeting Schedule

Monthly Meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, except for the December meeting. In December we have Christmas Dinner on the first Saturday. Meetings start promptly at 7:00 P.M. They are held in the American Legion Hall at I-25 and Yale Ave., Exit #202 from I-25, East on Yale and take the 1st right.

New Members

David M. Smith Glendale, AZ

Buying Guns online? $30 transfer Fee for CGCA Members

Call Dave 303-733-4200

Buying Guns online? $30 transfer Fee for CGCA Members

Call Don 303-877-4831

CGCA Henry Rifles are still available send a $600 check To: CGCA Henry Rifle

8075 S. Harrison Way Centennial, CO 80122

Colorado Gun Collectors Association 51st Annual Gun Show Denver, CO May 2016

Setup: Thursday May 19, 3:00 PM to 8;00 PM Friday May 20, 10:00 AM to 7:00PM Show open to the Public May 21st 9:am to 5:00 pm & 22nd 9:00m to 3:00 pm

Show Chairman: Les Palmer, 720-482-0167

September 15, 2015 October 20, 2015 November 17,2015 December 5, 2015

January 19, 2016 February 16, 2016 March 15, 2016 April 12, 2016

May 17, 2016 June 21,2016 July 19, 2016 August 16th 2016

GUN SHOWS 2015 Dates change and Shows are cancelled, so check before you travel

Aug. 14-16 Cheyenne, WY Fairgrounds Wyoming Sportsman Show 307-760-1841 Aug, 15-16, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Aug. 28-30, Casper, WY Fairgrounds Up in Arms Gun Show 208-241-4005 Sep. 5-6, Loveland, CO Larimer County Fairgrounds Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Sep. 12-13, Colorado Springs, CO Event Center at Rustic Hills Prospectors Sertoma Gun Show 719-630-3976 Sep, 18-20, Laramie,WY Fairground Wyoming Sportsman Show 307-760-1841 Sep, 25-27, Jackson Hole, WY Virginian Lodge Wyoming Sportsman Show 307-760-1841 Sep, 26-27, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Oct. 2-3, Pueblo, CO State Fairgrounds Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Oct. 4, Golden, CO, Jefferson County Fairgrounds Colorado Militaria Show 303-596-2171 Oct. 17-18, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Oct. 24-25, Colorado Springs, CO Event Center at Rustic Hills Prospectors Sertoma Gun Show 719-630-3976 Nov. 7-8, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Nov. 14-15, Loveland, CO Larimer County Fairgrounds Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Nov. 14-15, Tulsa, OK Expo Square Wanenmacher Gun Show 918-492 0401 Nov. 27-28, Colorado Springs, CO Event Center at Rustic Hills Prospectors Sertoma Gun Show 719-630-3976 Dec. 5-6, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Dec, 19-20, Denver, CO Merchandise Mart Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114 Jan. 9-10, Pueblo, CO State Fairgrounds Tanner Gun Show 720-514-0114

COLORADO GUN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION Spokesman Volume 50

Number 9 September 2015

October Program CGCA Charity Auction

SEPTEMBER PROGRAM U. S. Military Shoulder Arms

By George Moller

CGCA Gun Show, Famous Internationally

Arms Show in Colorado: Guns a Mile High Guns: not piled a mile high – but presented in Denver, the mile high city, Colorado’s capital. The abundance of excellent pieces is let out on 1500 tables in total: this is the yearly Colorado Gun Collectors Show, this year celebrating its 50th anniversary. VISIER author Wolfgang Dicke was among the attendants. The “Old Boys Gang” from good old Germany was on tour again – this good mixture of collectors, hunters and competition shooters. Four years back we had attended “the world largest gun show” in Tulsa, Oklahoma (see VISIER 6/2011). So comparing notes comes to mind: ok, the “Tulsa Show” with more than 4200 tables is bigger, and the range of categories offered is wider, from antique to spanking new, huge amounts of ammo included. But the Denver Show is more collector-oriented. And collectors it were that founded the show 50 years ago. A handful of them were already avid collectors. What was missing was a

platform to chat, to swap or to buy. It was Mel Flanagan’s (no harm if you do not know him) living room where six collectors met in fall 1965. Their goal: founding a collectors’ fraternity. The showdown came on January 2, 1966, this time in Frank M. Sellers’s house (1937 – 2008). This man you should know if you have ever handled Sharps firearms. Sellers is the author of the leading work “Sharps Firearms” that was initially published in 1978 and is the authoritative source up to this day. There were 14 collectors altogether that founded the Colorado Gun Collectors Association on this day. Frank Sellers became their first President. A huge jump to 2015 right into the Jubilee Year: President John Kelley could proudly present the number of more than 500 members, the yearly show is considered one of the leading shows in the USA. The number of attendants – as we were able to see – is a sure proof of this. Please note: There were not only the “silver lions” attending, no, the younger generation 40 plus came, looked and made their deals. Just one example: Allan Samuels from Prescott, Arizona, proud of his

(Continued on page 2)

The article that follows was printed in the September 2015 issue of VISIER, a Swiss gun magazine. VISIER is a 130 page glossy paper, beautifully printed magazine printed in German. They provided the translation. As you may know Switzerland has four official languages, German being the dominant language.

2

80 plus years of age, and a dealer/collector for decades, was so enthusiastic that we all felt “contaminated”. A dealer more than 40 years present in Denver, he was more than satisfied: “Today I have sold 12 Colts, all of them from the percussion period.” Apropos percussion period: among the dealers - aside from such well known auction houses like Julia’s or Rock Island – was the well known dealer firm “Collectors Firearms”, Houston, Texas. Mike Clark’s showcase was something to see: three Colt Texas Paterson, priced between $125,000 and 129,000, and a cased Colt No. 3 Paterson with fantastic blue and complete accessories – price: $ 325,000. I was allowed to set up these treasures for my photo shots. Right after that I wondered how many days I would refrain from washing my hands… The range of firearms offered was not restricted to traditional American brands. “Europeans” are in high demand and rather expensive. For example: While here in Germany a Walther PPK semiautomatic from the 1960ies is offered for only a couple of Dollars (or Euros at that) the price tag in Denver did not start lower than $ 650.00, not to mention those out of the Zella-Mehlis production. On the other hand, there were pieces held in high esteem here because being super-rare: a Russian Tokarev T33 factory cut away. Dr. Klaus Pfeiffer, one out of our “Old Boys Gang”, was exhilarated: this would be something for his collection of cut-aways. The price was ok, so what was the problem? Easy: how to get that piece to Germany? The dealer pointed out that we needed someone with an export license. So we looked up Les Palmer, the Show Chairman. “No problem”, he said and led the way to a dealer he knew to have such a license. “Not anymore”, was the saddening answer. What followed was an odyssey to other tables to find out if somebody else had such a license. Of course,

the auction companies were contacted as well – but to no avail. The effort for a shipment of only one piece was simply much too high. A straight bourbon in the evening was only a small consolation. So we are right in the middle of the USA and what do we find? A showcase with four Zick Zack Mauser revolver, all of different caliber ranging from 7,6 mm to 10,8 mm. Price tags from $ 3,750 to 10,000. But there were not only high priced European firearms, American icons from Colts to Winchesters demanded much higher prices compared to what is asked right now in Germany. So this is the answer why the market has made a complete turn-around: the market for Winchesters is nearly dead in Germany; a couple of dealers have reacted and ship these longarms back into the USA because they bring a lot more money there. That’s because German collectors of firearms from the American West are fearing a financial loss. On one hand, this is understandable. On the other hand, there is no cause for panic: even fields of collecting are liable to trends, and the political “climate” is not favorable these days. What’s more: in some political circles it is “chic” to be anti-American. This has its effects, of course. But there is the turn-around of the turn-around: The USA with their vast landscapes and panoramas go on to attract a lot of tourists (rightly so as our trip proved!). On top of that, Western movies and TV series in the USA have regained popularity, not only by films like “Django Unchained” but also by TV series like “Hell on Wheels”. So the question is: When will this trend arrive here in Germany? It is like real life: nothing is as consistent as change. No American gun shows without displays – sure one of the highlights. Avid collectors have put together these displays over the

(Continued from page 1)

(Continued on page 3)

3

years – with a lot passion (and money spent). You cannot buy – all you can do is admire. What is driving these collectors is to be among those that get one the awards. And sure enough: these displays are the best possibilities for sure to see extreme rare and highly collectable items. Like the one of Jim & Judy Fisher titled “The Handguns of Famous Shooters”. All of them Smith & Wesson revolvers, made individually for the most famous competition or fast shooters of the USA between 1900 and ca. 1860”. John A. Dietz, winner of the Olympic Gold Medal of 1908 and 1912, is among them as well as

Frederick H. Miller who was sitting in the front seat, so to speak. At first, as the company’s service manager and finally as their sales manager. Two names are only too well known to connoisseurs: Ed McGivern and Charles A. “Skeeter” Skelton. A couple of revolvers out of their possession, all of them made especially for them, were on display. A very special display commanded a lot of space: a US Army Stuart M 5 A 1 tank from WW II with its “big bore” 37 mm cannon. Two Jeeps, one a US Army issue, the other one from the “Polish Army in the West”, added to this display. Of course, the collectors presenting this display wore the proper US Army WW II uniforms along with their personal armament, of course not loaded. By the way: in Denver for ten Dollars fee you are in for unbelievable 1500 tables while you have to pay 15 Euros for a rather meager presentation at the Kassel arms show. Ok, the

travel costs to Denver are rather high, but whoever is planning a trip to the Rocky Mountains area should consider a date during May with the Colorado Gun Collectors Show included. And another difference to Kassel: the food in Denver was good and much cheaper… Text & Photos: Wolfgang Dicke Edited by: M.S. Recktenwald

(Continued from page 2)