Old West Firearms Collectors

Comment by Mike Wood on June 5, 2011 at 6:22pm

Gun Collecting and Fakes by the NRA - National Firearms Museum - Curators Corner

 

Comment by Mike Wood on June 5, 2011 at 7:04pm

Simple Guidelines for Antique Gun Care by Gun Digest

Preventive Care Environment

Avoid dramatic swings in relative humidity (RH). Try to keep the humidity stable and between 40 and 50 percent. Consistency is more important than precise maintenance of a specific RH reading, though RH control is critical because of an unusual physical property of wood called anisotropy. Wood cells expand or contract very differently in response to changes in relative humidity – depending on their specific grain orientation (axial, transverse or radial) in the log from which they came.

Large swings in RH can result in cracks caused by compression-set shrinkage. If the humidity remains fairly constant, changes in temperature make little difference to either metal or wood. A rapid rise in temperature, though, can pull the moisture out of the environment (including your artifact), causing a sudden drop in RH. Cell shrinkage and cracking or splitting can then occur.

Handling

Wear gloves when handling your collection. No protective coating can stand up for long against repeated barehanded handling. Best to always wear gloves and I recommend Nitrile examination gloves when cleaning and coating your collection. Once an item has been coated, wear plain cotton gloves.

Housekeeping

Keep your firearms dust-free. Dust can trap moisture increasing the likelihood of corrosion occurring.

Don’t use commercial dust cloths, though. They often leave an oil film behind which traps dust and dust traps water vapor from the air. When dusting, use either a vacumn with a soft brush or a soft cotton cloth very lightly dampened with water. Without moisture, dust merely gets shoved around and will not be picked up. Dry the gun immediately with a clean cloth.

Don’t use alcohol of any kind when dusting or cleaning a firearm stock. It can skin or strip an historic finish. Never use liquid or spray dusting products, either, because most of them leave mineral oil behind, which traps dust. Remember that dust traps and collects moisture.

 

Storage/Display

Narrow hooks or loops of wire should not be used to support collection pieces either in storage, transport or on display. The weight of most long arms on such devices is sufficient to cause indentations in their stock at the points of contact. Instead, use broad, padded supports.

We use thin sheets of a closed-cell polyethylene foam material to pad our display fixtures. To avoid mold and mildew during long-term storage, avoid at least two of the three conditions known to promote bloom outbreaks: elevated temperature, still air and elevated humidity.

 

Cleaning and Coating: Cleaning Wood Stocks or Grips

(AS A COLLECTOR, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A THOROUGH CLEANING OF ANY ANTIQUE FIREARM AS IT MAY DIMINISH THE VALUE OF THE FIREARM, LIKEWISE REMOVING THE GRIPS FROM AN ANTIQUE MAY CAUSE THE HEADS OF THE RETENTION SCREWS TO BECOME DAMAGED, AGAIN DIMINISHING VALUE.)

First, separate the wooden parts from the metal parts. They are cleaned and coated differently. Unless it should become absolutely necessary, leave the unfinished interior wooden surfaces alone.

Clean the exterior of the stock by placing a few drops of a mild detergent in a gallon of warm distilled water. Apply with a slightly damp soft cloth and rinse with clean cloths dampened with distilled water. Dry with soft cloths immediately after rinsing.

 

Simple Guidelines for Antique Gun Care

Comment by Mike Wood on June 10, 2011 at 8:08pm

These weapons are the Holy Grail of Collecting!

 

Comment by Mike Wood on June 11, 2011 at 8:17pm

At the Dallas Arms Collectors Show, viewed and discussed John Wayne's Colt 44.40 Revolver.  It was customized with Amber Grips as shown:

 

Photographic Print by John Dominis (www.art.com)

Comment by Mike Wood on June 19, 2011 at 9:14am

I visited a Great Gun Shop yesterday located in University Park, very close to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.  The shop (Jackson Armory) is located in an interesting part of town which is frequented by College Students, as well as the affluent residents of the University Park and Highland Park neighborhoods. At first glance, the building's motif is as such as it appears as a small Book Shop with a certain flair for Charles Dickens. To enter the shop, one must be buzzed in the door which provides staff and visitors with immediate security, but more importantly, gaining entry provides an immediate fraternal membership into what certainly is a great Man Cave!   

 

Jackson Armory is reasonable priced, and has not only collectable western firearms, but military firearms from the flintlock era through modern state-of-the art weaponry and military collectables. Well worth the visit!

Jackson Armory Website

 

Comment by Mike Wood on June 28, 2011 at 8:20pm

If your going to Oklahoma City, one should always visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Of the many fine pieces the museum carries, including works of art by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington, the museum also houses the Weitzenhoffer Gallery of Fine American Firearms. Prominent displays include Colt's Patent Fire Arms, Remington, Sharps, Smith & Wesson, Winchester, Parker Brothers and Marlin, all of which are displayed with pride.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Weitzenhoffer Gallery...

 

Comment by Don W. Jackson on July 4, 2011 at 7:25pm

I just purchased a S&W Triple Lock (4th model Hand ejector). It was manufactured in 1915.  A little late to be clasified as "old West" but it was highly favored by a lot of old west lawmen in the latter years of their careers.  One of which was Frank Mills.  Frank was a Texas Ranger and Sheriff of Coleman County Tx. He was also the father of the late sheriff of Crockett County sheriff Billy Mills.

Comment by Mike Wood on July 6, 2011 at 7:58pm

Thanks for the add Don! The Smiths have always been great revolvers for law enforcement. Those old wheel guns are indestructable. My first handgun was a S&W Model 19 Revolver... I wish I still had that gun today!  Congrats on a great purchase!

Comment by Mike Wood on July 6, 2011 at 8:34pm

Guns of the Wild West Forum Site  This site is here on the True West Historical Society Site.

Comment by Mike Wood on July 7, 2011 at 8:08pm

If in the Tulsa Oklahoma area, check out the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum, a free museum in Claremore, Oklahoma.

This is the largest privately owned Gun Collection in the world per Wikipedia!

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