"REACHING OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS THROUGH OUR NETWORK OF OVER 350 WEB SITES"
Gun Dealer''s Surprise
May 24 2007
| Written By - Terry Wieland - 05/24/2007 | |
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Link to Original Article here |
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For Canada\'s gun dealers, especially those who operate by themselves out in the hinterland, the last five years have been a treasure trove of pleasant surprises, given to them by, of all people, the gun registry.
The much-publicized (and widely ignored) dictum to register all long guns by December 31, 2002, led to a change in public attitude. Now, when Grandpa dies, that funny old gun in the closet does not automatically pass into the hands of the eldest son, to be relegated to his closet. Instead, there is a feeling that maybe we should get rid of the thing (\"I never liked having it around anyway!\") And, for most non-gun folks, the automatic reaction is to pack the gun up, usually wrapped in a green plastic trash bag, and trot it down to the nearest gun shop.
\"When I see someone coming through the door with one of those bags under his arm, my pulse picks up,\" says my pal Jeff, gun guru at a small gun shop in rural eastern Ontario. \"You just never know what it could be – and it could be anything.\" Anything, indeed.
In one two-month period, Jeff took in a lovely old E.M. Reilly shotgun, circa 1890, that was in terrible shape after 30 years in the rafters of a henhouse, but was lovingly restored into an exquisite gun whose original French walnut stock sets mouths to watering. A few weeks later, in came a Savage 1899, made in 1916, that was set up as an offhand target rifle complete with 26-inch octagonal barrel in .32-40.
The Reilly, we found out, originally belonged to a Scottish gamekeeper, whose son brought it with him when he emigrated. The Savage is anyone\'s guess. Its serial number is out of sequence for the model, and the .32-40 had been discontinued when it was made, so it was ordered by a serious shooter with connections.
Another time, a guy walked through the door with a cardboard box containing a Walker Colt and a Colt Navy, both in good shape, found in the walls of an old house in the village of Bridgenorth (founded 1820) which was being renovated. The renovator was a bit of a gun collector, and offered to take the two guns as part payment. Alas for Jeff, he knew what he had, and all he wanted from his friendly gun dealer was an opinion.
Old southern Ontario is a good hunting ground for guns and rifles for a number of reasons. It was settled largely by United Empire Loyalists, fleeing the American Revolution. In 1914, and again in 1939, thousands of men shipped out for the wars in Europe and returned with all kinds of keepsakes – Lugers, Mausers, Walthers and any number of German drillings and hunting rifles. At the same time, many Brits (such as the gamekeeper\'s son) emigrated from the U.K. and, wanting to settle among like-minded folk in a prosperous region, chose Ontario. Many brought the family guns with them.
Just thinking about what still lies in the dusty corners of these old farmhouses makes the heart beat faster, which brings me to Jeff\'s latest mystery.
\"A fellow came in last week with a ratty old case, and inside was a Westley Richards boxlock double rifle, in .450 NE No. 2,\" Jeff said. \"Beautiful shape. Very well looked after. He paid C$6,000 (about US$5,250) for it, and wanted to know if he got a good deal.\"
Many stories involve a widow, and more than a few involve house renovations and strange discoveries. This had both.
\"The guy was doing some work on a house, and the lady mentioned she had this old gun. He offered to take it off her hands.\"
Usually in these cases, the gun changes hands for a ridiculously lowball \"widow\'s\" price, but in this instance, the woman was given almost a fair deal – at least in terms of what that rifle might bring in rural Ontario.
\"Makes it fun coming in every day, though,\" Jeff said. \"Never know what you\'re going to see.\"
