Geronimo's rifle, Wyatt Earp's shotgun auctioned!

[Kev in Deva]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -

Geronimo is seen kneeling with a rifle in a photo from the U.S. National Archives.

A Springfield rifle owned by the famed Apache warrior Geronimo fetched $100,000 (48,500 pounds) during an auction of Wild West guns and weapons that brought in more than $1 million.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071122/tod...-b7afd8f_1.html

Lawman Wyatt Earp's double-barrelled shotgun garnered $65,500, while a sabre attributed to U.S. Army cavalry commander George Custer sold for $20,315 at the Bonhams & Butterfields auction on Tuesday.

Some of the guns were offered by a private collector who spent a lifetime accumulating firearms once carried by some of the most famous and infamous figures in American history, said Paul Carella, director of the company's arms department.

"Obviously, he was like many of us, just intrigued and enamoured of the old West," Carella said on Wednesday.

At the 800-item auction, buyers also spent $4,183 for a 32-caliber pistol reportedly carried by frontier scout Calamity Jane at her death.

"We achieved some very good prices," Carella said. "I knew those pieces would garner the interest they did, because there are so many people interested in these guys, these folklore legends."

(Reporting by Amanda Beck; Editing by Peter Cooney)

- - - - - END OF ARTICLE - - - -

Kevin in Deva

[redcross]

If I'm right, I knew this collector well,

he had been a bank president,

and he loved research,

he bought a henry rifle from a friend

did balstics test on it against

bullets found at the Custer battle site

and was able to place it there as an Indian weapon

[sambolini]

If I'm right, I knew this collector well,

he had been a bank president,

and he loved research,

he bought a henry rifle from a friend

did balstics test on it against

bullets found at the Custer battle site

and was able to place it there as an Indian weapon

Surely you jest.

Regards,

Sam

Edited November 26, 2007 by sambolini

[Laurence Strong]

Surely you jest.Regards,

Sam

Actually the show "Battlefield Detectives have done the same thing. Using the distinct impressions of hammer strikes on the casings, they were able to follow both troops and natives around the battle. It was a great documentary.

http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=68733

Edited November 26, 2007 by Laurence Strong

[redcross]

more to the point

it was possible to buy

ground dug bullets from the battlefield

all you had to do it match it to your gun

the collector went through several thousand

to find the match

I almost bought the henry myself

but the stock had been cut down

the gun was beat up

and brass tacks had been added

that was enough to know it was an indian owned gun

but not enough to tell me much more