Montrose Auction rolls out high-caliber selection for March 16 Firearms & Accessories sale

MONTROSE, Ga. – Montrose Auction’s March 16 Firearms & Accessories sale is poised to hit the bull’s-eye with 650 lots of high-quality rifles, shotguns, handguns, ammunition, accessories and memorabilia. A collector-friendly event with firearms selections to cater to every taste, the auction will be held at Montrose’s spacious central-Georgia gallery located near three major interstates. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to bid absentee, by phone, or live via the Internet through Montrose Live or a choice of three other online platforms.

“This auction will include Montrose’s finest offering of contemporary and sporting arms to date. We’ve also expanded the sale to include a large selection of Smith & Wesson and Colt collectible arms, and Randall Made knives. The lineup continues to improve with each passing day,” said Montrose firearms specialist Tony Wilcox.

Antique and vintage longarms are led by a coveted Winchester 71 Deluxe lever rifle in .348 WCF caliber with a 24-inch barrel. A pre-WWII production with a period Lyman Model 56 receiver sight, it boasts checkered deluxe walnut stocks with factory super-grade-pattern Winchester swivels and a period Boyt leather sling. It has a brilliant bore and sharp rifling stocks, and the action operates properly and locks solidly.

Another top prize from the auction’s Curios & Relics classification is a Parker Brothers 12-gauge PH side-by-side double-barreled shotgun manufactured in 1901. It has a 32-inch barrel and is in excellent overall condition, having undergone professional restoration at some point. Serial-numbered 104765, this classic sporting gun will definitely be the prize for one bidder.

The auction features many desirable and well-made shotguns in several gauges. Among the earlier, smaller-gauge offerings, a Winchester 1901 10-gauge lever shotgun produced in 1916 is blue-finished with varnished, straight-grained American walnut stocks, a round pistol grip and leather-covered recoil pad. The left side of the barrel is marked with the Winchester address and the description Model 01 10 GA FULL. It has a small Winchester proof on the top of both the chamber and receiver, and WRA is shown in script on the left side of the frame. Graded exceptionally fine, this fully operational example with a brilliant bright bore is a bound to be a highly sought after shotgun at the sale. 

A 1949 LC Smith Ideal Grade side-by-side 12-gauge shotgun has a checkered pistol-grip stock with case, colored receivers, broad-leaf engraved scenes, and a single Hunter trigger and ejectors. The full beavertail forearm has a high solid rib and dual-sight beads. With all matching numbers, this beautiful shotgun retains its numbers-matching shipping carton and numbers-matching hang tag. 

Beretta 12-gauge shotguns that are worthy of special attention include a DT10 10T Trident over/under manufactured in 2003, and a 682 Gold E over/under made in 2004. The former gun has 30-inch barrels, five factory extended choke tubes, and a single selective/adjustable trigger with ejectors. Its action operates property and it is in extremely fine condition. For the sportsman who likes the complete package, accessories and all, this shotgun fills the bill nicely, as it comes with tools, snap caps, instruction manual and a factory hard case. 

The Beretta 682 Gold E over/under shotgun, made in 2004, is a sporting clays edition with a single selective trigger with ejectors and an adjustable gold-embellished trigger. It comes with six factory-extended choke tubes, spare strikers and a replacement trigger. Accompanied by tools and housed in a factory hard case, this shotgun is graded very fine with 99% of its blue finish present. Like the other Beretta, its action operates properly, and its ejectors remain in time. 

An LC Smith VH 16-gauge side-by-side shotgun, manufactured in 1940, has blue-finished 28-inch barrels with a single-bead front sight, London steel marked barrels with lifter extraction, and a single Hunter trigger with a checkered, varnished pistol-grip stock with a beavertail forearm. Matching serial numbers appear on all components. This extremely fine gun with barrels retaining over 97% of their blue finish, has brilliant bright bores and very good stocks that have remained full-sized with sharp checkering. 

There is already bidder interest in a Kimber 82 Super America .22-caliber bolt rifle which is new/old stock in its original serial-numbered factory box. Tony Wilcox noted: “Kimber produced the finest of all American-made .22 rifles. They quickly earned a reputation for their accuracy.” The auction example was manufactured December 12, 1986 at Kimber’s then-headquarters in Clackamas, Oregon. It is blue-finished with a two-panel checkered bolt handle and a detachable five-round magazine. It has a checkered steel butt plate, ebony forend tip, and oil-finished, checkered exhibition walnut stock with factory sling swivel studs and a polished, blue-finished pistol grip cap. Accompanied by all of its paperwork, a test target and instructions manual, it will cross the auction block.

A final highlight is a Winchester Parker reproduction DHE 12-gauge side-by-side shotgun cased with a 26-inch barrel and extra 28-inch barrel. It was manufactured sometime between 1983 and 1989, and according to Page 180 of the reference The Parker Story (by Gunther, Mullins, Parker, Price and Cote), it is one of only 1,500 that were built in 12 gauge. It boasts varnished pistol-grip stock with a grip cap, is checkered at the wrist and has the same checkering at the forearm. 

Montrose Auction’s Saturday, March 16, 2024 live and online sale of Firearms & Accessories will start at 10am ET, following an in-person preview from 8-10am. The auction gallery is conveniently located at 1702 2nd St., Montrose, GA 31065, just off Interstate I-16 between exits 32 and 39. It is a comfortable drive from anywhere in Georgia. Live online bidding will be available through Montrose Live, iCollector, onlinehuntingauctions.com and Proxibid. To leave an absentee bid, book a phone line for auction day, or obtain additional information about any item in the auction, please call 478-376-4559 or email staff@montroseauction.com. View the online catalog at Montrose Auction’s website: https://www.montroseauction.com. 

About Montrose Auction: Montrose Auction was founded in 1977. Since 1992, it has been owned and operated by Trey Cottle, who serves as the company’s president. Conducting up to 16 auctions per year, Montrose has positioned itself as Georgia’s leading auction house for the most-desired antique, vintage and modern firearms, edged weapons and sporting-related items. In addition of its popular gallery and online sales, Montrose Auction works closely with estate executors to evaluate items and prepare them for auction, confidentially and professionally.