Poulin Antiques & Auctions’ End of Summer Premier Firearm & Militaria Auction realize $13.4 million in sales

Outstanding Confederate firearms performed exceptionally well at this sale.

• Lot #5069, a Confederate Lemat Percussion Carbine, was estimated at $30,000-50,000 and delivered $91,500. According to historian Doug Adams' definitive 2006 reference book The Confederate Lemat Revolver, "...there are eighteen known specimens of LeMat carbines, ranging in serial number from 2 to 112, establishing it also as one of the rarest and most desirable Confederate arms."

• Lot #5055, a South Carolina Confederate Griswold & Gunnison revolver, saber, and CS belt, was estimated at $50,000-75,000 and sold for $85,400. This outfit was the prize of firearms authority Bill Gary’s collection and was featured opposite the title page of his 1987 reference book, Confederate Revolvers. The Griswold was among the finest condition of all surviving Confederate revolvers. The belt was a Richmond depot style bullet stitched belt with a two piece CS belt buckle. The holster was a Gaylord contract Union military flip holster. The saber was a rare, unique 1835 State of SC contracted pattern 1833 dragoon with a unique rounded “bird head” pommel with no spanner; its blade was script etched, and marked with its Ames maker mark and SOUTH CAROLINA / 1835. According to Poulin's experts, "This is among the rarest Confederate ensembles you will find and in the finest condition."

• Lot #5060, a Confederate Bilharz Rising Breech carbine, was estimated at $40,000-50,000 and realized $73,200. This firearm, made by Bilharz, Hall, & Co. of Pittsylvania Courthouse, VA was considered to be one of the great rarities in Civil War breech loading carbine production. Its breech block rose vertically when its trigger guard/lever was lowered. Only 100 rising breech carbines were made and sold to the Confederacy; all were delivered in September, 1862. Madaus & Murphy's Confederate Carbines & Musketoons reference book from 1986 notes that this example featured the scarcer type 2 spring loaded latch and that only 15 survivors are documented in all configurations; according to Poulin's experts, "this is among the best of them."

• Lot #5056, an “as found” Augusta Machine Works revolver, was estimated at $30,000-50,000 and traded hands at $61,000. This firearm, designated as an Augusta Machine Works revolver, was named based on an antidotal account by a worker who said he was making guns at the Machine Works in an early 20th century interview published in Bill Albaugh's 1963 book Confederate Handguns. Augusta Machine Works revolvers were produced in several variations; of all those made there are less than 20 survivors extant. According to Poulin's experts, "There has not been an Augusta sold publicly in many years and we can hypothesize that they were made late in the war as a few captured examples show up from the western theater in 1864 or 1865."

Class III firearms were another key category in this end of summer event.

• Lot #1125, a fully transferable, Vietnam-era, Chinese-type 56 AK-47 variant with a milled receiver and blade bayonet, was estimated at $60,000-80,000 and made $73,200. Most nations in the Warsaw Pact had a licensed copy of the AK-47 and this was China's first example, with production commencing in 1956. The very early Arsenal 66 guns were thought to be manufactured with Russian tooling and parts. This example had a traditional, clip-on blade bayonet; its baronet lug also doubled as a guide for the onboard cleaning rod.  

• Lot #1084, a Japanese T99 machine gun with multiple swords and traditional accessories, was estimated at $28,000-38,000 and sold for $54,900. This exceptional firearm was accompanied by a katana sword measuring 39" overall with a 27-3/8" blade, a wooden tsuka handle, a simple brass fuchi collar, and a custom-fitted sheath. Its shorter wakizashi sword measured 31" overall with a 21-1/2" blade. This T99 was also sold with a tasseled bugle, a canteen, a cleaning rod set, a green rubberized canvas scope case, and two books on collecting Japanese weapons. This machine gun was from the Military Museum Collection of Shooters Outpost, Hooksett NH. 

This sale also featured a fine collection of antique to contemporary rifles of all sorts, some with fascinating histories.

• Lot #4068, a documented original and likely unfired Winchester 1886 Deluxe Lever Action rifle, was estimated at $30,000-45,000 and realized $73,200. This example was detailed with original checkered 2X walnut forend and pistol grip stock with ebony inserts. With fewer than 160,000 rifles produced from 1886-1935, the model 1886 Winchester remains a highly desirable firearm amongst collectors today. John Madl, in his 2003 guide Identifying Your Model 1886 Winchester, states that 17,651 Model 1886s (or 11%) were manufactured in this caliber.

•  Lot #5333, a documented Samuel Hawken Plains rifle with New Mexico history, was estimated at $15,000-25,000 and made $51,850. This standard configuration rifle was sold to buffalo hunters and plainsmen who wanted the best rugged, no frills, large bore gun to get the job done. This rifle was from the family of NM pioneer Thomas D. “Tom” Burns (1844-1916) who was a post trader and translator at Fort Lowell from 1864-1869. In 1869, the US Army abandoned Ft. Lowell and Burns stayed on, establishing his home and developing a trading company in Tierra Amarilla that made him one of the wealthiest men in the territory. This fully provenanced firearm was sold with a large file of history of Tom Burns and his NM life.

• Lot #2364, a Mauser K98K bolt action sniper rifle, was estimated at $10,000-15,000 and delivered $25,620. This 1944 Oberndorf High turret firearm was fresh to the market with an "out of the woodwork" untouched appearance. It had matching numbers on its receiver, barrel, bolt handle, cocking piece, bolt shroud, and front scope ring; its other parts were unnumbered as typical for late war guns.

• Lot #4088, an outstanding, original, and possibly the finest extant ATF exempted 14” Winchester Model 92 Lever Action “Trapper” Saddle Ring carbine, was estimated at $50,000-80,000 and sold for $79,300. Likely made in 1926, firearm featured an rare 14" barrel. Most Trapper carbines were brown with 15" barrels, making this example truly exceptional. According to Poulin's experts, "The fact that this carbine, which was manufactured 100 years ago and was designed for the rigorous daily life of early 20th century trappers and mountain men, remains in such original high condition is so unbelievable that it cannot be overstated. This 14” ATF exempted trapper is truly worthy of a place in the most advanced Winchester collections."

This signature, premier event rounded out with category spanning military and sporting firearms, ephemera, edged weapons, shooting accessories, and other historical militaria.

• Lot #5101, a Houston Depot Confederate infantry cartridge box, was estimated at $20,000-30,000 and sold for $64,050. This 8" x 6-1/2" x 2" brown leather cartridge box from 1864 was marked with an embossed CS & Houston Texas Ordnance Department cartouche. It was in beautiful, complete condition and inscribed by "J L. Whittenburg" on its inner flap. Capt. John L. Whittenburg (1841-1905) entered service October 1861 as captain in 27th Texas State Militia; his 4 younger brothers all served as NCOs or enlisted men. This box remained in the family until till now. According to Poulin's experts, "This is the rarest and best marked of all Confederate cartridge boxes; there are only 2 other surviving cartridge boxes of this pattern extant."