2020 CLA Live Auction: NORTHWEST TRADE GUN by Doug Warren

Classic firearms from America’s past are naturally at the heart of the modern Longrifle Culture. Collectors at this year’s CLF fundraising auction will have the opportunity to acquire a truly iconic weapon that saw broad use across the early American frontier: the Northwest Trade Gun.

            Artist Doug Warren has donated a truly unique version of the ubiquitous British trade gun. Easy to carry, quick to load, with tremendous stopping power and accurate to fifty yards these guns were favorites with the tribes, traders and trappers. Warren’s custom-built smoothbore sports a 20 gauge, 36” long, octagon-to-round Colerain barrel and is fitted with a Chambers round face lock, noted for excellent sparking and reliability. Warren scratch built the trigger and stocked the gun in maple, which was given a rich hand-rubbed oil finish.  

            A longtime member of the CLA, Warren is an experienced gun and bag maker with over thirty years of experience, and his Northwest gun is far from a standard mass-produced trade musket. The maker refers to the gun as a “contemporary trade gun.” Although original trade guns generally possessed stocks with little more than 1 inch of drop, Warren’s offering features a buttstock with 3 inches of drop, ensuring a gun that will handle and sight far easier for the modern shooter.

For more information on the work of Doug Warren contact the artist directly at: dougwarren1969@gmail.com

Copy by Joshua Shepherd

Photography by H. David Wright

To see all the Artists' contributions to the 2020 CLF Live Fund Raising Auction, visit our website at http://www.contemporarylongriflefoundation.org/2020-live-auction/

“WAY BACK WHEN”

Towards the end of 1961  I ordered an unfinished Pennsylvania rifle kit from a maker Named Robert Chadwick. He lived in Chaddsford PA. The gun took 7 months to arrive. It was based on a Berks county profile. It had a Numerich  42” 45 cal straight barrel. The lock came assembled and was a round faced semi English/French design. The barrel was about 80% inletted as was the lock and parchbox. The box had several pearcings. After no more than five minutes I realized it would be impossible for me to do anything with this except stare at it!!

In  Early 1962 I discovered a black powder shooting range about 50 miles from where I lived. It was a few miles off a dirt road sounded by hills. There was long row of covered bench tables. Most of the group there shot sitting down. At the other end was some large poles in rows to shoot across of just stand behind to fire. There were a couple on long  loading tables Behind  the firing line. This part of the range was known as the ”primitive range”.  Most of the group who used this area elected to wear period clothes. There were no handmadre long rifles, mostly cheap kit stuff or repro civil war Arms. There was one exception.:  One  fellow shooting his own handmade Kentucky Rifle!!!  I have never seen a Kentucky except in the movies so this was my first experience in actually seeing one close up but also hearing for the first time the real sounds of a flintlock firing. It was quite a moment. After some time I got to talking with the rifles owner. He name was Bill (is now WULF) Schultz. He told me he made guns and accouterments but only on a part time basis. After a long sob story he agreed to have a look see at my rifle kit. To make a long story short he agreed to do the assembly. It took several months and there were some difficult aspects in trying to get the thing to behave, but in the end he did a first rate job. We had many neat years shooting at this range. All the while Wulf continued to make rifles and pistols.

He has a wide spear of styles and l era’s. One of his favorite things is to make scratch built locks. Flints, wheelocks, snap locks, miquelets. He’s an excellent machinist and crafsman.......  A true pioneer of the revival, and a great friend!!!!!

Robert Weil

All guns are all handmade except barrels

Gun Photo’s by Wulf Schultz

Copy by Robert Weil

Morphy Auctions 5.27.2020: Final Prices

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND FINE SILVER MOUNTED AND INLAID PRESENTATION PIPE TOMAHAWK SIGNED R. BUTLER AND INSCRIBED TO LT. MCCELLAN

Blade Length: 3"

Overall Length: 21"

Minimum Bid: $150,000.00

Final prices include buyers premium: $664,200.00

Estimate: $300,000.00 - $500,000.00

More information can be found here.

EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT FRENCH INDIAN PRESENTATION PIPE TOMAHAWK DATED 1760

Blade Length: 3 - 1/2"

Overall Length: 22 - 5/8"

Minium Bid: $37,500.00

Final prices include buyers premium: $172,200.00

Estimate: $75,000 - $150,000.00

Number Bids: 25

More photos and info here.

EARLY FLINTLOCK KENTUCKY PISTOL ATTRIBUTED TO FREDRICK SELL

Barrel Length: 3 - 1/2"

Caliber/Bore: .50 Rifled

Manifacturer: Frederick Sells Attributed

Minimum Bid: $1,300.00

Final prices include buyers premium: $3,382.50

Estimate: $2,500 - $4,500

Number of Bids: 12

More photos and info here.

IDENTIFIED HISTORIC LEXINGTON ALARM POWDER HORN OF ARCHELAUS MORILL, 1775

Minimum Bid: $2,500.00

Final prices include buyers premium: $14,760.00

Estimate: $5,000.00 - 10,000.00

Number of Bids: 13

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTED PAIR OF SILVER MOUNTED PISTOLS PRESENTED BY GEORGE WASHINGTON TO CAPTAIN JAMES CHAMBERS

Minimum Bid: $25,000.00

Final prices include buyers premium: $60,000.00

Current Bid: $50,000.00

Estimate: $50,000 - $100,000

Number Bids: 12

More photos and info here.

Antique Tape Loom and Shuttle

Photographs by Jan Riser.

Powder Horn by Scott and Cathy Sibley

Photographs supplied by Scott Sibley.

Antique Powder Horn

Photographed at the 2019 Tennessee Kentucky Rifle Show by Jan Riser.

2020 CLA Live Auction: WOODBURY STYLE KNIFE by Heinz Ahlers

Length:  11 3/4”    Blade length: 7 ¼”

A razor-sharp blade fitted with an antler handle remains not only a practical tool for the modern outdoorsman, but an iconic symbol of America’s frontier past. Bidders at this year’s CLF fundraising auction will have the opportunity to own a truly classic example of the frontier belt knife by one of modern America’s best bladesmiths.

Former auction chairman and veteran knife maker Heinz Ahlers lent his considerable talents in crafting a robust knife that’s sure to please outdoorsmen and collectors alike. The artist hand-forged the 7 1/4 inch blade from 1084 high carbon steel, which was then married to an elk antler tine handle. The handle sports a poured pewter bolster, and the entire knife measures an impressive 11 3/4 inches from the tip to the riveted steel butt cap. The knife comes complete with a brain-tanned leather sheath fitted with a protective rawhide liner.

Ahler’s creation, he explains, is a classic Woodbury knife in the House brothers style. It’s a handy camp-sized knife with a nice distal taper from 1/8 inch at the hilt. A fine collector’s item, this well-aged example of the frontier belt knife exudes rugged dependability.

Ahlers’ work on this classic frontiersman’s blade was for a good cause. “I donated this knife to the CLA auction,” he explains, “to support the auction and the CLA’s efforts to promote all the aspects of the Contemporary Longrifle Culture.  The publicity and exposure that the CLA Auction gives to new artists is outstanding.  The chance to be featured in a venue with outstanding contemporary artists that support the annual auction only happens here.”

Contact Heinz Ahlers at hahlers1@me.com

To see all the Artists' contributions to the 2020 CLF Live Fund Raising Auction, visit our website at http://www.contemporarylongriflefoundation.org/2020-live-auction/