Here are some samples of the
educational displays presented by UGCA members.
We hope you enjoy them. Part of the pleasure of
gun collecting is learning about the historical, technical, and artistic
features associated with firearms. Gun shows provide members, and
the general public, a chance to appreciate these aspects.
If you collect guns,
we invite you to join UGCA.
Membership benefits include
for free admission to all UGCA shows, reduced table rates, and a great
newsletter.
Click
here for membership information and application
Copyright 2005 by Utah Gun Collectors Association. All rights reserved. Box 711161, Salt Lake City, UT 84171
Let's go to the UGCA gun show!
Lots of people bring old guns or related items to our
show for free appraisals or to sell. Maybe you want to do this at the
next show.
If you do not bring a gun, maybe you can leave with one.
We usually give away a great door prize. In this case it was a nice high quality
replica of the famous Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver.
Now- on to the Great Displays!
Click on the title to go directly
to one of these displays or enjoy scrolling down the page to see them all.
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1851 Sharps
(Second Place Award Winner)
Steve showed a beautiful assortment of the first commercially successful
Sharps rifles. These featured the "Maynard tape primer" which was
very popular in the early 1850s as it used a rollof caps (similar to a cap gun)
instead of needing to handle individual loose percussion caps.
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(Left) Detail of a fantastic engraved and cased Sharps rifle. At the right-
A case explaining the Maynard tape primer used on this model of Sharps, along
with some paper cartridges and examples of the bullets in them, both as molded
and as recovered from a battlefield.
Two fantastic rifles- great condition, scarce model, and with original cases.
One is the fancy engraved gun (detail shown above) in a case with allthe accessories.
The other is in the original plain wooden shipping box, one of a very few still
in existence.
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Left a variety of rifles including a SVD Dragunov sniper rifle (camouflaged)
and a bolt action Mosin Nagant have the attention of this visitor. Right we
have several other types of rifles, and one of the middle eastern "prayer
rugs" featuring the AK-47 in the design.
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Kids of all ages love guns, and hear a young historian is learning how a water
cooled Maixm gun on a wheeled "Sokolov" mount works.
Left side of the display, note the 1907 Frankford Arsenal bench reloading
tools at the left.
Right side of display with "Mann accuracy barrel" used for testing
ammunition to make sure it meets accuracy strandards. Boxes show the evolution
of the markings, and shift from large M1917 wooden boxes (about 120 pounds
when full) to smaller "spam cans" adopted at the end of WW2.
Map showing the location the eleven places that made .30-06 miltiary ammunition
during WW2, and a box from each.
Military "cartridge Board" training device, with examples of may
types of .30-06 ammunition and how it was packed (5 or 8 round clips, belts
or links) cutaway examples of the bullets, and also many other types of military
small arms ammuniton from .22 caliber to .50 caliber.
Brent and his boss brought out these collectible items which
were enjoyed by all. To anyone under the age of 40, World War 2 seems as remote
an even as the Civil War or Hannibal crossing the Alps. It is becoming an
increasingly popular collecting field along with Vietnam era military items.
"If you like your freedom, thank a Veteran!"
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The Frontier Scout and New Frontier models are 7/8 size copies of the famous
Model 1873 Single Action Army (SAA). Collecting the SAA is a very expensive
hobby, but the .22 caliber cousing are an interesting and affordable option.
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Left- Jimmy pointing out some details to a guest, and right, comparing the quality
of the finish between examples made by the regular Colt employees, and the rather
nasty looking product turned out by non-union employees during a prolonged strike.
(Some collectors will find just about any excuse to justify getting another
gun for a collection!
Carolina Pistols
As a change from his regular diet of long rifles, George brought out
some nice pistols made in North or South Carolina. You can almost see the
French Hugonaut influence in the beautiful flintlock pistol shown in detail.
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