Hard to get more exotic than this two barreled, drum fed, hand cranked Bira Gun from Nepal, one of fifteen being restored by U.S. Armament Corp. for IMA-USA. The data plate can be seen in the inset below. The Bira was one several late 1800’s period manually operated rapid fire guns at U.S. Armament’s elaborate display. Website www.usarmamentcorp.com.
SAR’s formula for shows combining regular weapons with machine guns is proving to be a success for dealers and attendees. For those who are curious about what goes on at a SAR Show, Robert Bruce offers a look at some highlights from the SAR East event in York, PA.
Most gun shows are exciting enough, but SAR East kicked it up several notches with plenty of exotic weaponry offered for sale to buyers qualified under federal, state and local laws.
Glen Whittenberger, vice president of the Thompson Collectors Association, points out a documented combat veteran Colt Model 1928 Navy “overstamp,” one of ten Tommy Guns lined up in a spectacular exhibit. This is a Model 1921 that the Navy modified by installing a heavy actuator to reduce cyclic rate and stamped over the last digit in 1921 on the receiver with the numeral 8. Email glenwhittenberger@aol.com.
A star of the Thompson Collectors Association’s exhibit is this one-of-a-kind unfired Model 1921 Colt manufactured Thompson, serial number 127. The gun’s current owner has a thick binder filled with original documents tracing its path beginning with shipment from the factory to a rural hardware store.
For three days beginning on April 30th, the picturesque city of York, Pennsylvania was the place to be for aficionados of machine guns, mortars, silencers, black rifles, and plenty more.
The York Expo Center became a full-immersion gun culture experience with everything from A to Z including load-your-own ammo kits for 37/40mm grenade launchers and graphically gruesome zombie targets.
Moose Lake Publications, SAR’s parent company, handled the Class 3 and Black Rifle section, while local partner Appalachian Promotions brought in vendors from near and far selling “regular firearms,” parts, accessories, ammo, gun books, and militaria.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” said Dan Shea, SAR’s publisher and driving force behind Long Mountain Outfitters and Defense Munitions. “This is the second year for the show and it has grown in size and attendance.”
Shea’s observations were echoed by Appalachian Promotions, who noted that all the vendor tables in the thirty thousand square foot exhibit hall were taken and ticket sales had grown.
Historical machine gun displays were also a big draw, with two added benefits in contrast to traditional museum settings. First, there was no glass to spoil flash photos and to separate viewers from the artifacts. Don’t touch, but you can get your nose literally within inches of factory markings and other details.
Then, owners of the items are usually standing close by, keeping a watchful eye and ready to answer questions or provide additional information.
In addition to “Doc Ed” Weitzman’s lineup of vintage Vickers guns, the Thompson Collectors Association presented ten different versions of the crowd-pleasing Tommy Gun, backed by a whole wall with giant blowups of colorful wartime posters.
Seen from left to right, three magnificent specimens from “Doc Ed” Weitzman’s extensive collection of Vickers Guns provide an informative look at the early evolution of the British Army’s Great War workhorse. The fourth is the U.S. Army’s .30 caliber Model of 1915, manufactured under license by Colt. Inset: “Doc Ed” Weitzman, machine gun collector extraordinaire and frequent SAR contributor, proudly shows off a Vickers Gun manufactured by Vickers, Sons and Maxim for the Portuguese Army. Its remarkably tall rear sight is testimony to the gun’s extreme range.
Unfortunately, there will not be a SAR East show in 2011. The scheduled date for the show in York coincides with the annual NRA convention and show that is being held in nearby Pittsburgh, PA that same weekend and the draw to that event will affect attendance though Appalachian Productions is expected to continue with their gun show.
Apparently unconcerned with the neon-eyed skull peering over his shoulder, Joe Bull hefts a USAS-12 semi auto shotgun, one of many formidable tactical weapons available from ITC. Email paconstabull@yahoo.com.
Stubby Gear’s Eric Staub and his son Julian are ready to “kick brass” with a .22 LR caliber S&W M&P15-22. Check out their website for plenty of other weapons and tactical stuff at www.stubbygear.com.
Frank Iannamico, SAR’s prolific producer of magazine features and ever-expanding series of authoritative books, is hard at work photographing the new MAC-10 .22 caliber conversion kit from Practical Solutions. This rig is destined for inclusion in Frank’s latest, an in-depth look at gun design genius Gordon Ingram. Email f.iannamico@comcast.net or sales@practicalpage.com.
Inspired by the hand-held Minigun, chute-fed from a backpack ammo magazine and starring in the sci-fi movie Predator, Sandy “Ammo Pig” Pawlikowski challenged her husband to “make one of those.” Dave, head honcho at Bear Paw Arms, did her two better by chopping three Browning M1919s and rigging ‘em up Hollywood style. No need for flash powder-doctored loads, they produce spectacular fireballs with ordinary GI ammo. Website www.bearpawarms.com.
To our way of thinking, these surplus GI .50 cal. Spotter-Tracer bullets were the show’s best deal for reloaders. Pulled from the special cartridges used in the aiming weapon atop 106mm Recoilless Rifles, they have a bright trace out to the target and explode on impact with a crowd-pleasing flash and report. Website www.springfieldarsenal.net.
SAR’s intrepid Senior Editor and faithful EmmaGeeMan’s Corner contributor, Robert Segel, closely examines a Soviet PPD-40 submachine gun, offered by Pennsylvanian Jim Wilkinson. This interesting pre-WW2 design was a predecessor to the iconic PPSh-41. Phone Jim at (570) 785-2936.
After hefting and handling this light and compact U.S. Ordnance MK43 Mod 1 offered by Long Mountain Outfitters, Eric Harper told us, “I wish we had these in Afghanistan.” The former 82nd Airborne trooper is now an Army Reservist and his unit had just returned from deployment. Give him a big “attaboy” for choosing to enjoy his first free Saturday by bringing his wife and child to the SAR East Show.
For variety, size and the exotic nature of items offered, Ohio Ordnance was a standout at the show. Just this one table of many arranged in a large rectangular setup beckons potential buyers hankering for a 75mm Recoilless Rifle, a brace of 7.62mm M240s and a .50 cal. Barrett. Website www.ohioordnanceworks.com.
A very nice Colt Browning 1928 Model 37 is worthy of admiring looks at the IMA table grouping. Walter Newman told us this is a live gun built by Ohio Ordnance using a Bob Landies side plate. Asking price for the gun with tripod and plenty of accessories is $18,000. Website www.IMA-USA.com.
Semi auto “rifle” versions of several types of famous machine guns were available from dealers at the show. Jorge Corbato of Project Guns explains the necessary internal mechanical modifications made to this belt-fed 7.62x39mm Cold War era Soviet RPD-SA (semi auto). Website www.projectguns.com.
No 1921 or 28 Model Thompson is truly complete without a formidable 100 round “C” drum magazine. “Notorious Tony” Scherer has this really nice one for sale at a mere $6,000. Call Tony in Tennessee at (423) 733-2615.
Robert Starer of Historic Arms Corp. proudly shows off his one-of-a-kind German Sturmgewehr prototype that he bought at auction from an anonymous seller some three decades ago. Starer says that whoever registered it in the 1968 amnesty was savvy enough to give this unmarked weapon the StG45 designation when completing the paperwork. One possibility is that whoever “liberated” it was linked to the Army Technical Intelligence teams that swarmed over German armaments factories as soon as they were overrun. Email HistoricArms@verizon.net.
Mark Mann cradles a nice .45 caliber Ingram Model 6 Police, one of Gordon Ingram’s first production model submachine guns. Contact The Rifleman in Macon, Georgia at (478) 784-2767.
Take a kid to a gun show and maybe he’ll develop a lifelong appreciation for arms collecting. But be careful, it’s gonna take a very BIG piggybank to hold the $38,000 that Curtis Wolf is asking for this beautifully restored and fully functioning WW2 GI 37mm antitank gun. Website www.usarmamementcorp.com (PS – the orange power cord is not actually plugged into the kid.)
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V14N4 (January 2011) and was posted online on November 1, 2011
