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                                                BILL GOODMAN, P. O. BOX 2002, BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59771

TEL. (406) 587-3131        FAX (406) 219-3415

                                        EMAIL: montanaraven@hotmail.com

Bill Goodman has been a collector of antique/collector firearms for well over 40 years and a full time dealer for over 30 years. Traveling around the country constantly seeking good quality collector arms at REALISTIC PRICES, Bill sells exclusively by mail order. Until recently, he has advertised in every issue of The Gun List (now Gun Digest the Magazine) since it's first small issues in the early 1980s (as well as The Shotgun News before that). All items are photographed. To view them just click the text of the item you want to see. Be sure to scroll down as most items have more than one photo. All guns are sold as collector's items, not shooters. If you wish to shoot an item listed here, it is strongly recommended that you have the item checked out by a competent gunsmith who specializes in antique firearms. All items are sold with the usual three (3) day inspection. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, call to say you are returning the item and you will receive an immediate refund when the item is received back in the same condition it was originally shipped. This list will be constantly updated as new items become available. Use the above phone number to call to check availability and for info on any item you wish to purchase. Prices do not include shipping. All federal/state laws concerning the transfer of firearms are strictly followed. Modern firearms must be shipped to an FFL dealer (or "Curio & Relics" license holders where applicable). Pre-1899 antiques may be shipped to non-FFL holders. All Layaway sales are final. AND PLEASE, MAKE CHECKS TO WILLIAM (OR BILL) GOODMAN AND NOT GOODMANGUNS.

MORE GUNS WERE POSTED ON 12/14/18. WATCH FOR FREQUENT POSTINGS THROUGH DECEMBER.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD: FINALLY, MY SECOND NOVEL IS OUT! First, I'd like to thank everyone who read my first novel, DESERT SUNDAYS, and kept after me to get the second one done and published! So, after the usual delays and hitches, here it is. This one is called AN OBVIOUS SLAM DUNK and if you like courtroom scenes and a story that not only makes you think, but surprises you...well, this is a page turner I know you'll like. And before anyone asks, yes, the third novel is almost done and I hope to get that one out before too long. All three form a trilogy, but each stands alone, so it doesn't matter which you read first. Both are available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (Kindle downloads too). If you want to save some money and have a signed copy, I have books here that I can sell cheaper than online at $13 each including shipping. Click here to see both books front and back with a synopsis of each. Don't bother to call to reserve a copy, just toss a check in the mail with shipping instructions. Thanks, Bill Goodman

COLT FIRE ARMS (click text for photo)

1) ONE OF THE SCARCEST OF THE EARLY COLT CARTRIDGE REVOLVERS: THIS IS THE MODEL 1861 CARTRIDGE “CONVERSION” IN .38 COLT CENTER FIRE. Only 2200 made of this model in .38 Rim Fire and .38 Center Fire. I put the word conversion in quotation marks because these were not converted from an original percussion revolver, but were made by Colt in cartridge form using up earlier new parts from percussion models. In doing some research on this rare model in Bruce McDowell’s detailed book THE STUDY OF COLT CONVERSIONS, he states that in the early 1870s when this model was introduced there wasn’t a good supply of .38 Center Fire ammunition, so Colt made the early revolvers in .38 Rim Fire. By about 1873-74 center fire ammo became plentiful and that’s when Colt began making this model in the center fire version. All of this model were serial numbered below 3300 and this example is in the 28XX range. Bruce McDowell also states that the standard finish was blue with walnut grips and that any other finish and stock material was special order and extremely rare. This revolver IS IN THE RARE SPECIAL ORDER NICKEL FINISH WITH GORGEOUS ONE-PIECE IVORY GRIPS! All numbers match on barrel, frame, trigger guard, cylinder and back strap. Only the barrel wedge number is different. Interestingly, McDowell also states that often there is a number “1” stamped under the serial number on the frame, trigger guard and back strap. He gives no reason for this and this revolver has that stamping. All the sharp roll engraved cylinder scene remains depicting a naval engagement. The trigger guard/front strap, butt and back strap retain nearly all the bright original nickel and the left front of the trigger guard is stamped “38 CAL.” The bottom left side of the frame has the correct two line patent dates and retains bright nickel. The barrel and cylinder and remainder of the frame show about half the nickel, but where the nickel is worn/flaked the metal underneath is fairly bright making this all blend nicely into a most attractive overall appearance. Correct barrel marking, fine nickel on the hammer, exc. screws, beautiful mellow ivory grips fit perfectly and appear to be factory original- which would seem probable as this was a special order nickel finish revolver. Tight mechanics and matching assembly numbers on the loading gate and the cylinder arbor. McDowell states that roughly half of this model were rim fire and half were center fire. Considering this there are only 1100 of this model in .38 Center Fire caliber. Of this 1100 there can be only a handful made in nickel finish with ivory grips! An outstandingly rare and attractive Colt! (4 photos) $3850.

2) EARLY SINGLE ACTION ARMY .44-40, 7 ½”ETCHED BARREL REVOLVER WITH GORGEOUS MELLOW IVORY GRIPS, FACTORY LETTER, #98XXX, SHIPPED TO SCHOVERLING, DALY & GALES, NEW YORK, NY ON AUGUST 1, 1884. This is really attractive example that remarkably still shows the original (not restored or doctored) clear and fully readable etched panel “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER.” The panel is only lightly aged and worn, but fully intact (the photo has light reflection/glare on the left portion of the panel- it's as clear as the right side shows in the photo). All matching numbers on the frame, trigger guard, back strap and cylinder. Fine one line barrel address with clear patent dates on the left side of the frame. It also has the correct tiny “44” stamped on the bottom of the barrel ahead of the correct early style cylinder pin. The left front trigger guard bow is stamped “44 CF” The factory letter lists this as: .44/40, barrel length not listed, blue, type of stocks not listed and then the above mentioned shipping info and date. The ivory grips fit perfectly and were probably fitted by Schoverling, Daly & Gales when the gun was new. Overall metal is a smooth gray/brown with fine markings and screws. The hammer is correct and the front sight has not been filed or altered. It has an excellent, tight action with four clicks and an excellent bore. I believe this one was in storage for a long time as the factory letter is dated 1987 and when I got this one there was still old dried grease on it. These early etched panel .44-40s were almost all used in the Old West and don’t show up often with good panels. This is a nice, attractive example. (5 photos) $5800.

3) VERY HIGH CONDITION BLUE AND CASE COLOR SINGLE ACTION ARMY .32-20, 5 ½” BARREL, #344XXX, MADE 1923. This is a really spectacular example that retains nearly all the vivid case color on the frame and hammer with maybe just a touch of fading to the colors on the top strap- even the back of the recoil shield and outside of the loading gate retain the factory colors. Nearly full blue remains with a hint of thinning on the back strap, barely a touch of wear at the muzzle and outside edge of the ejector…all too minor to describe, but just enough to easily confirm that all the blue and case color are factory original. About perfect grips are matching numbered to the frame, trigger guard and grip straps. Untouched blued screws and cylinder pin. About as nice a Single Action as I’ve offered. (6 photos- lots of light reflection made it difficult) $5800..

4) EARLY 1903 HAMMERLESS .32 ACP AUTO PISTOL, #120XXX, MADE 1911. Fine early example of a Type 3 1903 Model with 3 ¾” barrel made right about the time Colt transitioned away from barrel bushings on this model. It retains fine “Stylized C” with rampant colt hard rubber grips with one sliver off the right front edge panel. Fine deep high polish blue with normal edge wear and thinning on the grip straps. Sharp markings including the early 1897 and 1903 patent dates as well as the rampant colt in a circle at the rear of the left side of the slide. Nice fire blue on the trigger sides and safety lever, correct two-tone magazine marked on the bottom “CAL 32 COLT.” Exc. bright bore and tight mech. $675.

MARLIN (click text for photos).

1) FANCY WALNUT STOCKED 1881 .45-70 OCTAGON RIFLE WITH DOUBLE SET TRIGGERS, #8XXX, MADE 1884. This is a fine rifle that has a surprisingly excellent bore with sharp rifling throughout and only lightly dark. The standard 28” octagon barrel shows good thinning and ageing blue with excellent markings and has the original buckhorn and Rocky Mountain blade sights. The mag tube blue has thinned and aged to mostly brown. The receiver shows some very thin and aged blue but is mostly a brown/gray mixture. Fine butt stock with fiddleback grain throughout and shows only normal light handling with one small chip at the lower tang/receiver juncture- minor. Forend also has matching fiddleback grain and shows similar handling with maybe only a hind of the usual crack ahead of the sliding loading gate (almost all Marlin 1881s crack in this area where the wood is thin). Tight action, correct smooth steel shotgun butt plate, double set triggers function properly and a great bore! This is a fancier than standard big frontier rifle with double set triggers with a very attractive appearance. $3250.

2) MODEL ’94 .38-40 OCTAGON RIFLE, #412XXX, MADE C.1909. A fine example that retains most of the deep factory blue on the barrel and magazine showing only light darkening from age, exc. markings, receiver case colors have faded to a heavily mottled gray with good blue on the bolt and loading gate, original Rocky Mountain blade front sight with original buckhorn rear sight, excellent walnut butt stock and forend with tight wood to metal fit and only a little spot of surface chipping by the side of the butt plate near the toe on the right side- very minor and hardly worth mentioning. Fine+ bore with some very light scattered surface roughness that ought to brush out better, tight action. Very attractive overall appearance, $1595.

3) PRE-MOUNTIE, MODEL 39A, .22 S, L & LR , STRAIGHT STOCK, 20” RIFLE, #N21XXX, MADE 1956. This is a New Haven, CT made rifle made long before any safeties or gold plated triggers. It is in excellent overall condition retaining just about all the original blue on the barrel, magazine, receiver and lever. Wood is near perfect with original Marlin marked hard rubber butt plate. Has the correct scope base mounted on the receiver top in the factory holes along with a folding buckhorn rear sight. Perfect inside and tight action. This one has seen little or no use for the past 62+ years! Great 1950s quality inside and out. $750.

A NOTE ABOUT "MODERN MARLINS": Marlin has closed its doors for good in North Haven, Connecticut and been bought out by the folks who own Remington. It looks like some models have been put back into production with the barrels marked "Utica, New York." I did see one of the new ones with the old North Haven barrel address so I assume they had left over barrels they were using up. Quality in wood to metal fit was fair at best and trigger pulls were off the scale heavy! I don't know if any of the octagon barrel "cowboy models" will be produced again, although their online catalogue does show a model 1894 cowboy-type with octagon barrel in .45 Colt.

1) SCARCE MODEL 375, CHAMBERED FOR THE FINE .375 WCF CARTRIDGE AND ONLY MADE IN LIMITED QUANTITIES FROM 1980-1983, a really great short to medium range caliber (I have one in a Ruger No.3 single shot that shoots amazingly small groups), 20" barrel with 2/3 mag., factory sling swivels and factory drilled and tapped for scope mounting, this one is in near new condition, $795.

2) PRE-SAFETY SCARCE 1894 .357 CARBINE, MADE 1982. These are particularly hard to find now, correct 18 ½” barrel, buckhorn rear sight with bead front sight, has a scope base correctly mounted in the factory holes, retains nearly all the blue, excellent wood and has a single quick detachable sling swivel stud in the “bullseye” in the bottom of the stock. If you wanted to, you could remove it and replace the little bullseye inlay that is available through several sources. Tight action and perfect bore. $995.

3) MODEL 1895CB, .45-70 WITH 26" OCTAGON BARREL, MADE 2008. This model has the "Ballard style" rifling that works well with cast or jacketed bullets. These are getting very hard to find now as shooters who own them aren't parting with them! This one is in near new condition with no extra holes or alterations. Aside from some very, very light handling marks on the forend (you have to look carefully to see them), it is basically like new. I have one like this that shoots great! $1195.

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC RIFLES, SHOTGUNS AND PISTOLS (click text for photos)

1) CUSTOMIZED, FACTORY ENGRAVED REMINGTON HEPBURN SINGLE SHOT RIFLE CONVERTED TO MEDIUM HEAVY VARMINT RIFLE IN .219 IMPROVED ZIPPER CALIBER, probably done in the 1930s-1950s when these rifles didn’t seem to hold a lot of value to collectors (lots of converted single shot rifles during this time!). This one is unusual in that the receiver appears to be factory engraved with scrolls and game scenes (rabbit on one side and a fox on the other) with reblued at time of conversion over the engraving, meaning the engraving was on the gun before refinishing/customizing! It was also converted to under-lever breech block opening (like on a Highwall or Sharps), it is fitted with a 24: medium heavy varmint barrel, nicely grained pistol grip stock with cheek piece and accent line, flat bottom varmint forend, sling swivels and topped with a (more modern) 6-24X BSA Platinum scope (here’s the factory info on the scope: “Extremely tight optical and mechanical tolerances give these scopes consistency a nd superb accuracy. Features multi-coated lenses, finger adjustable windage and elevation target turrets, generous eye relief and an adjustable objective that adjusts from 25 yards out to infinity. Completely waterproof, fogproof and shockproof. Comes with a limited lifetime factory warranty.”). Unmarked barrel, I was told by the previous owner that the caliber is .219 Imp. Zipper and that appears correct- it was also the most popular varmint caliber for rifles like this. Tight action, target crowned muzzle, light trigger and all in exc. condition overall. Would cost a fortune to have made today…if you could even find the action (not to mention engraving!) NOTE: three photos- the engraving didn't show up in the first two from light reflection, but you see it in the last photo- same on both sides. $2150.

2) RARE MERWIN, HULBERT & COMPANY SINGLE ACTION POCKET ARMY .44-40 REVOLVER WITH 3 ½” BARREL, MADE 1876-1880s. Most of these that I have seen over the years have been in much used and often abused condition, this one is in much finer condition than normally encountered. Further, it has the scarce and desirable marking on the right side of the frame, “MERWIN, HULBERT & CO. N.Y.” over “POCKET ARMY.” According to Flayderman’s Guide (unfortunately the latest edition is 11 years old now and since Norm Flayderman’s passing will probably be the last updated edition- too bad, this is still the best resource for antique firearms) this “Pocket Army” marking is worth a 20% to 40% premium. Left side of frame correctly marked for the .44-40 caliber, “CALIBRE WINCHESTER 1873.” The barrel has the usual Hopkins & Allen markings with patent dates. Nickel plated finish was standard on this model and this example shows fine nickel interspersed with fairly bright metal where the nickel has peeled- this makes it difficult to determine exactly how much nickel remains, but gives the entire handgun an even and attractive appearance. I would estimate at least half of the nickel remains and possibly a good bit more. The original hard rubber grips are excellent and all numbers match- I believe the number on the “knuckle extension” is the serial number with all other parts stamped with a matching assembly number. All screws are excellent and all markings are fine with nice aged blue on the trigger guard. This unique action revolver was considered ahead of its time and was of superb quality. By putting the hammer to half cock, the sliding latch under the frame ahead of the trigger guard could be slid forward. This released the barrel and cylinder. Turning the barrel clockwise and pulling forward ejected all cartridges simultaneously. Then, pressing the spring loaded latch on the left side of the barrel assembly allowed for the barrel and cylinder to come completely off the frame for reloading or cleaning. Truly an amazing design! These were also made in double action which are less rare and desirable than the single action variety like this one. Fine mechanically with near excellent bore, this is a really fine example of one of the more interesting high quality Old West handguns that competed with the big Colt and S&W revolvers of the day. (3 photos) $2350.

3) VERY HIGH CONDITION SAVAGE 1899 26” ROUND BARREL SOLID FRAME RIFLE IN DESIRABLE .30-30 CALIBER, #257XXX, MADE 1924. One of the best I’ve encountered in a very long time, this example retains about all the blue on the receiver and barrel with excellent vivid case color on the lever- which still retains most of the lacquer over the colors! Excellent crescent butt stock and forend with one typical hairline crack coming back from the upper left side of the tang for a couple of inches- hard to detect unless you are looking for it. Almost all Savage 1899s have this as the stock is held to the receiver by a cross bolt running under the butt plate and through the stock. As the wood naturally swells and shrinks with changing humidity and temperature, the wood has no place to go… so these fairly meaningless stress cracks form. Savage marked buckhorn rear sight with correct Rocky Mountain blade front sight. Exc. bore and correct brass rotary magazine with strong spring and cartridge counter on the side. Savage 1899s seem to have nearly disappeared from the market and superior examples like this are really hard to locate. This is a great ’99 in desirable .30-30 caliber. (3 photos) $1395.

MODERN AND CUSTOM CLASSIC FIREARMS (click text for photos)

REMINGTON (click text for photos)

1) OUTSTANDING MODEL 1901 ROLLING BLOCK MUSKET IN 7MM MAUSER CALIBER. One of the best I’ve seen in a long time, this example shows fine case colors on the receiver, excellent blue on the barrel, exc. walnut stock and handguard, correct sling swivels and cleaning rod intact (these often missing), original military style ladder rear sight with slide intact (again, these often missing), excellent deep blue on the hammer and breech block as well as on the two main receiver pins and retainer on the left side, exc. deep barrel blue, tight action, bore needs a good scrub but will be excellent, sharp markings on the tang with last patent date 1901 with no foreign proofs or foreign cartouche stampings in the stock, and all in about as nice as one could hope to find without somehow being brand new! (4 photos) $1050.

2) U.S. GOVERNMENT WORLD WAR II ISSUE MODEL 11, 12 GA. RIOTGUN. These U.S. marked riotguns are becoming very hard to find now as all W.W.II firearms are popular with collectors and investors. This one has the correct U.S. and flaming bomb markings on the receiver as well as on the barrel. It also has a "C D" stamping on the right side of the receiver just ahead of the ejection port that may stand for Civil Defense. Additionally, the barrel and receiver serial numbers DO MATCH which is both very unusual and very desirable on this model as usually when the guns were taken apart for cleaning barrels and receivers got switched. This example is an early one in that it was a commercial Remington with the typical pheasant and duck hunting scenes roll engraved on each side along with a blue finish. The later Model 11s have a dull finish without the roll engraving. Later guns actually say “Military Finish” on the side of the receivers. Has the correct “CYL” choke marking on the left side of the 20 inch barrel. Butt stock has the original Remington butt plate as well as a light but visible crossed cannon cartouche etc. on the left center of the stock. Fine lightly aged blue overall on receiver and barrel, exc. mechanically, bright bore, forend shows one age crack coming back from the tip on the right side and goes nowhere. There is a similar one on the left side only of the butt stock coming forward from the middle of the butt plate that also goes nowhere- minor and simply from the wood drying. All excellent markings and a very fine example. $1295.

3) MODEL 25 PUMP RIFLE IN .25-20 CALIBER, SERIAL NUMBER 27560. These fine pre-war rifles have become very difficult to find. This one retains excellent blue on the barrel and magazine with only some wear on the tube where it rides through the retaining band. The receiver also retains most of the deep factory blue with only some thinning on the bottom ahead of the trigger guard. However, if you look very carefully in the right light you may be able to detect some filled holes in the top of the barrel ahead of the receiver behind the rear sight and ahead of the rear sight. They have been so perfectly and expertly filled that they are almost undetectable. In fact, I owned this rifle for some time before I noticed it! Excellent forend and but stock with one wide rub/scratch area on the left side of the butt stock where it looks like something scraped along the side. It should be fairly easy to mend this with a little fine sand paper and stock finish. Correct steel Remington marked crescent butt plate. Has a Marbles buckhorn rear sight with a blade/bead front sight. Perfect bright and sharp bore with tight mech. Lots of life left in this one! $650.

4) CUSTOM HEPBURN VARMINT RIFLE (see above in custom & classic section above)

RUGER FIREARMS (click text for photos)

1) CLASSIC MODEL 77 IN 7MM REMINGTON MAGNUM CALIBER, MADE 1981, a truly great rifle in every way that is no longer in production, this is the variation without open barrel sights, 24" barrel, comes with a sling and Ruger scope rings, seen very little use as about all the blue is present with barely any edge wear to the trigger guard, original Ruger rubber butt pad and grip cap, sharp checkering, there are some very shallow scratches to the wood on the left side of the receiver which are minor and hardly worth mentioning, classic tang mounted safety, exc. inside, about the most perfect "do anything" caliber available, if you wanted one rifle to hunt anything from antelope to big elk, this one would do it very nicely, $575.

SHILOH SHARPS AND OTHER REPRODUCTIONS. Note: I am a Shiloh Sharps dealer and can order you any Shiloh you want. Check out my other website for Shilohs: www.shiloh-ballard.com (click text for photos).

1) GORGEOUS FANCY BURL WALNUT ON THIS LIMITED PRODUCTION THOMPSON/CENTER HAWKEN “COUGAR” SPECIAL EDITION .50 CALIBER PERCUSSION HALF STOCK SPORTER. I believe T/C made a small number of these in the mid-1980s for only one year. They are distinctive in that they had upgraded walnut in the stock and “French Gray” steel furniture instead of the usual blued and brass fixtures like butt plate, trigger guard, ramrod thimbles, forend cap etc. This example has superior burl walnut in the stock along with the correct “Cougar” disc inlay. The barrel is blued and has the standard adjustable rear sight and blade front sight. These almost never seem to come up for sale and the wood alone in this one makes it an outstanding looking muzzle loader! Seen very little use and ready to be shot! If you don’t have at least one traditional styled muzzle loading rifle, you need one! These are simply too much fun not to own and shoot. (4 photos) $695.

2) HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON MODEL 1873 OFFICERS MODEL TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD, .45-70 CALIBER. I believe these fine American made replicas were made from 1975-1981. Copied from the originals, they feature checkering, tang sight, wiping rod, engraved case colored action, lock plate, trigger guard and hammer, and engraved pewter forend tip. It also has a tall blade/bead front sight on the 26” barrel to match up nicely with the tang sight. These are fine rifles that don’t turn up for sale much anymore. Aside from a couple of tiny handling marks in the wood that are too minor to describe, it is in near new condition. These are still a bargain. $1150.

SMITH AND WESSON (click text for photos)

1) A GREAT SMITH AND WESSON FIND!!! A VERY SCARCE 5^TH MODEL .38 DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER, 4” WITH NICKEL FINISH, IN THE ORIGINAL MATCHING NUMBERED BOX! THESE WERE ONLY MADE 1909-1911. As stated in the last edition of Flayderman’s Guide (It’s a shame nobody has picked up on this great book with much needed new editions since Norm Flayderman died several years ago), “…production run of about 15,000 (however, specimens available on the collectors’ market always scarce).” Aside from some internal improvements over earlier models, the 5^th Model is easily identified by having the front sight integral with the barrel and not pinned as before. The barrel also does not contain patent markings. Caliber .38 S&W, this example retains most of the original nickel with only some minor freckling/peeling mainly on the extreme front edge of part of the cylinder- very minor. The hammer retains nice case color and about all the deep blue remains on the trigger guard and barrel latch. Excellent grips and tight action with all matching numbers on the frame, latch, cylinder and barrel. Remarkably, the box is in excellent condition with all intact corners and only one small inch section of the wrap around inner-box that fits inside the lid when closed is missing- minor. All instructions in the inside of the lid and inside the box are intact as is the end label stating in thee lines: “Smith and Wesson; DOUBLE 38 ACTION; Nickel 4 inch.” The bottom of the box is numbered with the matching serial number 542XXX and has a factory stamping in red ink stating that "This arm is guaranteed with either black or smokeless powder factory loaded ammunition." It is interesting to note that this model was serialized from 539001-554077. This example falls right in the middle of production, probably 1910. Amazing that a 108 year old cardboard box survived to the present time, let alone in this condition! This should prove to be an excellent investment S&W! (four photos) $1295.

2) LIMITED PRODUCTION AND HARD TO FIND EARLY FIRST MODEL MILITARY AND POLICE "MODEL 1899 HAND EJECTOR" IN .38 SPECIAL CALIBER, these "Grandfather of all the M&Ps" were only made from 1899-1902 and are immediately recognizable because it is the only Hand Ejector made without a locking lug on the bottom of the barrel for the ejector rod to catch, also, all had round grip frames, this one with 5" barrel is in the 19XXX serial range and has matching serial numbers, very tight action and exc. bore, nice bright case colors on the hammer sides, case color on the trigger a bit dulled but shows some color, exc. correct hard rubber grips with patent dates on the bottom left grip panel, fine S&W logo marking on frame, fine blue in all the usual protected areas with thinning/ageing blue on the more exposed parts- like the outside of the cylinder, back strap etc. yet retains plenty of blue overall on the frame, trigger guard and barrel, front sight has not been filed or altered, exc. screws and markings, a limited production fairly scarce model to locate, $795.

3) PRE-WAR .44 SPECIAL SECOND MODEL HAND EJECTOR REVOLVER, 6 ½” BARREL, SCARCE NICKEL FINISH, MADE 1921. Only 15,510 of this model were made from 1915-1940 and I’m sure that low number reflects limited manufacture and demand during the Great Depression of the 1930s.The classic book STANDARD CATALOG OF SMITH WESSON indicates that nickel finish in this model is worth "a premium." This one retains nearly all the original nickel finish with only some scattered freckling mainly on the edges of the grip straps and on the right side of the frame behind the cylinder (this is typical as this is the area that holster straps rub), still retains some light case color on the hammer and trigger, sharp bright bore with only a spot or two of light surface corrosion that might brush out, tight action, exc. markings, matching numbers, exc. diamond checkered walnut grips, unaltered front sight, lanyard ring intact, these big frame pre-war .44sd are becoming very difficult to locate and this is a particularly fine example in desirable nickel finish. (4 photos) $1495.

4) EXTREMELY SCARCE ADJUSTABLE SIGHTED, TARGET VERSION M-36 CHIEF SPECIAL, 2” SQUARE BUTT .38 SPECIAL REVOLVER, ONE OF A RUN OF 1,001 OF THESE MADE IN 1966! This and the also rare and identical M-50 target sighted Chief Special are identical. Most of these seem to be the M-36-1 with fewer being the non-dash M-36, like this one. Looks to be unfired and about new as the blue is all intact on the face of the cylinder, and all the rest of the bright blue remains with only a very small spot of brown on the butt and a tiny peel spot on the left side of the frame at the juncture of the top of the recoil shield. The medallion diamond checkered grips are in similar condition. Interestingly, this revolver is in the correct 1966 serial range of these- 391XX1 and the grips are numbered identically except for the last digit which is 391XX2- obviously a factory mix-up during final assembly. One of the most rare and desirable of the Post-War S&Ws that just never seem to come up for sale. (note: what looks like scratches in the top photo is just light reflection off oil) $1295.

5) MODEL 29-3 .44 MAGNUM, 6” NICKEL PLATED REVOLVER, #N893XXX, MADE 1983. Retains about all the factory nickel with only normal very light surface scratching from holster carry and handling- all very minor. Has target hammer and target trigger, white outline rear sight and red insert front sight. Pachmayr “Presentation” rubber grips, tight action and bright exc bore. Nickel guns like this are becoming very scarce and collectable. $695.

6) BIG AND ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT MODEL 329 PD "AIRLIGHT" .44 MAGNUM REVOLVER, 4" barrel with finger groove wood grips. When you want a lot of power, but don't want to lug around a heavy steel sixgun, this is the one to have! In fact, I do have one of these and carry it hiking here in Montana. The only .44 mag. I can carry for miles in the mountains and not even notice it's there! Not very pleasant to shoot, but it's not really made for that. Rather, it's to be carried a lot and fired a little. Adjustable rear sight with high visibility fiber optic front sight, wide checkered target hammer, great single action and double action trigger pull, this one has just a very little carry wear, but is as tight as new. Interesting tip: these fit the Bianchi U.S. flap holsters made for the M-9 Beretta! I often use this holster with mine as it keeps debris out and also keeps me from catching my arm on the hammer or sight when hiking. $795.

U.S. MILITARY AND SPRINGFIELD (click text for photos

1) VERY HIGH CONDITION SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1884 .45-70 TRAPDOOR RIFLE, #472XXX, WITH GOOD 1889 STOCK CARTOUCHE. One of the better ones I’ve seen in a while, this example has a bright perfect bore and retains nearly all the deep blue on the barrel, barrel bands, trigger guard etc. with only some light muzzle wear and edge wear. The correctly 1884 dated breech block also retains some vivid case color on the top portion as does the upper tang. The hammer and lock plate show fine deep “inky” blue-black oil quenched case hardening. Retains the original excellent Buffington rear sight as well as the correct style cleaning rod and leather military sling. The stock is excellent, having never been sanded, and shows only light normal handling. As I always say when I advertise one of these, they are still one of the best bargains on the antique firearms market today- the Springfield workmanship, fit and finish is outstanding. These are historical, finely made rifles in a great caliber that are great collectables as well as shooters with the proper ammunition. This is a particularly fine example.(4 photos) $1195.

2) U.S. GOVERNMENT WORLD WAR II ISSUE MODEL 11, 12 GA. RIOTGUN (see above in Remington section)

WINCHESTERS (click text for photo)

BILL GOODMAN, P. O. BOX 2002, BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59771 TEL. (406) 587-3131 FAX (406) 219-3415 montanaraven@hotmail.com

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THESE WERE SUCH GOOD NOTES FROM THE FIELD I'M KEEPING THEM HERE.

CRACKED STOCKS! Seems like an odd thing to write about, but this is something I've not seen in print before. I've observed a lot of rifles with cracks coming straight back toward the butt plate from the upper and lower tangs. Sometimes the cracks are severe enough to warrant repairs (like cross bolts etc. through the wrist or extensive gluing) and other times the stock remains pretty solid as is. So what caused this condition in the first place? I've hunted with all kinds of rifles in all kinds of weather and terrain and never had a gun get damaged like all these I've seen. And I've taken some pretty bad falls too. Once, on ice I couldn't see beneath a couple inches of fresh snow, my feet went out from under me and my rifle landed a number of yards away! Still, no cracks like these. So I've been puzzled by this for some time. Then it hit me, since these guns all seemed like Western big game rifles- large lever actions like 1876 and 1886 Winchesters or Marlin 1881 and 1895s as well as all over while the rifles were in saddle scabbards- fairly common in icy winter conditions, especially in the mountains. Also, sometimes horses will walk so close to trees that they rub against them. If a rifle is in a butt-forward position scabbard, the rifle can go on one side of the tree and the horse the other causing a stress cracked stock. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. The wrists are fairly strong on most rifles and it takes a lot to crack one. If anyone else has a different theory about this condition, I'd like to hear it!

"GUNS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION YEARS" When the Great Depression began with the Stock Market Crash of 1929 America was taken by surprise. Prior to this pivotal event, in the gun industry production was high and sales were brisk. Almost overnight sales fell off hugely. The Winchester Handbook by George Madis shows production numbers by years of some of the major models. This is pretty illuminating. Here are some examples: Model 1890 .22RF had 12,367 produced in 1928 and 696 made in 1932; Model 1892 saw 64,833 produced in 1910 and 491 in 1930; Model 53 had 2,861 produced in 1925 and 30 made in 1937; Model 1894 had 29,967 made in 1927 and only1,192 made in 1934; Model 55 had 3,064 made in 1927 and 42 made in 1936. Colt, Marlin, Savage, Remington and Smith & Wesson etc. all f elt the same pressure. With production down to a fraction of what it was, the big manufacturers had no choice but to fire employees. Those lucky enough to be retained were the most highly skilled and experienced craftsmen. They also had time to put extra fine fitting and finishing into each firearm. Generally, the quality of these guns is truly exceptionally. With production numbers of these late pre-war arms relatively small and quality without peer, their value should be assured. Some of the scarce large frame Colt and S&W handguns- especially the target sighted versions- are almost breathtaking in their fit an d finish. This has been an under-appreciated niche in arms collecting/investing. It is my belief Great Depression era arms are often "sleepers" on the antique market today and are bound to increase in value at a rapid pace making them excellent long term investments.

I have found a new shooting activity that I'm sure a number of folks who check out my website will either want to try themselves or will at least find interesting reading. I've discovered the fun of BLACK POWDER SHOTSHELLS. And no, I'm not new to black powder. I've been shooting muzzle loaders since I was a kid (I was too young to buy ammo, but a can of black powder and a single shot muzzle loading pistol kept me shooting!) I've shot black powder cartridge rifles and some handguns since the 1970s. I've also tried a few muzzle loading shotguns, but a while back I noticed Midway was offering reloadable brass shotshells made by Magtech in Brazil. They cost about a buck a piece and come in a box of 25. So I thought this looked interesting and bought a box. They prime with a large pistol primer (I use CCI Large Pistol Mag. Primers) and require no special tools to load. I did buy a "cowboy 12 ga. shell holder" by RCBS which makes priming easier, but one can prime using a dowel, hammer and a flat surface to seat the primer. Anyway, I loaded with various loads of black powder as well as Alliant Black MZ black powder substitute. 27.3 grains equals one dram, so a typical field load of 3 1/2 drams equals about 95 grains of black powder or substitute. I load that through a drop tube to better settle the powder, using a wood dowel I seat an over powder card wad, then a cushion wad, pour in 1 1/8 oz. of shot from an antique shot dipper I picked up somewhere along the line, top with another over powder wad and then put about three small drops of Elmer's glue on this top wad at the edge. Last, using a Q-tip sweep it around the wad edge. It dries making a nice seal with the inside of the brass case and holds everything together. Firing removes any glue residue from the case. I picked up a particularly nice Remington 1889 double barrel with exposed hammers (damascus with exc. bores) and tried out my loads on some thrown clays. I'm not a good shot with a scattergun, but when I felt I was on, the clay targets broke as nicely as if I'd been using a modern smokeless shotgun. I used this double on a pheasant hunt last fall and did just fine with it. Truthfully, it made the hunt so much more fun I don't know if I'd go again with one of my modern guns! Today I tried the same shells in a Winchester 1887 Lever Action 12 ga. that was made in 1888. It fed beautifully and was a blast to shoot (no pun intended). The brass cases de-prime with a simple Lee type punch and clean up with hot soapy water. No resizing is required for the next loading. Pretty simple. The 12 ga. cases are 2 1/2" long, which is exactly what a modern 2 3/4" case measures LOADED AND UNFIRED. Remember, many of the older guns, like the Winchester 1887, have 2 5/8" chambers. You don't want to shoot a 2 3/4" shell in them as they won't be able to open up all the way causing pressures to jump etc. I don't think Magtech offers brass cases in 10 ga. but they do in the smaller gauges. There are a lot of older shotguns out there that can often be purchased inexpensively and make wonderful shooters. Be sure to have any gun checked out by a gunsmith if you have doubts about it. With these brass cases and ease of loading, it's worth trying. Buffalo Arms in Idaho sells the correct size wads for these brass cases- they actually take 11 ga. wads. If you give this a try, I think you'll be glad you did- Bill Goodman