Gold Medal Concours

Despite the threat of Hurricane Isabel, the sixth Gold Medal Concours d'Elegance of Fine Guns, held at The Vintage Cup, saw record attendance and the entry of some 75 rare, historic and collectible guns and rifles.

On Saturday, September 20, the NRA Foundation-in conjunction with Roosevelt and Drake and the Sayler-Hawkins Foundation-hosted a standing-room-only breakfast for Concours participants. Ken Waite, a veteran of the Remington Arms Co. and a noted firearms collector, presented a brief history of the Parker Invincible guns. These three ultra-rare shotguns, which normally are behind glass at the National Firearms Museum, in Virginia, were on display at the GMC by special permission of their owner, Bob Petersen. Then the panel of judges began its deliberations-selecting the guns whose quality, condition or history made them worthy of Gold, Silver or Bronze awards. (The full list of Concours awards, including those of the Parker Gun Collectors Assoc., the German Gun Collectors and the Lefever Arms Collectors, is available online at www.GoldMedalConcours.com. Photographs of most of the winning guns are posted as well.)

Best in Show was a Belgian double rifle-Lebeau-Courally No. 45458, in .470 Nitro Express, built in 2001 and belonging to Carl Calandra. The Boothroyd Award, determined by popular ballot, was won by British gunmaker Peter Nelson for his incredible gold-encrusted 20-bore sidelever O/U No. 1190 (see "Roses Flung Riotously," p. __). The NRA Cup, awarded to "the gun or rifle of greatest historical significance to the development of sporting firearms," went to Logan Reed's unique Spandau Sporter 8x57mm takedown bolt-action rifle No. 1, made in 1903. As a special honor, the owners of these three guns have been invited to display them at the National Firearms Museum. The Museum is administered by the NRA, whose Institute for Legislative Action sponsors the Concours.

At the Vintage Cup banquet on Saturday night, the winning ticket was pulled in the Concours raffle for a Searcy .470 double rifle in a Dan Walter Invincible case. The holder of ticket no. 0230 was present and ran to the podium to collect. The proceeds from the year-long raffle have been donated to the ILA.

When the GMC returns to California, next spring, it will be "a whole new ball game," said co-founder Roger Sanger. He and his partner, Shooting Sportsman's Silvio Calabi, recently sold the Concours to Down East Enterprise, owner of SSM (and other media), moved the event to a larger and more accessible venue, and made it a four-day gathering. The spring Concours includes the Western Double Gun & Rifle Championships-open to all gauges, calibers and types of over/unders, side-by-sides, Drillings and Cape guns-for the Roosevelt Cup (rifle), the Nickerson Cup (shotgun) and other honors. Sponsors will include the NRA, B. Searcy & Co., Atkin, Grant & Lang, Dakota Arms, Bonhams & Butterfields and SSM. Along with the juried exhibition, competitions and fun shoots, there will be an extensive display of commercial booths.

GMC VII and the Western Championships will take place from April 1 to 4 at Camanche Hills Hunting Preserve, near Sacramento and San Francisco. Access is direct and uncomplicated, and there are many B&Bs, hotels and motels nearby. Full information, including an accommodations list and registration forms, will be available online at www.GoldMedalConcours.com or directly from Silvio Calabi at scalabi@downeast.com.