Pook & Pook, Inc.’s next firearms auction takes place on Saturday, May 21st, at 9:00am. May’s sale solidifies the company’s commitment to bi-annual gun and militaria sales. The upcoming auction also includes sporting and Native American art, and with slightly over two hundred lots, focuses more on item quality than quantity.

Drawing from several strong collections, the auction progresses from long guns to handguns and finishes with militaria, sporting art, and Native American items. The long guns are led by an exquisite Parker AAH grade, twelve-gauge shotgun with fine floral engraving and gold-plated accents. Lot 48, the Parker also has a cameo on the catalog’s cover. One of Pook & Pook, Inc.’s firearms sales would not be complete without Pennsylvania rifles, and May does not disappoint. The sale opens with several long rifles by noted Pennsylvania makers such as Jacob Dickert, John Derr, and Abraham Gibbs. Lot 23 is a particularly strong piece made by one of Lancaster County’s premier gunsmiths, Melchoir Fordney. The gun displays all of the representative characteristics of Fordney’s work and would be a strong addition to any long rifle collection. Other long gun highlights include a rare Pennsylvania militia contract Derringer rifle, number fifty-five of two hundred made, an 18th century ornate French fusil de chasse bearing marks for St. Etienne makers, three Philadelphia P. S. Justice rifles, and an American made, tiger maple, French and Indian War era flintlock musket, in the British Long Land pattern.

Mixed in with the long guns and scattered throughout the sale are a rare collection of well-documented underhammer guns that appear in several leading publications. An Anton Spellerberg “1” numbered rifle and a steel-bodied William Briggs shotgun are highlights within a collection that also features several impressive underhammer pistols.  Pook & Pook, Inc. additionally offers collections of P-08 Luger and 1911 pistols, including a Colt 1911 A1 U. S. Army National Match pistol with a National Match numbered barrel, slide, and barrel bushing.

Returning to older firearms, the May auction features a fine pair of John Lambert Queen Anne pistols, with intricate silver wire inlays, relief carving, and engraved details. Other handgun highlights include a Remington model 1875 Army revolver, several pepperbox pistols, and a presentation Colt model 1849 pocket revolver with an associated carte-de-visite of the gun’s owner as well as his epaulette.

Several interesting historic pieces also cross the auction block toward the end of the sale, such as a group of carved power horns and an impressive collection of Lenape traditional items. The collection includes a wedding coat, a parade hat, knives, and jewelry items that descended through the original owner’s family.

 Bidders interested in the May 21st sale are encouraged to contact Pook & Pook, Inc. at info@pookandpook.com or (610) 269-4040 with questions regarding condition reports, in-house, phone, or absentee bidder registration, or to purchase a catalog.  Catalogs can also be viewed online at www.pookandpook.com or www.bidsquare.com, where online bidding is also available. A gallery exhibition is scheduled for Saturday, May 14th, from 12:00pm-5:00pm and Wednesday, May 18th through Friday, May 20th, from 10:00pm-4:00pm. Bidders may also preview items on auction day, Saturday, May 21st, from 8:00am-9:00am.