Cranston, RI, USA, February 12, 2023 — Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ online-only Historic Arms & Militaria auction scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd, starting at 6 pm Eastern time, is a well-rounded sale, with objects that are affordable for the beginning collector as well as the most advanced. Areas of focus include the Civil War, World Wars I and II and modern firearms, for a total of 300 lots.
“This auction contains everything from single and grouped bayonet lots to magazines, holsters, WWI and WWII militaria, revolvers, bolt-action rifles and martial arms of all types and from many countries,” said Joel Bohy, Bruneau & Co.’s Director of Arms & Militaria. “There are also groupings of hard-to-find parts for a variety of military arms.”
Four items could end up vying for tot lot honors. The first is a circa 1919 Colt model 1902 military pistol – a famous “.38 special – serial number 40010, with black checkered hard rubber grips marked “COLT”, 9 ¼ inches long with a 9-inch barrel, sporting a blued finish and marked to the left and right sides as well as the magazine (est. $3,000-$4,000).
The second is a mid-17th century German Wheelock sporting carbine, 24 inches in length (the barrel 16 ½ inches), with a .65 caliber rifled bore, a walnut stock with raised cheek piece on the left side of the butt and a patch box on the right side of the butt, two carved lines near the barrel chamber and a brass cloud-shaped side plate (est. $2,000-$4,000).
The third is a Spanish circa 1760 Miquelet musket fusil with a .69 bore at the flared muzzle, 51 inches long (the barrel 35 ½ inches), boasting an ornately carved walnut stock with foliate designs on the apron near the barrel tang and at the ramrod entry, and a steel butt plate, side plate and trigger guard with engraved foliate designs (est. $2,000-$3,000).
The fourth is a pre-WWII, circa 1937 9mm Polish VIS-35 Radom pistol, serial #5515, with matching frame, slide and 4 ¾ inch barrel, black checkered Bakelite grips marked “FB”, a blued finish and marked to the left side of the slide with a Polish eagle, plus a slotted black strap for shoulder stock and a “G/2” marked magazine (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Four German model 1898 sword-bayonets – a pipe back dress bayonet and scabbard; an 1898 n/A bayonet and scabbard with unit markings; and two 1898 n/A bayonets and scabbards, overall 25 ¾ inches in length – will be offered as a group lot (est. $200-$300).
Two World War II-era German pistols are expected to attract keen bidder interest. One is a 9mm Black Widow Luger pistol and holster, circa 1941, serial #5535, all matching, with black checkered Bakelite grips, a black/blue finish and marked #41” on the ring and “byf” on the toggle, with a waffenamt on the right side of the barrel (est. $1,500-$2,000).
The other is a 9mm P-38 pistol and holster, serial #9112y, all matching, with Bakelite grips, a dark blued finish and marked on the left side of the slide “P38 cyg” with waffenamt markings on the right side. The magazine is marked “jvd” with a waffenamt and the black leather holster is marked “41” and “P38” on the back (est. $400-$600).
An American-made, circa 1857-1861 Massachusetts Arms Co. .36 caliber Adams patent revolver and holster, serial #90, checkered with a walnut grip, overall 11 ½ inches with a 6-inch barrel, marked on the left side of the frame (“Adams”), the loading lever (“Kerr”), the top strap (“Mass. Arms Co.”), and leather holster (“Havana”) should hit $800-$1,200.
A Canadian-made, circa 1946 .22 caliber Long Branch No. 7 MKI bolt-action rifle, serial #1L6454, having a walnut stock with a broad arrow in a “C” behind the trigger guard and muzzle and an “L” on top of the butt near the butt plate tang, a blued finish, marked on the left side of the receiver and magazine, 44 ¾ inches in length, should fetch $300-$500.
A British pattern 1859 Type 1 naval cutlass/bayonet with steel hilt and knuckle guard, overall 32 ¾ inches long with a 27 ¼ inch blade, having a leather-wrapped wooden grip, a steel blade with no visible markings and a black leather scabbard with steel throat and drag, in good condition, the steel showing light scatted patina, should make $300-$500.
Online bidding will be provided by bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay, plus the platforms LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.
A live, in-gallery preview will be held on auction day, Wednesday, February 22nd, from 9am to 5pm, or by appointment, in the Bruneau & Co. gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, R.I. To schedule an appointment call 401-533-9980; or, send an email: info@bruneauandco.com.
All winning bids will be subject to a 17.5 percent buyer’s premium, with a 3 percent cash or check discount when bidding on the Bruneau & Co. platform and app only. Third party bidding platforms will be subject to a 20.5 percent buyer’s premium, with no discount.
Before purchasing a firearm at auction, Bruneau & Co Auctioneers recommends having it examined by a qualified gunsmith to determine whether or not it is safe to use. FFL transfers are handled by Lost Treasures in Pawtucket, RI, and are subject to a $35 fee.
To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the online-only Historic Arms & Militaria auction planned for Wednesday, February 22nd at 6pm Eastern, visit www.bruneauandco.com.
About Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers:
Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions, with commissions as low as zero percent. Now would be a perfect time to clean out your attic. To contact Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may send an e-mail to info@bruneauandco.com. Or, you can phone them at 401-533-9980. To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, please visit www.bruneauandco.com.