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Greatbatch Collection (Read 23085 times)

Ciao998 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 263 Location: Kennewick, WA Joined: Oct 23^rd, 2013	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #30 - Mar 14^th, 2014 at 1:09am	Print Post
	I imagine that even the collectors of fine original specimens also have plenty of "clunkers" laying around. I've been fortunate to be around both in my life, and there's much to be said for both the fine originals and our projects. At my age and in my mind buying an old gun original or not is like putting money in my 401k. I don't think values will ever really go down...... John


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16289 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #31 - Mar 14^th, 2014 at 12:23pm	Print Post
	I've always wondered about the fire thing at more than one gun maker. Stevens, Winchester, seem to have had fires destroying records at close to the same time. Wonder if something was happening that made them all set a match to things?

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tim_s Oldtimer Online Posts: 817 Location: 13066 Joined: Oct 11^th, 2006	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #32 - Mar 14^th, 2014 at 9:48pm	Print Post
	uscra112 wrote on Mar 14^th, 2014 at 12:00am: Redsetter wrote on Mar 12^th, 2014 at 5:17pm: Bent_Ramrod wrote on Mar 12^th, 2014 at 4:55pm: ...nor did they drool over possible government contracts for military arms. They didn't, at least, until a juicy enough contract fell into their laps--the Westinghouse deal, I mean. "They" were Stevens' top management & chief share-holders, so there's no reason to think this deal--which, though it didn't kill the company outright, seriously wounded it--was forced down their throats by the machinations of others. What happened to the profits from that deal? Sure didn't do back into the company. And when Congress threatened to investigate Westinghouse, all the Stevens records that would answer so many of our questions were burned in that fire, which so many writers feel was of suspicious origin. I've always reckoned that the 44 and 44 1/2 shoot so well, despite being takedowns, because of the long aspect ratio of the barrel shank. A feature still found in Brewer's Savage bolters. Thanks for the anecdotes about Mr. Greatbatch. Even if I wasn't there, I have to admire him for those. Finally, in response to Harry, I might also shoot the rare pieces if I could afford them, but I get more fun out of repairing & modifying. Part of my "attitude" goes back to my BMW-collecting days, where some snobs would critique your bike for having the wrong plating on a bolt. So I took up Brit bikes instead, where much appreciation was given to a guy who showed up at the cafe with a really good bitza. You ought see my DBD34 Goldie - only things stock are the engine and the frame. More proud of that than I would be of a perfect original. All right, I just gotta know, what year is the BSA?

	“ I don’t have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you”
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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #33 - Mar 15^th, 2014 at 2:12am	Print Post
	Frame and engine (most of it) are a 1956 Catalina. Bought from a shop in Sausalito, CA in 1969 or 70, for $800. Shop owner was a Norton guy - didn't want that BSA in there another minute ! I road-raced it in the '80s. It's been parked in need of some top-end work ever since.

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QuestionableMaynard8130 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4144 Location: Benton Harbor MI Joined: Apr 17^th, 2004	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #34 - Mar 15^th, 2014 at 9:02am	Print Post
	Maybe the answer ought to go in a new Stevens History thread so it can more readily be found in the future. But what was this "Westinghouse deal' and why would the government take an interest in it? And just an added comment: Warren has been very generous and supportive of ASSRA over the years in ways great and small.

	sacred cows make the best burger
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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #35 - Mar 16^th, 2014 at 4:50am	Print Post
	New England Westinghouse suddenly bought up the entire Stevens business in 1914 and converted it to producing military rifles for the Russians. This buyout happened before the "Guns of August" exploded in Europe, so one can have a great time speculating about who knew what and when. At the end of the war, Congress was aiming to investigate Westinghouse over war profiteering allegations, and this was forestalled by a "convenient" fire that destroyed all the Stevens records. About all I've ever been able to learn. Thousands upon thousands of the Chicopee-made Nagants were held back when the Reds took over in 1918, and were eventually sold through DCM for next to nothing. I've got a '20s Rifleman with an article on sporterizing them. Got to correct myself. Stevens was bought out in May of 1915, not 1914. So my speculation was worthless.
	« Last Edit: Mar 17^th, 2014 at 1:38am by uscra112 »
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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #36 - Mar 16^th, 2014 at 10:13am	Print Post
	uscra112 wrote on Mar 16^th, 2014 at 4:50am: Thousands upon thousands of the Chicopee-made Nagants were held back when the Reds took over in 1918, and were eventually sold through DCM for next to nothing. I've got a '20s Rifleman with an article on sporterizing them. Quite a number of "how-to" pieces were published while the "Russian Sporter" craze lasted, which was as long as the supply of rifles & ammo available at give-away prices held out. Jim Foral wrote an excellent review of this strange fad in the '99 Gun Digest. But back to the Westinghouse take-over. May I ask what your source is for 1914 as the date of the dirty deal? May be correct, but conflicts with other sources, such as Cope's book on Stevens pistols.


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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #37 - Mar 17^th, 2014 at 1:40am	Print Post
	Quote: But back to the Westinghouse take-over. May I ask what your source is for 1914 as the date of the dirty deal? May be correct, but conflicts with other sources, such as Cope's book on Stevens pistols. Source was my failing memory. Corrected above. I think the Russian fad has reappeared, judging by the number of articles in survivalist mags like Backwoodsman. And numerous milsurp threads on these here Innertubes. But now it's imports of Nagants made in Russia.

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QuestionableMaynard8130 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4144 Location: Benton Harbor MI Joined: Apr 17^th, 2004	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #38 - Mar 17^th, 2014 at 12:39pm	Print Post
	Large "local" (an hour form here) has bought containers of ex-mil etc bolt guns, crates of old Mausers in many flavors, Nagants, even some 7mm mil 'rollers. They also have hundreds of really nice Schultz and Larsen bolt 22 single shot target rifles in all sorts of variations

	sacred cows make the best burger
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Bill Lawrence Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1037 Joined: Mar 17^th, 2014	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #39 - Mar 17^th, 2014 at 2:39pm	Print Post
	Please note: Amoskeag's Auction 100 does not represent all of our colleague's drool-worthy collection offered so far. That is, testing the Amoskeag waters perhaps, Mr. Greatbatch offered some items in last year's Auction 98. According to Ms. Cassie Penn, Amoskeag's catalog manager, a limited number of Auction 98 catalogs are still available at $35 each. Good luck to those who might be interested. Bill Lawrence


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Tom_Trevor assra life no.71 Oldtimer Online Tom Trevor Posts: 695 Location: Granada Hills Ca. Joined: Jun 16^th, 2004	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #40 - Mar 18^th, 2014 at 4:16pm	Print Post
	Mr. Greatbatch also had a nice selection of fine single shots in the December 2005 premier firearms auction at Rock Island auctions. More testing of the waters?


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16289 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #41 - Mar 18^th, 2014 at 6:05pm	Print Post
	Does anyone have a clue why all these fine firearms are being sold? Or are there still far more than what we see to hit the auction someday?

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Joel Black Full Member Offline Posts: 165 Joined: Jun 22^nd, 2010	Re: Greatbatch Collection Reply #42 - Apr 27^th, 2014 at 12:43pm	Print Post
	Mr Greatbatch spends part of his time in northwestern NY and part in FL. Storage and security became an issue.He spent years financing various writers in an attempt to get a really good book written about Harry Pope. After much money spent, and many abortive starts, he finally found Tom Rowe. As I'm sure most of you know, Tom has gotten a 2 volume set done on the Hartford years. It is a spectacular set, but wheels should be attached to the box in which they are delivered. By the time Tom is done, it will probably take 3 more huge books. We all owe Warren a large debt of gratitude for sticking with the project for as long as he has.


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