The Guns They Carried | Rock Island Auction

Medal of Honor recipient or anonymous dogface, they all carried a gun in the military. They all faced harrowing and compelling situations, knowing they may have to depend on the firearm they held.

These are some of the stories of the fighting men and weapons they carried that will be available in Rock Island Auction Company’s Oct. 4-6 Sporting & Collector Auction.

Shotguns of Gen. Joe Foss

Growing up in South Dakota in the interwar period, Joe Foss fell in love with airplanes, even seeing legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis on a tour in 1927 at the age of 12. A demonstration by a U.S. Marine Corps aerial team inspired him to become an aviator for the Corps.

By 1940, with a pilot certificate in his pocket, Foss hitchhiked to Minneapolis, Minn., to enlist in the Marine Corps to join the Naval Aviation Cadet program. He earned his wings in March 1941, and after the United States’ entry into World War 2, was made executive officer of a fighter squadron that was soon deployed to Guadalcanal.

In October, 1942, flying out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, Foss was in the fight daily. In his first 12 days he shot down 16 enemy aircraft with his F4F Wildcat fighter. On Oct. 25, he became the Marine Corps’ first “ace in a day,” shooting down five fighters on two missions. By January 1943, Foss shot down 26 enemy planes, tying Eddie Rickenbacker who downed 26 aircraft during World War 1.

Manufactured in 1965, this Browning Lightning Superposed shotgun is attributed to Medal of Honor recipient Gen. Joe Foss, whose name is inlaid in silver on the left side of the receiver. Foss shot down 26 enemy planes in World War 2 for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor, served as the governor of South Dakota, first commissioner of the American Football League, appeared on the ABC program “American Sportsman” and served as president of the National Rifle Association.

Foss contracted malaria and returned to the United States in March 1943 to recuperate. He received the Medal of Honor in May. Not wanting to be left on the sidelines, Foss returned to the Pacific in February 1944 as a fighter squadron commander. Though he didn’t add to his tally of kills he got the opportunity to meet Lindbergh, his childhood hero. His second tour ended after he contracted malaria for a second time.

Following the war, he served in the South Dakota National Guard, achieving the rank of brigadier general while running a flying service and automobile dealership. He returned to active duty during the Korean War but didn’t have a flying role. The people of South Dakota elected Foss governor for two terms, from 1955 to 1959.

Appointed as the first commissioner of the American Football League in 1959, under Foss’s guidance, the league expanded and he negotiated lucrative television contracts before stepping aside in 1966. Foss took to the television airwaves in the program “American Sportsman” from 1967 to 1974. He served two one-year terms as president of the National Rifle Association starting in 1988. As a sportsman and firearms advocate, it is appropriate that he owned the Winchester Model 42 and Browning Lightning Superposed shotguns available in the auction.

This Winchester Model 42 slide action shotgun attributed to Gen. Joe Foss has his name, “Joe Foss” inlaid in silver script on the left side of the action. Foss received the Medal of Honor for shooting down 26 enemy aircraft as a U.S. Marine aviator in World War 2.

Colt 1851 Navy Revolver of a 19th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Officer

The 19th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was a three-month unit that mustered in Philadelphia at the opening of the Civil War. Serving in the unit was such an honor that its ranks filled quickly. Among them was Lt. James B. Smith of Company D, whose Colt 1851 Navy revolver is engraved with “Lieut Jas B. Smith/Co D National Guards 2nd Regt Philada” with a Masonic square and compass emblem on the backstrap.

Assigned to police and guard duty in Baltimore, the unit didn’t participate in any battles before the unit mustered out in August 1861. The 19th Pennsylvania was tasked with arresting George Proctor Kane, marshal of the Baltimore Police during the Baltimore riot of April 1861 that killed four soldiers and 12 civilians. A known southern sympathizer, he was arrested and imprisoned at Fort McHenry without the benefit of habeas corpus.

This presentation cased Colt 1851 Navy revolver features deluxe Germanic scroll engraving on a punch-dot background by Master Engraver Gustave Young. A hound’s head partially concealed in the scrollwork is engraved on the left side of the barrel lug in front of the wedge slot. A wolf head, Young’s trademark is engraved on both sides of the hammer. “Lieut Jas B. Smith/Co D National Guards 2nd Regt Philada” is engraved in two lines on the backstrap with a Masonic square and a compass emblem at the end. The one-piece grip is highly figured fancy grain walnut with a high polish finish.

Sterling Mark III Submachine Gun

A blow-back submachine gun, the Sterling Mark III was designed in 1944 to replace the Sten submachine gun. It was made of stamped steel components with a tubular design and a distinctive perforated barrel sleeve. Military specifications were that it should weigh no more than 6 lbs. The Mark III weighed in at 6 lbs.

Though it wasn’t adopted by the British Army until 1953 because of the simplicity and efficiency of the Sten, the Mark III was successful in combat trials at the end of the World War 2, likely used during the Battle of Arnhem. It was carried by an officer during Operation Infatuate in November, 1944 in an attempt to open the port of Antwerp to Allied troops. Once adopted, the Mark III stayed in service until 1988.

This pair of Sterling Mark III submachine guns are consecutively numbered. One has its original protective storage wrap on the muzzle, bayonet lug and endcap. They are each accompanied by their shipping boxes.

U.S. Marked Winchester Model 1894 “Spruce Gun” Saddle Ring Carbine

As the United States entered World War 1, its timber resources in the Pacific Northwest were in high demand. Sitka Spruce was the finest wood for the new fighting machine, the airplane. The wood, used in wing spars and fuselage frames, was wanted not just by United States aircraft manufacturers, but also France, England and Italy. It was strong, resilient and wouldn’t splinter when hit by a bullet. Fir trees were also wanted for ships.

The trouble was the labor issues around the loggers and the mill owners. The tree cutters went on strike numerous times, backed by the Industrial Workers of the World, while mill owners withheld their product for higher prices. The U.S. Army stepped in and the Signal Corps went to work as the Spruce Production Division, assigned to tree cutting and protecting lumber mills.

The U.S. military purchased 1,800 Winchester Model 1894 saddle ring carbines for defensive purposes for the 30,000-strong Army unit. During its 15 months, the Spruce Production Division produced 53,718,592 board feet of aircraft grade lumber.

This U.S. Winchester Model 1894 “Spruce Gun” saddle ring carbine is marked by a flaming bomb of the Ordnance Department on top of the receiver.

Spencer Model 1860 Saddle Ring Carbine

Native Americans fought back against settlers moving into the Great Plains following the Civil War, attacking settlers, railroad crews and travelers so the 18th Kansas Cavalry Regiment was mustered into service for four months. Among the soldiers was Elmer A. Green.

In mid-August 1867, the 18th faced 700-800 Kiowa and Cheyenne warriors at the three-day Battle of Prairie Dog Creek. Outmanned, the troopers weren’t out-gunned, armed with Spencer Model 1860 saddle ring carbines. The soldiers, with their repeaters, managed to hold the combined Kiowa and Cheyenne attackers at bay in a running battle until they reached Fort Hayes, losing only three men.

This Spencer Model 1860 saddle ring carbine is documented as being issued to Elmer A. Green, a soldier in the 18th Kansas Cavalry, a four-month unit raised to combat attacks by Native Americans.

Colt Model 1911

The Colt Model 1911 fought in both world wars, and so did Charles F. Bassett of Flint, Mich. He was listed with B Company of the 529th Engineers of the American Expeditionary Forces of World War 1, and was also active during World War 2.

This Colt Model 1911 manufactured in 1917 includes a 1917 dated W.E.H. inspected “US” embossed Warren Leather Goods Co. brown leather M1916 holster with the faint name “CHAS F BASSETT” handwritten on the interior of the flap.

Bring Back Guns

Soldiers want souvenirs of their time in the service and during wartime that might be an enemy gun, uniform or medals. Often they are documented with capture papers that identify the gun, other times they might’ve just made it home in a soldier’s duffle bag or foot locker.

Some guns are gorgeous presentation pieces like engraved Walther pistols intended for Nazi leaders but discovered in the captured factory, or even taken off German leaders at the time of their surrender, like the Walther PPK of Herman Goering. Otherwise they are the unadorned weapons of war, whether a Luger or Nambu pistols.

The Japanese Type 14 Nambu pistol was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1925 followed by the Navy in 1927. About 280,000 were manufactured from 1926 to 1945, with its trigger guard expanded in 1939. The Type 14 was easy to disassemble and had a light trigger, was accurate and had mild recoil. It was used by the Japanese Coast Guard into the 1960s.

This Nambu Type 14 pistol was manufactured in May 1944 and was reported by the consignor as purchased out of the estate of the veteran who captured it.

The legendary AK-47 was the most common firearm on earth, with millions in service by the late 1970s. The Chinese manufactured a version recognized as the Type 56 and was made with a stamped thickness of 1.5mm rather than the 1mm thickness of Soviet original, making it stronger. It was likely encountered by American troops in Vietnam where this semi-automatic one was reportedly brought back. The Type 56 is often used in movie-making as a stand-in for the rarer Russian AK.

This Type 56 SKS carbine with bayonet has a capture attributed plaque screwed into the right side of the stock inscribed “CAPTURED/REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM/NOV. 1968/CPT W.P. DEILE.”

Military Firearms for Sale

The character of soldiers are forged in war and these guns embody the courage, resilience and readiness of the men who carried them in war, on the homefront and even in peacetime. These firearms, some brought back as trophies, are available in Rock Island Auction’s Oct. 4-6 Sporting & Collector Auction.