I just posted a note in the DOUBLE RIFLE forum regarding the upcoming Auction House listing and sale of Cal's Double Rifle Collection. Please take a look at this post if you have interest in our late Friend's collection....
CheerZ,

It's sad, but I have to look. Thanks for posting.

Cal was a great person...

Cal was a great friend. I will always miss him. 100% class act!

quote:

Originally posted by Bockhunter:
Cal was a great person...

+1

Todd -

I've got some hilarious Cal stories. He was a fine man. had an incredible sense of humor, insanely generous with both his time and his knowledge.

I've got some hilarious Cal stories.
Please:
Share them (post) with us.
Thx.
F.

quote:

Originally posted by Bockhunter:
I've got some hilarious Cal stories.
Please:
Share them (post) with us.
Thx.
F.

Probably the most hilarious one; there were 5-6 AR guys on a DR Buffalo hunt in the Northern territory.

Out of memory, it was Scottyboy, Cal, Mike Brookes, Rob something I think Omnivorous Rob maybe? and myself.

Long drive from Darwin to the Cattle Co we hunted at. Cal somehow got a splinter in his thumb. That big baby complained all day until our guide stopped at a bush medical clinic.

we all sat it the truck waiting. He came out a while later with a giant grin that matched the size of his bandaged thumb.

We gave him a huge load of shit the entire hunt.

I got to shoot his Wilkes .600NE on that trip.

Those that knew his demeanor can picture hi with the giant bandaged thumb . The man LOVED McDonalds and licorice.

Have the auction link?

Cal was a great guy. He will be missed. I hope his estate sale will go for what it's worth.

Hopefully they will not sell it for what he said he paid for it Ha Ha Ha

Did Cal sell his 600? I can’t remember.

I did buy a set of 600 dies off him, and he slightly suggested I should buy his 600 mold with them, so I did!

He was a good guy and I bought a few copies of his books, postage was cheaper

I do miss Cal.

I hope he is enjoying his doubles in the Happy Hunting Grounds.

I bought a book off Cal not long before he died. When I got it, I noticed the unique inscription, "From John to John - Hope this will bring back some good memories from Uganda." Cal hadn;t mentioned anything about the provenance at the sale.

It was John Northcote's autobiography so I asked Cal who the 'other' John was. Turns out it was the great John Blower who was once head game warden in Uganda. Northcote had inscribed the book to Blower. Cal happened to have visited Blower in Connecticut and Blower gave him the book to read. John died in the interim and Cal ended up with the book. He sent me some pics of him and John and his wife so I printed them and stuck them in the book.

Cal had all kinds of cool random stories like that. A good guy whose stories I miss.

Baxter,
That's a cool story!!
There is a chapter in John Northcote's book dedicated to our 1984 Buffalo and Lion hunt!! One of my best ever hunts, #3 SCI Buff, 46 3/8"...and the lion almost got me!!Come see them in my trophy room when you're in the area!!
Are you going to the E Oregon double rifle shoot in LaGrande?? Chris O will be going...

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
Baxter,
That's a cool story!!
There is a chapter in John Northcote's book dedicated to our 1984 Buffalo and Lion hunt!! One of my best ever hunts, #3 SCI Buff, 46 3/8"...and the lion almost got me!!Come see them in my trophy room when you're in the area!!
Are you going to the E Oregon double rifle shoot in LaGrande?? Chris O will be going...

Will do!

When is the shoot? Lagrande not to far from me now.

July 27.
I think I have your email, I will send you the invitation with permission of host...

The MORPHY ad in the latest SCI AWARDS magazine issue,announces thier September auction is 10th to 12th. Auction catalog available in August.
I have ordered a copy!!

I wonder if a Weatherby XXII with Weatherby scope will be part of the sale. My Father bought it in Greenland (early '60s) and never fired it. I never fired it after he passed away. Cal put out a request for one and I sold it to him. Seemed like a nice fit. I'd see him from time to time on the range. Nice guy!

At last, Cal's estate collection is up on MORPHY'S Auction site for the September 10-12 Firearms Auction.
This site is a bit difficult to navigate, this link will take you to the website and the Digital Catalog:

https://issuu.com/morphyauctio...?fr=sNDkxZjY0OTU4MTA

Once at this link, Cal's Bio is on Page 12. Click on this booklet then scroll to page 12. Nice Bio!! At the very bottom of the Bio is a list of pages his Guns are listed by auction item number... you could miss that if you don't look closely!!
Here are the item numbers:
1490
1495 to 1499 the Wilkes 600NE is in this group
1502 to 1508 the Rodda 4Bore is in this group, the 577-20ga H&H formerly owned by David Powell of Guns International fame, and John Fish, Alaska who custom made the beautiful tools.
1510 to 1511
2434
3003 accessories

Unfortunately, this site is not friendly to printing these pages, they compress vertically and not easy to read when printed!! They look nice on my full-sized laptop screen. A good friend and Very Knowledgeable double Guru went through the list with me last night. Some of the expected values are a bit wonky in his opinion, some high, some low!!

Be cautious in your bidding for AFTER HAMMER fees as MORPHY's Buyers Premium is 20%, they charge additional for online bidding thru NON-Morphy sites (bid online, on the Morphy's site), they charge 3% on Credit Card Payments, and they have a healthy charge for packaging, then you pay shipping by your chosen method and then you pay their mandatory insurance premium whether you have independent coverage like a Cor-Vens Blanket Guns Policy, plus your local sales tax. It adds up!!

There are reserves on these guns. If they do not sell at auction at the reserve or higher, they will be transferred to Country Pursuits for brokerage sale after the auction.

Please bid generously as the funds are going back to Cal's estate to care for his Mother who is in assisted care.

Good Luck!!

Here is a link to the PROXIBID site to review Cal's guns, and to track the bidding as it progresses online-

https://www.proxibid.com/asp/S...h=25&refine=&start=1

Note, PROXIBID has a 26% Buyer's Premium!! Look here bid on Morphys online or live auction... save yourself 6%!!

Here are the Morphy Auction covers featuring Cal's guns!! What an honor for his guns to become "Cover Dudes!!"
PRINTED AUCTION CATALOG-
https://imgur.com/BylYuz4

ONLINE CATALOG-
https://imgur.com/9obMbJB

Cal's 600NE Wilkes is presently at $6000.

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
Here are the Morphy Auction covers featuring Cal's guns!! What an honor for his guns to become "Cover Dudes!!"
PRINTED AUCTION CATALOG-
https://imgur.com/BylYuz4

ONLINE CATALOG-
https://imgur.com/9obMbJB

Cal's 600NE Wilkes is presently at $6000.

I wonder what that .600 will go for (estimated)?

Here is a link to track all online bidding on Cal's estate collection -
http://auctions.morphyauctions.com/catalog.aspx

Go to Search, enter Pappas. Search will take you specifically to Cal's 17 auction items

Present bid on Wilkes 600NE is $26,000, estimate is $50-60,000.

LIVE AUCTION STARTS TOMORROW!!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL BIDDERS!!

Hey Guys, Results are in on Cal's Estate Auction!!

Well, it looks like mixed results on Cal's guns at Morphy auction. The prices realized are now published on Morphy's site. 8 of 17 items sold... the best item was Cal's 4Bore Rodda, sold at $46,740 including the 23% Buyers premium. The Wilkes 600NE did not sell... my H&H 20/577 I was bidding on hammered at $14,000 looking for $15..."SOLD"... it is now showing no price... so presumably the buyer backed out??
Gibbs 400 $13,530
W Locke 8 Bore $19680
Manton 577 BPE $9275
Tolley 29 Bore $5904
Mortimer 500BPE $7995
All include the 23% Buyers Premium.
Remainder Sold are Shotguns and Accessories.

Well, be looking for the unsold items out with Dave Cruz, COUNTRY PURSUITS... who "CHARGES LIKE A CAPE BUFFALO!!"

I’m surprised that the 4 bore sold at such a high price.

It’s a down market these days, except for the finer and more mainstream examples.

Actually, the 4Bore went for alot less than some knowledgeable buyers expexted!! They were thinking in the $60s!!.... Very few around!!

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:
Actually, the 4Bore went for alot less than some knowledgeable buyers expexted!!

Since it sold for a lot less than these buyers expected, I would suggest that they weren’t very knowledgeable. The market is down, especially for less than marquee names in oddball calibers.

Timing is everything. We’ll see if the market comes back. It has dropped and come back in the past.

The 4Bore numbers have not been tracked like the 600NE, total of old builds of 68!! There were probably more 4 Bores built in both single and double barrel configuration.
There are far fewer shooters of these bemoths as well, known to inflict brain concussions on shooters!!
The run up in old British double rifles in the 90s by Cabelas, I call the "Cabelas Double Bubble" when they were rounding up dozens and storing them on pallets like gold, expecting to cash in later!! There were still pallets in waiting when the inventory was taken prior to the Bass Pro acquisition, and still are!!
People were paying CRAZY PRICES for British Doubles up to the 2008 Crash...
I tried to buy an old Lang 577 23/4" used in the movie ALASKA direct from the owner,asking was $12k, I walked at $10, it went to the south, came up at $33, then to Cabelas Dallas at asking $53!! I lost interest way back and lost track of the historic rise!!
There were alot of doubles purchased in these years, almost frenzy buying... and after the crash of 08, it has been "a falling leaf" market... never to be seen again?? Sellers are trying to recover what they paid, some in auction battles... and really the new prices on the Bespoke makers guns of H&H, Westley Richards, and Purdey well into 6 digits are NOT dragging up the prices of old pieces ... in fact I see older H&H ROYALS declining in free fall... a peak in the $70s now down in the $40s!!
As African hunting is restricted by regulation of tags available and Imports of trophies, there will be less demand for these historic, quality doubles.
My guess is lower pricing on old British Doubles in the future...young guys want new stuff, and some can buy new!! But there are alot of these old collections coming to market these days... and the old Supply and Demand rules will prevail in my opinion!!
To some degree availability of new doubles like Chapuis, Kreighoff, and Verney, at much lower prices than old British doubles, are dragging those prices down as well.
There are many old British doubles on the market at prices 50 to 100% over market, only because the owners are trying to recover 90s purchases!! Ain't gonna happen??!!
That's my 2 cents!!

It is sure quiet here on AR lately!! Everybody must be watching Football or gone local hunting??!!

The remainder of Cal's Estate guns will go to Dave Cruz at Country Pursuits for final sale. Please contact him directly with your interests. The 20-577 Holland and Holland has an offer pending on it.

CHEERZ,

Did anyone get one?

Well, I didn't get the H&H 577-20GA I was telephone bidding on. It didn't make the reserve of $15,000!! Adding 23% Buyer's premium, plus packing, shipping and insurance put it well over market!!

No one on AR has reported a Bingo!!

8 of 17 items sold. The 4Bore Rodda sold, but the 600NE Wilkes is still out there.

They are destined for Dave Cruz at Country Pursuits now. The H&H 20-577 has an offer out to Executor.

Great article and photo of Cal's RODDAH 4BORE and article on the success of the MORPHY'S $7M AUCTION Sept 10-12. SPORTING CLASSICS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 issue.

Cal's 600NE WILKES didn't sell, which is very surprising to me!! With some 68 original 600NEs built, they are far more rare than a 4-BORE!!Until just recently, Holland and Holland was contractually bound NOT to build any more 600NEs!! Just recently, the owner of "the last H&H 600NE" released H&H from that agreement!!... probably a fee involved??

Well, that restriction spawned the 700NE when Bill Feldstein pursued a big Boomer from H&H!!

Who's going to own Cal's 600NE WILKES??... Call David Cruz at COUNTRY PURSUITS!!

I'm too old... and I want the 20ga-577 anyway... but a friend is going after it...

CheerZ,

I’m surprised Mark Sullivan didn’t go after some of the big bores.