This is about the time of year that a lot of us would be migrating to Anchorage for Cal's annual Double Rifle Shoot... I think of him often, and certainly miss the fun and camaraderie of these great shoots and all of the fine people who attended, and the generous locals who, along with Cal, offered their incredible double rifles, of all calibers, from 22HP to 4 Bore and ammo for all of us to enjoy!!.... and some really great lunches like Caribou hotdogs, and Jim & Joyce's MuskOx stew...
I have stayed in touch with several friends in Anchorage who have been assisting with the massive project of sorting and identifying guns, ammo, dies, brass and bullets, molds and Cal's incredible paper files surrounding his research and writings, and of course, books!! (His computer was stolen in a break-in shortly after Cal's passing!!...photos and manuscripts...GONE!!)
Several friends have been assisting Cal's girlfriend in handling the estate liquidation.
I was advised today that Cal's gun collection has been shipped to Morphy's Auctions, Denver, Pennsylvania, and is being scheduled for the September Premier Auction. They have written up a nice Bio and some history about Cal and his guns, photographed everything in detail, and the guns will be accompanied with historical information from Cal's files, along with dies, brass, bullets and some with his various Books as appropriate, i.e. 600 NE and Bore Rifles books, etc. This should be published in the Auction Catalog.
I have also connected the Anchorage team with Richard Lendrum, Publisher of African Hunting Gazette magazine, who may be able to publish Cal's Bio and some of the historical information and photos on the rifles in an upcoming issue before the Auction? This is a must subscribe for everyone interested in Africa hunting!!
Cal often stayed at Richard's Afton Lodge at JNB airport between flights and he also wrote frequently in African Hunting Gazette. Cal was booked to stay at Afton House on the trip he was making... and didn't make it...
I will update this post when I get a confirmation of the listing of the Estate in the Auction Catalog and dates of the Auction.
You can attend in person, and also live bid by telephone, or submit specific written bids on most of the Morphy Auctions.
I sure miss Cal... and our frequent visits... he also talked me out of my complete collection of HATARI TIMES magazines...!! Sure wish we knew where they went??>>>

If some of you who see this post and are active on other web forums, I am NOT, please feel free to cut and paste this, as appropriate, to spread the word and make this an exciting auction!! As I understand it, the estate funds will be used to support Cal's mother, who is living in an Assisted Living home near Cal's home in Willow, AK.

According to the Morphy website, their September firearms auction is 10-12 September.

Morphy

Ken

Thanks for the heads up. The double rifle shoots were a blast.

We miss Cal big time.

J&J

Please keep us posted and we don't want to let any of Cal's guns go too cheap.

I wish the 450/400 George Gibbs double could come back to Zimbabwe where it belongs.

quote:

Originally posted by 416hoffman:
I wish the 450/400 George Gibbs double could come back to Zimbabwe where it belongs.

I think that might be possible!! Jump into the auction, and I'll bet a worthy AR hunter might bring it over for you??!!

Please:

Post the link, then the doubles from Cal are in the auction.

Also - it would be great - then you post, then an article/info (in the African Hunter or ...) about Cal is published.

(My info and technical line is not so good.)

Thank you.
F.

I wonder who's selling off his collection. I know the dbls. are out of my price range, but I did sell him my M1 Garand a few years ago + wouldn't mind buying it back.

It is Cal's girlfriend Donna who is managing the estate, with the assistance of some of Cal's close friends. They have carefully photographed the guns, written a Bio on Cal, and description and any known history on each rifle for the Auction house.
I don't have direct contact, but will ask Cal's friend I shot with at the Double shoots, who is assisting...??

quote:

Originally posted by Norman Conquest:
I wonder who's selling off his collection. I know the dbls. are out of my price range, but I did sell him my M1 Garand a few years ago + wouldn't mind buying it back.

Norman,
There isn't an M1 GARAND in Cal's collection??

Morphy Auction ad in the latest SCI AWARDS magazine, states the September Auction is scheduled 10th to 12th. Auction catalog available in August.
I have ordered a copy and will advise as soon as I receive it.

Is there a Weatherby XXII with Weatherby scope in his collection? wink

I will post a notice of the auction at Alaska Outdoor Supersite.

470eddy, well, perhaps he already sold it. I sold him a 1943 Remington Rand 1911 A1 a few years ago + that got him interested in my M1. Oh well, they didn't break the mold after they made that one. I had also sold him a case of 06 ammo in en bloc clips, but the shipping to Alaska was horrendous, so we opted on a stateside location to ship to. I'm sure all that is gone too. Just for grins, I would like to see the catalog of his pieces up for auction too, even if I can't afford any of them. Thanks in advance if you are posting them.

Gentlemen,
Also Posted in African Hunting forum-

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!!

No Weatherby 22, and no 1911. All good old British pre WW II doubles and shotguns!!

Couple of nice ones in that auction.

quote:

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

Wouldn't just be better just to send her money. that all the extra fees and cost would equal.

The Executor of Cal's estate is not conversant with proper gun values, and negotiating, then shipping each one to the buyer, outside Alaska. It was thought by her knowledgealbe advisors that the auction route would be the simplest and quickest way to liquidate the estate. I agree, and doubles just aren't selling right now with the economy stalling out and moratoriums on importing DANGEROUS 7 trophies to some States.
So, they set reasonable reserves, many below Cal's asking prices, and we will see what happens?? ...if they don't sell at reserves, they go to Country Pursuits ...and he asks like a Charging Buffalo!!
FYI, today the Auction houses are waiving the Sellers Premium to get entire estates. That's why Buyer's premiums are ZOOMING!!

You can easily find Cal's guns on the Proxibid site by searching "Pappas" - all his guns are listed as from the Cal Pappas collection.

Remember there is another fee with PROXI-BID bidding... I recall 1.5 to 3??

Here is a link to PROXIBID site and Cal's list-

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

Note the 26% BUYERS premium!!
This is a great site to review and follow the bidding... but you will save 6% Buyer's Premium by bidding directly on Morphy Auction site!

I just read Cal's bio - very nice. I was struck by the size of the barrels on the double he is holding (looked like pipes). I assume this is his 4 bore?

Some nice doubles for sure - hope they do well in the auction.

I would have been interested in one or two. But the buyers premium, sales tax, and shipping/other expenses, add more than well over 30% to the hammer price for me. Shame all of that extra goes to folks other than the ones who own the guns and could use the funds.

The auction houses are getting VERY greedy these days, and it is affecting the market value of all doubles!!
There is also a Sellers Premium of 10 to 15%, however, if the sellers are good negotiators, often the auction house will waive the Sellers Premium to get the juicy estate collections!!
The way the Sellers protect their collection is to place a Reserve value that is a minimum the auction house can sell the item for... and this is not necessarily disclosed nor is it the opening value the Auctioneer tries to open with!! And today, some auction houses actually charge the Seller a commission on a reserve value that isn't met!!...so The House NEVER LOSES!!
So, what is happening in the marketplace, Big Brokers go to the auction sites to review sale prices to set their prices. However, wise buyers, ie not the Rogue, "GOTTA HAVE IT" buyers, have already done their calculations, factoring in the Buyers commission, packaging, shipping, insurance and even local sales tax... and the Bidding stops at a determined value based on DELIVERED COST to a Buyer!!.... so that Auction Selling Price may really be 30%-40% below what a "Real Willing, and Capable Buyer" would pay in the Market!!... thereby devaluing the auction results that Brokers and Sellers try to use for Market Listings....
GO FIGURE, EH??!!

Sadly i never met Cal in person but he always advice me in my working doubles.Its a pitty im too far away.We have lost many of the good ones Ganyana,Gatogordo,Leo Pfadt and many more ....

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.

470EDDY is spot on in my limited experience. Here in CA we have an additional 11% on top of the sales tax. That 11% is charged on shipping and everything else. It all has to be figured into the price. It jumps up the final price very quickly.

LIVE AUCTION ON CAL'S RIFLES STARTS TOMORROW, SEPT 10.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL BIDDERS!!

It looks like only one bid has been made on all but 2 of the guns so far!! That is surprising!!

Last I looked Proxibid was not up to date with bidding fyi. Better to check Morphy direct

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 had considered the Harrison and Hussey 450-400 3"but with a broken stock was not willing to pay as much as they apparently wanted.

I have recently had some interesting communications with Patrick Willoughby-McCabe regarding 4 Bores. He is probably one of the most knowledgeable double gurus and gunsmiths in the country!! This is also not his main profession either!!
He advises that there may have been HUNDREDS of 4Bore double rifles built from 1875 to 1915!! Not like the some 68 600NE rifles of that Era!!
There are major collections of 30 and 40 4Bores in the US and England he knows of!!
This is amazing as you rarely see one advertised!!
BTW, if you are looking for Doubles, watch his website, he turns doubles in a week!!...or they aren't priced right!! He sells major estate and other collections.
The interesting thing about the Double World, you learn something new every day!!

The unsold guns from Cal's estate will now go to Dave Cruz at COUNTRY PURSUITS for final sale. Please contact Dave with any interests.

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,

quote:

probably a fee involved??

Yes, some (more and new) HH for free.

quote:

Originally posted by 470EDDY:

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??
CheerZ,

As I understand it, H&H agreed to make a pair of shotgun for his two daughters.

Pretty significant " Buy Out" EH??!!