Baltimore Antique Arm Show Finds...

[1stMate Matt]

Every year I do my best to make it to the Antique Arm Show in Baltimore. It is like a museum where you can hold and look at weaponry from all ages up close and talk to the owners and even purchase if your pockets are deep enough. Baltimore is known for rare items showing up. Years past I go right by the firearms and pay attention to swords and bladed weapons. Always a ton of basket hilts and rapiers not to mention top notch small swords. This year I have been hooked on flintlocks so that is where my eyes took me most of the time. I found some out of this world pieces. I saw at least 5 blunderbuss with spring loaded bayonets(I will be altering mine now and adding one I think). I saw some beautiful dueling pistols, Carved monster faces in stocks, I saw a mini patent model for a 1920's tank consept(So cool). It was black powder porn to say the least.

Since I am into all barrels that flair, I thought I would take a few pictures to share.

Here is an Austrian Beauty. I had never heard of ovate flairs like this. Then after I saw that one I found a few more examples like it. Some in pistol form...AWESOME!!!

Mini Blunder...took this for VintageSailer!

Here is a blunder with a warthog carved in the stock. I got to hold this and boy was she heavy. Awesome!

Another mini blunder with tons of engraving and inlay work.

A SteamPunk gun from the movie Wild Wild West. Neat...

I should have taken more pictures. There were thousands of worthy items. I feel wierd asking to take pictures at every booth so I tend to just go with an objective and only take selective shots.

There were cannons and swivvel guns everywhere. From 650$ repros to 18,000$ original carved with gold inlay pieces. Just mind blowing.

I will be making guns and altering guns in the near future and I only plan on doing top notch pieces...I am so inspired that I am shaking. I may have to go back this afternoon for more pictures.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

What was the date on the earliest spring-loaded bayonet? I did some research on this last year and only found them back to 1730. Anything from the show documented as earlier than that? I wanted to do the same to mine, but didn't on account of the 1730 time frame. Cool stuff BTW.

Bo