I don't know how many of you folks have noticed the number of Townshend Whelen rifles to be put up for Auction in the April Amoskeag Auction. It looks like several of his rifles will come up.

Pretty impressive stuff.

I always liked his writing, his approach and his taste in rifles.


http://www.amoskeagauction.com/109/auction109T.php


Sincerely,
Thomas

Thomas, Thanks, I think, those auctions make it all too easy to spend more money than you would like.

Thanks for sharing those. I too am a great fan of the late Col. FYI both the Win, 54 and the FN prototype are .270s. I would love to have those plus the 52 sporter but alas...

I'd love to have the Colonel's 35 Whelen but guarantee my pockets are nowhere near deep enough to bid on it. Thanks for sharing.

Those are some fabulous pieces of history!

If only my wallet was fatter.

Is it my imagination or did all his rifles have a hell of a lot of drop in the buttstock? Sure looks that way.

Pretty normal stock dimensions for the times.

Personally I would kill for his .25 Krag HiWall, or his M1922M1 .22 Hornet.

Seems sad that their isn't an grandson or relative somewhere that keeps and cherishes these.

I believe I handled a couple of those when Michael Petrov owned them. They were sold off after Michael died a short while back.

I was thinking that they might have come from the estates of either Benenson or Petrov. There was a Petrov-owned rifle on GB recently, the seller was in NH, IIRC the seller's GB handle is "Tango Yankee".

I think that the 25 Krag would be an interesting rifle to own.

I spent MANY hours reading Mister Rifleman in Jr. High, and studying those B&W photos with such intensity that seeing them now on the auction sight in color seems strange..........and like a part of me is being auctioned off.

If I was rich and eccentric, those rifles would all be loved and well cared for in a manner that Col. Whelen would appreciate.

Thanks for the link BTW.

I do know Mark Benenson owned some of Whelen's firearms and quite a lot of his memorabilia. He was interested in one of the last of Whelen's rifles, if not the last, that was stocked by Alvin Linden but backed out buying it at the end.

Looks like they are from

Mark Benenson's estate

So, is it THE original .35 Whelen? I mean James Howe and all???

What superb rifles. And yes, thanks for posting!!!

I know Mark Benenson owned the rifle of Townsend's that was originally a 400 Whelen before it was rebarreled by Howe to 35 Whelen. Whether this is that rifle or not I'm not sure. He told me once he still had the original dies that were used in the 400 Whelen before it was rebarreled to 35 and those were the dies Michael Petrov speaks about in his articles on the 400 whelen.

I think Mark had visions of having a Townsend Whelen museum of sorts some day but sadly it never came to pass even though he had aquired a lot of Whelen's firearms and other memorabilia.

I met Col. Townsend Whelen in 1957 or '58 when he was visiting his daughter in Beltsville, MD (I lived in College Park and knew a man whose father lived next door to the daughter). Interesting man, but my conversational level at age 15 was not what I now wished it was! He was also a partner in Parker-Whelen (a DC firearms and accessories shop) and I bought a Redfield Bear Cub from the store.

Petrov had the rifle he called TW's first 35Whelen. He had more than a couple of his rifles. Looking at the auction I am quite certain some of those rifles were Petrov's.

I have the catalog that listed all the rifles Michael had on the November 22 & 23 sale in 2014. There is one 35 Whelen of his on there and it was built by Hoffman Arms, not Griffin & Howe. Michael did have one of Whelen's first, if not his first, custom rifles but it was a 30-06 and was built by Wundhammer. But, when it came to Whelen firearms I don't know anyone who owned more of them than Mark Bennenson did.

Mark Bennenson and Michael were good friends and therefore I suppose it may be possible Michael had some of Mark's firearms in Alaska at one time or another but I rather doubt it. When someone such as Terry Buffum, who was a very good friend of both, says the Whelen firearms on the future auction came from Mark Bennenson's estate I will take it to the bank.

Terry's post here

But wait! How could my old decrepit memory possibly be wrong?!?!

I will stand corrected on that, and thank you!

No problem.

I just wish Michael and Mark were both still with us. I miss being able to be with and talk to both of them. They were two grand men who had enormous knowledge about early custom firearms and were more than willing to share it with anyone who was interested.

Thanks to all! Enjoyed reading this thread!!!

Bob

The Walter Abe Custom Mauser .416 Van Horn looks interesting.