Antique Gun Show promotes collector camaraderie
HARMONY — Tom Rossman, a self-described “gun nut,” is on the hunt.
The Butler resident requested help in identifying the makers of the rifles in his Butler County antique collection at his booth Saturday at the Harmony Museum's Antique Gun Show.
His only clues are the initials “M.W.” and “R.J.”
“It's always a research project,” Rossman said.
Antiques ranging from rifles to pistols and powder horns to photographs and documents were displayed, sold and traded by 30 people to over 60 attendees Saturday at the museum, 218 Mercer St.
Gunmakers in the county with those initials appear multiple times in his reference books, which makes identifying them difficult, he said.
Although the tips he received are mostly just theories, such as one rifle's connection to a founding family of Harmony, he enjoys the hunt.
For about 10 years, he has come to the Harmony gun show to learn and connect with people who share the same interests, he said.
For 15 years, the show has brought together a group of collectors from around the state, as well as Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and Michigan to share their collections and the stories behind each antique.
Cranberry Township resident Dan Page displayed his antique gun collection at the show for the first time.For gunmakers to craft the guns with the tools of the time shows extraordinary craftsmanship, he said.A person depended on a rifle to protect and feed their family, he said.“A rifle was a prized possession,” Page said, noting how a rifle could cost $50 to $60, which equaled about half a year's worth of wages at that time.“You couldn't survive the frontier without a rifle,” he said.The rifles are a glimpse into history, he said. Page said he would like to see youths become interested in collecting antiques to carry on the history. “The country needs more history,” he said.
