Baltimore Antique Arms Show

Originally published May 2016 · p. 42

Dennis Pizzini won the Best Single Weapon Award with his rare 12-pounder cast iron Tredegar Iron Works Field Howitzer.

Baltimore Show News Baltimore Antique Arms Show

TIMONIUM, Md. — The 62nd annual “Original Baltimore Antique Arms Show” presented by Maryland Arms Collectors Association, Inc. was held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds on March 19-20. The show was quite successful with approximately 4,000 attending. The show is the largest all antique weapons show in the country. No modern pistols manufactured after 1898 are allowed, except at exhibits. Visitors to the show enjoyed seeing antique weapons from the French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II. We like to call it the “Crown Jewel of Collectors Shows.” We have over 700 exhibitors from 44 of the 50 states and foreign countries including Canada, The United Kingdom, Denmark, Israel, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and France. If a visitor spent one minute at each table, it would take approximately 15 hours to see the entire show. The award recipients for this year were: Best Single Weapon – Dennis Pizzini with Tredegar Iron Works Richmond, Va. Cannon Model 1861; First Place Educational – Elliott Brodsky with Colonel Edward Anderson: Chaplain & Executioner; Second Place Educational – Samuel Higginbotham with Cut These Off; Third Place Educational – Jeffrey Sipling with Remington Model 26 BB Gun. Judges Choice Awards went to Paul Johnson, Mark Tyler, Robert Eckert, Roger Bethke, Robert Burnes and Craig Bell. Display Appreciation Awards went to Mel Hankla, Harold Hopp, Elsie Kemp, Thomas Singelyn, Chris Foard and James Schoenung. The first Maryland Arms Collectors Association Show was in 1955 at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland with approximately 50 exhibitors. Over the years, as the show has grown, it has moved to larger venues with this year being its 25th year at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. Show dates for next year: March 18 & 19, 2017.

Paul Johnson’s display, “Identifying U.S. Bayonets by Method of Attachment”, won a Judges Choice Award.

Mark Tyler’s display won him a Judges Choice Award. Included in his display were two firearms made by Gunsmith Andrew Kopp.

James Schoenung’s display on “Rapid Fire Weapons” won him a Display Appreciation Award. Part of his display was a Gatling gun, shown here, with its barrels that rotated when fired.

Harold Hopp’s display, “A Soldier’s Basic Equipment Civil War to WWII”, won him a Judges Choice Award.