Now in its 13th year, the Western Collectibles & Antique Gun Show contains items you won’t find anywhere else during Western Art Week. Along with artwork from prolific Western artists, the show also features old cowboy collectibles, Native American artifacts, jewelry, sapphires, turquoise, and of course, antique guns and knives.
“We’ve got a wide variety of items from about 65 vendors,” says Dennis Mack, Co-chairman of the Western Collectibles & Antique Gun Show. “We charge a small fee to enter the show but true collectors tend to appreciate that; it speaks to the high quality of the items we’re dealing.”
In a dozen years, Mack has seen some incredible, one-of-a-kind items come through the show. One year, a vendor brought a display case containing three Colt Paterson revolvers, the first commercial repeating firearm the company made. A limited number of these guns were produced so what a sight it was to see three of them in Great Falls, Montana!
One consistent attraction at the show is Frank C. Towsley’s Ruana Knives collection. Each piece is handmade and unique, and though many date back over fifty years, they are as serviceable today as they were when first crafted.
Rudy Ruana passed away in 1986 and was posthumously inducted into the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame in 1997. Frank Towsley continues to honor Ruana by collecting and selling his knives, spreading an appreciation for his craftsmanship across the nation. Towsley’s Ruana Knives are a must-see during Western Art Week along with thousands of other historical treasures, hiding in plain sight at the Western Collectibles & Antique Gun Show.
For more information about the Western Collectibles & Antique Gun Show, call (406) 452-5436 or visit greatfallsgunshow.net.