NRA-ILA Benefits from Largest Ever NRA Firearms For Freedom Gift!

Check Out Some of Our Upcoming Auctions! [eGunner.com]( [eGunner Auctions - the Best Bang for Your Bid!]( [$1 No Reserve]( [NRA Auctions]( [Penny Auctions]( On February 12, 2020, NRA Firearms For Freedom Coordinator, Cliff Burgess, and three members of the staff of the program auction partner, Buds Gun Shop of Lexington, KY, arrived at 7:30 AM in Gravois Mills, MO to pack up the largest single donor collection of firearms ever donated through the program. There were 711 firearms collected over seven plus decades by retired U.S. Air Force veteran, Bernard “Keith” Bucknell, now 91 years young and concerned that our 2nd Amendment rights have never been as threatened as they are today. Technical Sergeant Bucknell, USAF (Ret.) and his friend and neighbor for the last 34 years, Alan Wehmeyer, met with Cliff and Norma Lawrence, NRA Advancement Officer, Great Lakes Region, at a retirement facility near Keith’s home on the shores of Lake of the Ozarks in the afternoon of that day. Meanwhile, the Buds Gun Shop staff labored in packing each firearm and loading it on a covered trailer for the trip back to Buds Gun Shop warehouse in Paris, KY. There each donated firearm would be researched and photographed for eventual posting on an eGunner.com NRA Firearms For Freedom Auction. There, 100% of the highest bid price will go to NRA-ILA for its $20M for 2020 Campaign. The meeting revealed a mentally sharp individual whose life was filled with fascinating stories about service to Country and a love of the shooting sports – the latter reflected in Keith’s collection which has some rare and unusual pieces. TSGT Bucknell’s gun collecting began with exposure to an uncle’s collection at age 14 leading to him beginning his own collection at 18, just before he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps (later to become the U.S. Air Force) in 1948. In the ensuing years he inherited his Uncle’s and father’s collection. Throughout his many enlistments, he was to continue adding to his collection while also becoming a World Class Marksman competing for the U.S. Air Force in shooting competitions around the world. His military career had him near or involved in such historic events such as the withdrawal of Jupiter missiles from Turkey as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis where he had the responsibility for maintaining targeting data and he was also stationed at Edwards Air Base when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. He was in the Strategic Air Command from its inception all the while keeping up with his passion for shooting and collecting guns. As a civilian he competed with and against the famous Jim Clark, while the latter was also in the military, and who took his fame as a shooter into the business of customizing handguns for competitive shooting. Indeed, two of the firearms that will be auctioned are a Clark customized S&W .38 Special and a 1911 Colt. The NRA is most fortunate to have the support of a long time life member like TSGT Bucknell who is leaving a great legacy to the shooting sports by designating NRA-ILA as the beneficiary of what is expected to be several hundred thousands of dollars and to have Buds Gun Shop who sells firearms donated to the NRA on their online auction site, eGunner.com. at no charge to the NRA and at no buyer premium. Go to [eGunner.com]( to register and bookmark NRA Firearms For Freedom Auctions so you can see when new auction come up. Where else online can you buy a quality firearm and have 100% of your purchase price work for your 2nd Amendment Freedom. It must also be reported that, in addition to firearms donated to support NRA-ILA, TSGT Bucknell, through NRA Field Representative Tim Besancenez prior to firearms pack up donated a large quantity of factory ammunition as well as reloading equipment and miscellaneous firearm related personal property to be converted to cash through the Friends of NRA Program. For The NRA Foundation. Thank you TSGT Bucknell for your life of participation in the shooting sports and for the legacy you are making to it. Thanks to Buds Gun Shop for all it does for the NRA and continues to do in making the NRA Firearms For Freedom Program the successful NRA Member Service Program it has become. See a preview of some of our upcoming auctions below: Colt m1911-A1 1917 GHS - .45ACP Manufactured in 1917. Flat top notch rear sight, the two-line/two-block address and patent dates on the left side of the slide, the Rampant Colt behind the serrations, the Army nomenclature on the reverse, "United States Property" marked and Gilbert Smith "GHS" on the right side, long smooth trigger, wide checkered hammer, short grip safety, smooth flat mainspring housing, an unmarked pinned base two-tone magazine, and a "P/H" marked barrel. The grips are also original (15 lines of checkering between diamond points), mechanically excellent. Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun - 12GA This is a Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun, an internal-hammer, 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with an external tube magazine. The take-down Model 12 largely set the standard for pump action shotguns over its 51 year high-rate production life, and was the first truly successful internal hammer pump-action shotgun ever produced. Its tubular magazine is loaded through the bottom of the gun, with empty shells ejected to the right. Featuring forged and machined steel parts; the ultimate reason for discontinuation in 1964 was that it was too expensive to produce at a competitive price. This is the military-version Model 12, known as the “Trench Gun”, and it features a 20-inch full-choke barrel chambered for 2¾” shells and a bayonet lug. It can be identified as WWII-era, due to the “GHD” cartouch on the stock. Col. (later General) Guy H. Drewry, was in charge of the Hartford district of small arms inspection and acceptance. Irwindale arms Automag III - .30 Carbine This is the Automag III, a single action semi-automatic handgun, designed by Harry Sanford, creator of the first Automag. The Automag III is chambered for the 30 Carbine cartridge originally designed for the World War II era M1 carbine. It is constructed of stainless steel and has an 8-round magazine. These pistols were made from 1989 until 1991, so are quite scarce. It features a 6⅜ inch barrel patterned after the Colt Govt. model. It has Millett adjustable sights, grooved Lexan grips, and comes with one 8 round magazine plus the box and paperwork. International Harvester M1 Garand - .30 Carbine This is a "US Rifle Cal 30 M1", commonly referred to as the M1 Garand. General George Patton called the M1 ""the greatest single battle implement ever devised by man...”, and it is credited in no small part for American victories in World War II. M1's have been made by several firearms manufacturers, including Springfield and Winchester, and also by companies not normally associated with the production of battle rifles, this example was made by International Harvester. The M1 saw service from WWII until Vietnam, and has also been a popular civilian firearm through programs such as the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The stock on this example bears no arsenal markings, it has obviously been replaced at some point. 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