The Ray Howser Firearms Collection, 1931-2026

Timed auction by Lewis & Grant Auctions

Starts Oct 31, 2026 12:00 PM EDT. Ends Nov 20, 2026 10:00 AM EST

For more than fifty years Ray Howser was the owner, heart, and soul of the legendary Pony Express Sport Shop on Ventura Boulevard in Encino. Together with his partner, “Bob” Ellithorpe, Pony Express offered fine antique and collectible firearms, rare and historic militaria, and quality Western art. European and American collectors would make repeated trips to the mecca in Encino, assured of finding treasures in a friendly atmosphere fostered by the genial Mr. Howser. Well respected for his comprehensive knowledge of fine firearms, accessories, and ephemera, Ray quietly built an encyclopedic private collection of rare firearms and related ancillary material.  The Howser Collection begins with a 15th century European hand cannon and ends with 20th century automatic pistols. European rarities include a magnificent fully inlaid Silesian wheellock tschinke retaining nearly all its blue and gold finishes, an Ducal quality Italian snaphaunce gun, and a fine silver decorated flintlock double gun by Anschutz. Oddities intrigued Ray and he acquired a number of fine examples including a Jarre Harmonica pistol, a good Bittner, and a complete Nordenfelt gun. As a true aficionado of the American West, Ray loved good Winchesters and several 1866’s are present; as is a genuine St. Louis Hawken rifle, and a factory engraved deluxe Marlin rifle carried by legendary Western artist, Edgar Paxson. Comprehensive private collections such as Ray’s, assembled with taste and care over five decades are very rare today. Lewis & Grant are deeply honored to have been entrusted by the Ray Howser Trust to present his collection with the same care with which he built it and displayed it in both his gun room in Northridge, California and ultimately his vault in Nibley, Utah.

Lots

Showing the first 100 of 381 lots.