GREENSBORO, GA.- After 40 years at its original location, Montrose Auction has made the move to downtown Greensboro, Georgia. The company will launch its new venue with a December 13-14 Firearms & Accessories Auction containing more than 1,000 high-quality lots to please every arms collector. Located in the state’s heartland at the edge of Oconee National Forest and Lake Oconee, Greensboro is a scenic tourist destination packed with diverse shopping and outdoor activities. Auction guests will have a wealth of entertainment and field adventures to enjoy when they’re not bidding at the event, which will be held within the premises of Alligood’s firearms dealership.


Montrose Auction will conduct all future auctions within the spacious premises of Alligood’s Collector Firearms in downtown Greensboro, Georgia.


Trey Cottle invites vintage and contemporary gun collectors to “come for the auction and stay for the fun and relaxation that awaits them in the beautiful and affluent little community of Greensboro.” In addition to its shops and boutiques brimming with antiques and unique items hand-crafted by Georgia artists, the Greensboro area is home to excellent restaurants, brew pubs with live music, and the Infamous Whisky Distillery, where tasting is part of the experience. Sportsmen can play the golf courses and take part in clay shooting or quail hunts at nearby Reynolds Lake Oconee and Old Hudson Plantation. “Boredom simply isn’t an option when you’re immersed in this very special Georgia town of 3,600 residents,” Cottle said.


Wall-to-wall gun racks make it easy for previewers to inspect auction merchandise.


The Montrose team has left no stone unturned to ensure their Greensboro debut auction is a memorable one for collectors. They’ve scoured the country to source some of the rarest and finest sporting, military, historical and modern arms and accessories. Virtually all of the most coveted brands are represented, and each auction entry has been expertly vetted and researched to provide arms enthusiasts with an extra layer of confidence as they bid.


Browning B25 Diana over/under 12-gauge shotgun, profuse full-coverage engraving by master engraver Pierre Lallemand. Relief-engraved game scenes of pheasants, quail, rabbits and waterfowl with extensive foliate and scroll & vine embellishment. Mounted with oil-finished, heavily marbled crotch walnut stocks with factory butt plate, 27¾in vent rib barrel with 2¾in chambers, choked Imp, Mod & Imp, Cyl. Single selective trigger with ejectors. Manufactured 1997. Mechanically excellent, stocks extremely fine. Comes with very fine Browning luggage case. Estimate: $8,000-$14,000


One of the sale’s top entries is a 1997 Browning B25 Diana over/under 12-gauge shotgun with full-coverage art by master engraver Pierre Lallemand. The gun displays relief-engraved game scenes of pheasants, quail, rabbits and waterfowl, with extensive foliate and scroll-and-vine embellishment. Mounted with oil-finished, heavily-marbled crotch walnut stocks with a factory butt plate, the gun has a 27¾-inch vent rib barrel with 2¾-inch chambers, choked Imp, Mod & Imp, Cyl; and a single selective trigger with ejectors. Mechanically excellent with extremely fine stocks, this handsome shotgun is housed in a Browning luggage case and estimated at $8,000-$14,000.


Abbiatico & Salvinelli (Italy) sidelock over/under 12-gauge shotgun, blued Ultramet 6001 steel barrels, interchangeable chokes (5/6 installed). 1995-dated Italian proofs, and 2¾in chambers with automatic ejectors. Beautiful scrollwork with highly-detailed depictions of quail and pheasant in flight, signed on trigger plate for Italian master engraver Claudio Tomasoni. Estimate: $6,500-$8,500


Incomparable Italian craftsmanship and artistry unite in the design of a Abbiatico & Salvinelli sidelock over/under 12-gauge shotgun with blued Ultramet 6001 steel barrels, interchangeable chokes (5/6 installed), and 2¾-inch chambers with automatic ejectors. It bears 1995-dated Italian proofs, and its decorative program by master engraver Claudio Tomasoni includes gorgeous scrollwork with highly-detailed depictions of quail and pheasant in flight. It is signed for the artist on the trigger plate. Any advanced collector would be proud to acquire this gun, which is estimated at $6,500-$8,500.

The German manufacturer Blaser is known for its use of precise CNC milling and lathe machines to create gun barrels at high tolerances, as well as a quality-regimen that includes reworking parts that don’t meet their specifications. They are not known for maintaining a stock of firearms; in most cases, they will build, test and ship a firearm once an order has been received. Three high-performance Blasers will be offered at the auction. The first is an F3 Professional Grade 5 over/under 12-gauge shotgun with vent rib barrel, extended interchangeable choke tubes, a single selective trigger, and automatic ejectors. It comes in a factory dual-gun luggage case with three additional chokes and a wrench. Estimate: $6,000-$7,000. An F16 Grade 4 over/under 12-gauge is expected to make $4,000-$5,000; while an R93 Safari bolt rifle .416 Remington with factory Magnaported barrel and factory quick-detachable scope mount with 30mm rings is hard-cased and on target to reach $4,500-$6,500.


Caesar Guerini Apex over/under 20-gauge shotgun, 30in solid rib barrel with 3in chambers. Factory interchangeable chokes with five additional chokes in factory luggage case with tool. Single selective trigger with ejectors. Deep scroll and vine-engraved, coin-finished receiver with gold accents. Master-engraved by Bottega Giovanelli. Highly-figured claro walnut stocks with checkered wood butt plate and steel skeleton pistol grip. Bores bright and mechanically excellent. Stocks excellent. Estimate: $4,500-$6,000


The sale features eight excellent productions by Caesar Guerini, including an Apex over/under 20-gauge shotgun with a 30-inch solid rib barrel with 3-inch chambers. It has a single selective trigger with ejectors and factory interchangeable chokes, with five additional chokes in the accompanying factory luggage case with tool. The master engraving is by Bottega Giovanelli and features a deep scroll-and-vine motif, plus a coin-finished receiver with gold accents. The gun has highly-figured claro walnut stocks with a checkered wood butt plate and steel skeleton pistol grip. The bores are bright and, like the stocks, are mechanically excellent. Estimate: $4,500-$6,000

Other Caesar Guerini highlights include a left-hand Invictus V 12-gauge over/under shotgun with a selective adjustable trigger with ejectors, four Teague interchangeable chokes (with tool), and Bottega Giovanelli engraving, $4,500-$6,500; and two Maxum 12-gauge over/unders that were built to similarly high standards. Each Guerini is estimated at $3,500-$6,000.


Perazzi MX8 Special over/under 12-gauge shotgun with 28¼in vent rib barrel with 2¾in chamber single trigger and ejectors. Top barrel fixed choke (full); bottom barrel uses factory chokes (5 total). Manufactured 1990. Mechanically excellent with VG stocks. Metal rates VF with over 95% remaining with edge wear and bright bores. Factory case. Estimate: $3,500-$4,500


Manufactured in 1990, a Perazzi MX8 Special over/under 12-gauge shotgun has a 28¼-inch vent rib barrel, a 2¾-inch chamber, single trigger and ejectors. The top barrel as a fixed choke (full), while the bottom barrel uses factory chokes (5 total). Mechanically excellent with VG stocks and bright bores, its metal rates VF with over 95% remaining. Housed in a factory case, it is estimated at $3,500-$4,500.

A 1910 Holland & Holland C Grade side-by-side 16-gauge shotgun has 28-inch barrels, choked Imp Cyl & Imp Mod, with 2½-inch chambers. Other specs include a double trigger with ejectors, and a hammerless 7-pin back-action side lock. Matching numbers are seen on all parts of this prized antique. It retains its H&H case, which is in presentable condition. Estimate: $3,000-$4,500


Harrington & Richardson (H&R) M1 Garand .30-.06 semi rifle manufactured 1955 with HRA 5-55 dated barrel. Marked parts internally, on bolt and trigger assembly. Korean War-period ordnance inspection on left side of stock with circle ‘P’ inspection at pistol grip. Fitted with winter trigger. Mechanically excellent with bright, fine bores and excellent finish. Estimate: $1,850-$2,750


Montrose Auction’s December 13-14, 2024 Fine Firearms Auction will start on both days at 10am ET, following an in-person preview from 8-10am. The sale will be held onsite at Alligood’s, 203 North Main St., Greensboro, GA 30642; on GA44 only 2.7 miles from I-20, exit 130. Live online bidding will be available through Montrose Live, LiveAuctioneers and Proxibid. To leave an absentee bid, book a phone line for auction day or obtain additional information about any auction item, please call 478-376-4559 or email staff@montroseauction.com. Online: https://www.montroseauction.com

Travel Notes: Several major airports serve north-central Georgia, as well as Greene County Regional Airport (3.7mi from Greensboro) for smaller commercial and private aircraft, including light jets. Those wishing to book accommodations will find a variety from which to choose, whether their preference is for a bed and breakfast, a hotel such as Tru by Hilton or the brand-new Holiday Inn Express; or the 5-star luxury of the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, approximately a 90-minute drive from Greensboro.