Array of artifacts
Glen Mattox’s business card describes his establishment as the Antique Gun Shoppe. It is that, but much, much more. Were he not in the business of buying and selling firearms, militaria, Indian artifacts, Roman coins and historic law enforcement gear, his place would be called a museum.
A Bonners Ferry native, the 61-year-old arms dealer caught the collecting bug at age 15 when he bought an old pistol for $10. Then, in his early 20s, he turned his hobby into a business. His first store was in Cocolalla, but he later moved his collections to Spokane.
A couple of break-ins convinced Mattox he needed a safer locale, so since 1980 he’s been working out of a large, two-room building behind his Post Falls home. And so far he’s not been burgled.
His store houses hundreds of weapons, including one that, currently, he considers his most fascinating. It’s a small, Spanish-made cannon stamped Seville, December 1795, that he’s packing to return to its homeland.
Like many other artifacts in his collection, Mattox knows its provenance. This 2-pounder – so designated because it fires a 2-pound shot – was dug up in Vallejo, Calif., in 1947 during a basement excavation.
It’s an artifact of the Bear Flag Revolution of 1846 when Capt. John Fremont began the American takeover of California from the Mexican government.
Because it was in perfect condition, Mattox believes Mexican soldiers hid it, intending to retrieve it later. Its new home will be in a Barcelona museum.
Another fascinating piece is a Civil War-era carbine that was found in the Sacramento River beneath a ferry crossing used by Union soldiers. A cartridge was in the gun’s chamber.
Mattox’s assistant and militaria expert, Chad McDonough, says Confederate sympathizers would occasionally take potshots at the cavalrymen while they were on the ferry.
Mattox can’t say with certainty how many weapons he has since he’s constantly buying and selling, but his walls, floor and display cases are filled with uniforms worn by admirals, generals and ordinary soldiers; swords, helmets, hats, bayonets, daggers, pistols, rifles, muskets and sundry other artifacts.
Those include a bicycle North Vietnamese soldiers used to transport supplies down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, buttons and cartridges retrieved from Montana’s Little Big Horn Battlefield, a 3,000-year-old bronze sword found in the Mideast, and a 1750 musket fabricated in the American colonies by a gunsmith who used parts made in Europe.
His American weaponry dates from that pre-Revolutionary gun to those used in the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, but doesn’t include fully automatic weapons, since those, he says, “attract the wrong kind of people.”
He buys most items from estates and private collectors, specializing in items no longer manufactured and connected with the military.
But those associated with law enforcement are an obvious exception. In addition to the expected six-shooters, badges and wanted posters, his collection includes a circa-1860s ball-and-chain and an “Oregon boot” once used by Spokane police officers to hobble prisoners.
He takes special pride in his Indian-made items, including tomahawks, scabbards, beaded moccasins and war clubs, noting that conventional weaponry is mass-produced, while Native American pieces are made individually and by hand.
“I really enjoy people visiting the collection,” he says, “especially school kids. Chad and I consider ourselves temporary custodians of all these items from the past. We’re taking care of them for future generations to enjoy.”
The Antique Gun Shoppe, 2658 E. Ponderosa Blvd, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day Mattox and McDonough are in town. However, since he’s on the road 85 percent of the time, appraising, buying and selling throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, he asks potential visitors to call ahead, 773-1320, to ensure he’ll be there.
Selections from his collection are for sale through his Web site, antiquegunshoppe.com.