Bruce Stern (September 25, 1942 – July 18, 2007) was an American attorney and gun collector. He served on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America.[1]
Stern graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1964 and earned his J.D. at NYU, and his master's degree at the University of Bridgeport.[1] A Captain in the U.S. Army, Stern was a Vietnam veteran, serving at Long Binh, and was a member of American Legion Post 141.[2] In addition to his legal career, Stern was the founder and president of the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen,[citation needed] and a contributing writer to its magazine, Hook 'N' Bullet.[citation needed] He died on July 18, 2007.[3]
Firearms Collection
editStern amassed an historically significant collection of more than 4,000 rare and high-condition military firearms.[4] These were disposed of in a series of auctions following his death.[5] One session set a new world record of $12.7M for the highest grossing firearms auction, although firearms from Stern's collection only formed part of that auction.[6]
After his death, Stern's collection achieved a legendary status online due to its size and quality, but also in part due to a series of photographs circulating since at least 2008. The images of an extensive gun room and museum-grade collection have been variously attributed to Stern,[7] Charlton Heston,[8] and Robert Starer of Historic Arms in Virginia.[9] However, a 2009 investigation by Snopes did not establish a connection between the collection and any of these individuals.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Bruce E. Stern". NRAWinningTeam.com. 2004. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005. Bruce E. Stern
- ^ Hardy, David (July 19, 2007). "NRA director Bruce Stern, and former director Jim Nicholson, pass on". Of Arms & the Law (Blog). David T. Hardy. Archived from the original on October 29, 2007.
- ^ "Bruce Stern Obituary". Connecticut Post. July 21, 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Iconic Collections | Poulin's Antiques and Auctions". poulinauctions.com. Poulin's Antiques and Auctions. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
Mr. Stern collected one of the finest military firearm collections to ever have been offered at auction. This prestigious collection featured superbly rare and high condition military firearms. Offered over three auctions this massive 4000 unit firearm collection generated a sensational level of participation.
- ^ James D Julia. "Gun Catalog - Day One" (PDF). jamesdjulia.com. James D Julia Auction House. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Rare Firearms Division". juliaauctions.com. James D. Julia Auction House. March 10, 2008. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Alex Boese. "Charlton Heston's Home Gun Collection". hoaxes.org. The Museum of Hoaxes. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
- ^ "The Late Charlton Heston's Great Gun Collection". monatanoutdoor.com. Montana Outdoor Radio Show. October 31, 2013. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b David Mikkelson (February 7, 2009). "Charlton Heston's Gun Collection". snopes.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
Mr. Heston had no such gun collection or gun vault in his home. The collection shown here is often claimed to be that of Connecticut resident Bruce E. Stern, an attorney and active gun collector who belonged to several military- and firearm-related organizations and who also served on the NRA's board of directors, or Robert Starer, past president of Ramo Corporation, who is the proprietor of Historic Arms Corp. of Cape Charles, Virginia, but inquiries to representatives of both produced negative responses.