Max Stephens-Antique Fire-arms

People and Their Hobbies

Max Stephens, Clifford Street, has an interesting hobby with strong historical associations. He collects, and restores, antique firearms, war weaponry , and artifacts. A member of the New Zealand Antique Fire-arms Association, his collection includes rifles and pistols with such items as flint-locks of the type used in the early days of the American West, percussion loaders, breech loaders, one of the first type of private flint-locks made in France, later model rifles such as the Enfield muzzle-loading rifles (which were later converted by the Snider patent to a breech loader), many of which were used in the Maori Wars.

Among a large collection of war medals are included a medal for service in the Maori Wars, a Belgian Croix de Guerre, an Irish Sinn Fein medal, Spanish, German and Italian medals, and in pride of place two very rare medals. One is the British Military General Service Medal which was authorised for issue by Queen Victoria in 1847 for those who served in battles between the years 1793 and 1814. This was 33 years later so we imagine the recipients would be few and far between. The other medal is the Nazi Knights' Cross of the Iron Cross with sword and oak leaves, one of the highest awards given to Nazis during World War II.

Various Army caps and helmets from both wars are also among this interesting collection.

Max Stephens obtains many of his articles from countries overseas, but quite a few of the interesting firearms have been dug up as rusty lumps and then restored, with much time and patience, to something approaching their original condition.