DON “DUCK” COMBS

Donald Dean “Duck” Combs, born February 14, 1937 in Redding, was given the nickname “Duck” by a fun-loving uncle in reference to Donald Duck, who was introduced by Walt Disney in the same year. “Duck” grew up on farms in Rural Ringgold and Taylor counties, where he developed a love for the outdoors and sports. His passion for sports, hunting, fishing, bird-dogs, and appreciation for nature were encouraged by his family and remained with him throughout his life. After graduating High School in 1955, where he excelled in baseball and basketball, he married Judy Stewart at Prescott, Iowa. Don and Judy worked together to earn college degrees from Northwest Missouri State University where he enjoyed playing semi-pro softball on Maryville, Missouri, teams. Don started a 35-year teaching/coaching career at Prescott, Iowa.

He taught American history and other social studies courses and taught many students to drive. He was a fierce competitor and coached like he played. The teams he coached were known for their excellent physical condition, hustle, competitive spirit, and “never-give-up” style of play. Don was inducted into the Iowa Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992. Don loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his life. His passion was quail hunting with his English pointer and German shorthair dogs that he raised and trained. He hunted ducks many years with buddies from Missouri and enjoyed several fishing trips to Minnesota and Canada. Starting in 1988, he and Judy purchased the first of three parcels of land in Davis County. They established many conservation practices, planted thousands of trees, re-established prairie grasses, built ponds and restored two log cabins from the mid-1800s. Don collected firearms and sporting collectibles his entire adult life. He specialized in Winchester Model 12 & Model 42 shotguns, however in recent years; he built a collection of Remington Model 12 rifles. Ever the competitor, he started creating displays and competing in gun shows. His displays included related accoutrements and advertising that he constantly searched to find. These displays won many awards at major gun shows throughout the country, including “Best of Show” five times with five different displays at the prestigious Colorado Trophy Show in Denver. In 1990, he collaborated with Ned Schwing to publish the book “The Model 42 Winchester”, which featured many of his 42s and has become a well-known reference for collectors. Duck was a life member of the National Rifle Association, longtime member of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, the Winchester Arms Collectors, the Remington Society of America, as well as several other associations. For many years he was active in Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and Ducks Unlimited. He was a 61-year member of Circle Lodge Number 555, A.F. and A.M., in Prescott, Iowa. “Duck” was a people person as he loved interacting with people of all ages whether he knew them or not. He gleaned information from “old-timers” and fellow collectors as he sought them out at gun shows and auctions. In recent years he enjoyed making new friends with members of the Amish community, who were a great source of strength in his final months.

Poulin’s is extremely proud to bring Don’s collection to the auction venue and be able to provide a fabulous opportunity for firearm enthusiasts & collectors to acquire one or more examples from this wonderful collection.

COLLECTION INDEX

Below are the lot numbers of the items from this collection to be featured in our May 8-11, 2025 Premier Firearms & Militaria Auction

2024  |  2027  |  2028  |  2030  |  2031  |  2033  |  2046  |  2047  |  2048  |  2049  |  2050  |  2051  |  2053  |  2054  |  2055  |  3001  |  3002  |  3003  |  3004  |  3005  |  3006  |  3007  |  3008  |  3009  |  3010  |  3011  |  3012  |  3013  |  3014  |  3015  |  3016  |  4088

3013
3014
3015
3016
4088