Historic P.E.I. rifle hits the auction block in Ontario

P.E.I. collector SteveKnechtelis looking for a generous history buff to help himbring back a piece of the Island's military history that's being auctioned off in Ontario.

I blinked, went, 'wow,' because they are very rare.- SteveKnechtel

The rifle was originally issued in the 1860s, to volunteers in the P.E.I. Volunteer Brigade and Militia a force made up of a thousand men in bright, red uniforms.

"It needs to come back to PEI as far as I'm concerned. It's a piece of our history, our military heritage, which was a big part of our history back in the1860sand 70s. It should be back here," saidKnechtel.

Knechtel said he stumbled upon the rifle in an auction catalogue from Jeffrey Hoare Auctions Inc. inLondon, Ont.

"Lo and behold, there's a rifle with provenance to Prince Edward Island, to the volunteer militia here, so I blinked, went, 'wow,' because they are very rare," he said.

He said the old rifle is the only known one that has the V.P.E.I. for Volunteer P.E.I. markings on it.

Knechtelis president of the Dominion Ordnance Museum, a volunteergroup with the goal topreserve and protect any historical ordinance of national importance or asKnechtelputs it,"anything that goes 'bang' basically."

While the group doesn't havean actual museum, it does own a collection of old military weapons and ammunition that are often loaned out tomuseums.

The auction company in Ontario has the rifle listed at $1,500, but Knechtel thinks the final price could be closer to two thousand, once fees, taxes and shipping are included a cost that is prohibitive to the group.

He's hoping a history buff who does have the fundswill help bring the old rifle back to the Island.