Sporting Conversions in the 1950s
The Pasadena surplus company forum posters link to the Centurion name, and what they have reported about the rifle
The Centurion Model 100 is a rifle whose name forum posters link to Golden State Arms Corporation of Pasadena, California. The company's history has been researched by M1 Carbines Inc. That research does not mention the Centurion by name. What the sources consulted for this page say about the rifle itself comes from a few forum posts, so this page keeps the two apart: first the company, then the rifle as forum posters have described it.
Golden State Arms was one of several firms in the United States, along with Interarms, the Gibbs Rifle Co. and Navy Arms, that undertook commercial sporting conversions of military surplus arms in the 1950s.
Golden State Arms in Pasadena
According to research published by M1 Carbines Inc., the story begins in 1952, when Alvin Gettler acquired Roland H. Vazquez & Company, "a gun store located at 972 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA." In the words of that history, "Thus was born Pasadena Firearms." Gettler's first import that year was a joint venture with Bob Penney for "1500 Mexican Mausers from Mexico." Seymour Ziebert and Burton "Bob" Brenner later joined Gettler as partners.
M1 Carbines Inc. describes Golden State Arms, "also known as Pasadena Firearms," as "a major military surplus importer, wholesaler, and retailer." Its research also cites a period newspaper article that named Pasadena Firearms as "the importer," with distribution corporations that included Golden State Arms; The Derringer Corp., which sold double-barrel derringers from Europe; and The Swordsman, which sold swords, daggers and knives. The business moved in 1957: "In March 1957 Golden State Arms and Pasadena Firearms relocated to an old Pasadena mansion located at 386 Green St., Pasadena, CA." Three years later, "In 1960 Al Gettler separated from Golden State Arms and Pasadena Firearms completely, leaving Seymour Ziebert and Bob Brenner as the owners."
M1 Carbines Inc.'s research also traces the Santa Fe name, a division that "was started by Ziebert and Brenner after the departure of Al Gettler." It calls the division "just a marketing tool for selling reconditioned military surplus," and adds that "Not everything sold by Santa Fe was sporterized."
The End of the Company
According to M1 Carbines Inc., Golden State Arms' assets were advertised for a mortgage-sale auction in late 1966. The research records that on October 30, 1966, the Long Beach Press Telegram ran "an advertisement for Rosen Public Auctions for a mortgage sale of Golden State Arms and Pasadena Gun Shop," with the sale set for November 1 and 2, 1966. After the company closed, partner Burton Brenner founded Federal Ordnance.
The Centurion as Forum Posters Describe It
The research on Golden State Arms cited above does not mention the Centurion. The descriptions below come from individual forum posts and have not been confirmed against a company catalog or advertisement.
On the Canadian Gun Nutz forum in 2011, a poster wrote of Golden State Arms that "Centurion was one of their brand names," and that the rifles were "Built on Spanish K98 receivers made by Santa Barbara."
On the 24hourcampfire forum in 2006, a poster described the Centurion's action as "a commercial receiver that was manufactured in Spain." The same poster advised the thread's original poster to look at the left side of the tang, where "the word 'Spain' should be stamped."
That post also described the line: "There were two models: the 100 which is an ADL style without a floor plate and the 123 which had complete alloy bottom metal." On the trigger, the same poster wrote that "The trigger is a single stage military style instead of 2-stage."
What the Sources Do Not Establish
The published sources consulted for this history do not establish the years the Centurion Model 100 was made or sold, which calibers it was offered in from the factory, who made its barrels or its stocks, or where the rifles were assembled. They give no production totals. No Golden State Arms catalog or advertisement describing the Centurion was located.
For now, the Model 100's history rests on two separate records: the company research published by M1 Carbines Inc., and what a few forum posters have written about the rifle.
Further Reading
- Golden State Arms Corporation, M1 Carbines Inc.
