Being an average shooter but having a deep interest in military and gun history Wolf D. Niederastroth got infected by the virulent gun collector's virus around 1975. Today his collector's focus is on cowboy guns in general but particularly on cap and ball revolvers and their conversions. In addition he has an interest in auto pistol constructions of World War I and II period. Prior to the German Re-Unification there was virtually no way to obtain specimens of Eastern Block armament. This changed after 1989/90 and he acquired a broad array of such pieces. They added inspiring facets to his collection. 

 

Together with his US pard James Frugé in 2007 Niederastroth launched an international research program into the history of the Centaure percussion revolvers, i.e. Colt licensed re-issues of M1860 Army. This meant entering a new collector's territory which peaked with the publication of his book "Centaure aka Centennial Army – Myths, Fiction, Facts and Figures" in 2014, followed by the actualized and amended German version "Centaure oder auch Cenntennial Army – Mythen, Fakten und Fiktionen" in 2015, the latter together with co-author Michael Mayer this time. Both books are the "bible" of the International Centaure collectors' community today. In addition he conducts annual Centaure exhibitions since 2010. 

 

A recent project is his research of Italian Uberti company's manufacturing history of Civil War and Western Frontier guns and miniatures, and the organization of exhibitions of the American Frontier collection. 

 

© Wolf D. Niederastroth 2018