(Photo provided by Keelan McLeish) Transfer of ownership of Brooks’ Shriner Rifle to bidder Mike McCurdy. From left, auctioneer Charlie McLeish, Shriner’s Representative Todd Hetzer, Beverly resident Mike McCurdy and auctioneer Keelan McLeish.

Beverly resident Mike McCurdy won his bid of $30,500 for an original Cecil Brooks 1990s rifle during the McLeish Auction Monday night.

“As far as we know, that’s the highest price a Brooks rifle has sold for,” said McLeish Auction Services owner Keelan McLeish. “There’s been a few sold in the $20,000 range.”

McLeish said there were 37 people bidding for the Brooks rifle and it was bought by McCurdy around 6:15 p.m. after the auction was supposed to close.

“It was a very exciting, very intense bidding war,” he said. “There were a lot of people who showed a tremendous amount of interest in it.”

McCurdy said the main reason he purchased it was to keep the gun in the Washington County area.

(File Photo) Close-up details of engravings and metal inlays.

The live auction was online, with people across the nation bidding for the rifle.

“It’s a good bit of history for the Lowell area and I wanted to keep it here,” said McCurdy. “And the money was going to the Shriner’s, which is a good cause.”

McCurdy said he’s not an avid gun collector, but he’s always wanted to own a Brooks rifle. He said he had heard about the auction from an article in the newspaper.

“I’ve always admired fine guns,” he said.

One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the auction go towards Shriners Children’s Hospital.

McLeish said there was an advertisement put out about the auction and the rifle so there was a large amount of participation. He said there were people in Texas who were bidding.

“Luckily, the gun is going to stay in Washington County,” he said.

Throughout his life, Brooks made presentation rifles for the National Rifle Association. The rifles were given to keynote speakers, who included actor and NRA President Charlton Heston.

The particular rifle was made in the ’90s for the annual Marietta Shrine Club benefit auction and referred to as the Shrine Rifle.

Brooks died in 2006 at the age of 93. His rifles were said to have taken around 500-700 hours to make.

His rifles are often sold through auctions after being handed down in families.

Visit http://www.mcleishauctions.com/ for more information.