October 30 - November 2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria, & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2018
Cal. 40-82. Standard grade rifle with 26" rnd bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Left side of the color case hardened receiver is engraved in period script “Arapahoe County”. Mounted with very nicely figured, slab-sawed, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock & crescent buttplate. Other ’86 rifles engraved with the identical inscription were shipped from Winchester July 14, 1894. A 7-page article by Rick Wilson, which appeared in The Winchester Repeater, the magazine of the Winchester Arms Collectors Association, discussed information about two rifles from Arapahoe County, Colorado similar to this rifle. The number of rifles ordered by the Arapahoe County Sheriff in 1894 is unknown at this time. However, what is known is that Sheriff William Burchinell, in office 1891-1895, ordered a number of 1886 rifles, so inscribed, to defend the Arapahoe County Courthouse against an anticipated attack by the then Gov. Waite who was attempting to dismiss some of his appointees. The employees of City Hall turned the building into an armed fortress and the Governor then called out the National Guard, armed with Gatling guns & field cannons, but backed down in the face of the citizens’ resistance. Two of those 1886s, apparently ordered at the same time, were inscribed to “John C. Twombly”, an Arapahoe County Commissioner, and the other “William K. Burchinell”, the aforementioned sheriff. These Arapahoe County rifles apparently saw little, if any, service and are usually encountered with high orig finish. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Bbl retains 95% thin orig blue showing wear over the forearm area and left side with a couple of dings near the magazine band; magazine retains about 95% strong orig blue; receiver retains bright case colors on sides, lightly to moderately faded; thin colors over the top and turned silver on the belly; hammer retains strong case colors on sides & rear edge, turned silver on top; lever retains strong case colors on sides, nearly faded to silver on outer faces; buttplate & forend cap are a silver patina. Stocks are sound and retain about all of a restored finish being proud and well fitting. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. TDW