December 17, 2026 The Estate Of Whitefoord Cole II: Firearms & Militaria
The live portion of this session begins on Thursday, December 17, 2026.
Lot #1207:
(A) SERGEANT ALVIN YORK ATTRIBUTED BAURMANN KENTUCKY MADE PERCUSSION RIFLE WITH DEER HIDE CASE.
The heavy octagon barrel is stamped "BAURMANN" and "LOISVILLE KY" in an inverted V behind the rear sight. George Baurmann is recorded as working in Louisville, Kentucky until 1871. Dovetailed blade front sight and horned v-notched rear, with an additional lead filled rear sight dovetail. Lightly engraved caplock with drum and nipple breech, the nipple a later replacement. Dark finishes, full length plain grain maple stock with simple brass mounts. Rifle is accompanied by a deer skin sheath with decorative velvet bands and fringed trim. A copy of handwritten provenance once accompanied this rifle, now unfortunately lost, which detailed the previous owner's father meeting Alvin York and trading for this rifle. Born in a log cabin in rural Tennessee in 1887, York grew up hunting to feed his family, becoming a keen marksman and famously participating in turkey shoots. His exemplary service in World War I famously earned him the Medal of Honor for overwhelming a German machine gun position, forcing the surrender of the 120th Reserve Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion. This story of heroism was turned into the motion picture "Sergeant York" in 1941 with the lead played by Gary Cooper. This rifle was lot 2399 in the James Julia Fall 2011 Firearms Auction with a recorded sale price of $20,700. CONDITION: Very Good. Metal has an even chocolate patina. Brass is nicely toned. Wood retains significant portions of its painted finish, worn through to wood at handling and rub points. Well defined bore with abrasion in the grooves. Mechanics including set trigger are in order. Case shows some age but presents well. A nice Kentucky made mountain rifle attributed to one of America's most well known and beloved 20th Century military heroes.