March 1-2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/1/2018
Very rare special order ’94 with octagon to round barrel, half magazine, takedown, with Lyman ivory bead hunting front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight and Lyman locking combination tang sight. Mounted with triple X very highly figured, center crotch, flame grain American walnut with style “A” carved forearm, capped pistol grip stock, and smooth steel shotgun buttplate; this style of stock carving was $60 in 1897 (page 223 in the book “Winchester Engraving”). Left side of lower tang is stamped with the assembly number “1178”, “X” and “SC”. There is also a tiny “61”. The matching assembly number is on the rear face of buttstock, under the buttplate, along with “94”. Matching assembly number is also found inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is beautifully engraved in style “4” by John Ulrich and is signed on the lower tang behind the trigger. Lower tang is also engraved in period script “Millard P. Duell”. Engraving consists of a very large panel of a hunter shooting from behind a tree with two wounded bull elk in the foreground, all in a forest scene on the left side; and a grizzly bear in a mountain scene on a promontory on the right side, all surrounded by foliate arabesque patterns and wavelet borders. Top and bottom of receiver, top and bottom tangs, hammer, lever, takedown ring, forend cap, screws, buttplate tang and exposed flats of barrel over chamber area are engraved to match. Base of barrel at the receiver and around the muzzle are inlaid with gold bands. Receiver, takedown ring, forend cap and buttplate are all gold plated. Accompanied by several Winchester Museum, Buffalo Bill Historical Center and Cody Firearms Museum letters dating 1971, 1982 and 2008; all of which provide the identical information that identifies this rifle in .32 Winchester Special caliber with half octagon barrel, half magazine, plain trigger, “clover leaf rear, Lyman front, Lyman rear” sights, takedown, engraved $24.00, No. 4 and gold trim, received in warehouse March 27th, 1907 and shipped same day to Order No. 93543; repair and return on June 29th, 1917. Note: A clover leaf sight is described in The Winchester Book by Madis, as a style “28” which is a semi-buckhorn style as found on this rifle. The sight currently on this rifle is of a later vintage with smooth edges rather than the serrated edges of the 1917 era when this rifle was most likely restored. This rifle is pictured, on page 172 with three photographs, in the book “Winchester Engraving” by R.L. Wilson. The caption details mostly only the information found in the letter and states that when the rifle was returned and repaired in 1917 “at which time the inscription on lower tang was engraved”. PROVENANCE: Lloyd Goff Collection; Glenn Hockett Collection; Wes Adams Estate Collection. Very fine as restored. Overall retains about all of a factory restored finish to both metal and wood; barrel and magazine tube retain 97-98% strong, factory reapplied blue with only light muzzle and sharp edge wear; receiver, takedown ring, forend cap and buttplate retain most of their strong gold plating with some light flaking on top edges of the receiver; lever and hammer retain brilliant case colors; wood is sound with a few very minor nicks and scratches and retains about all of its fine restored finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. CORRECTION:This rifle was sold on March 28, 2007, lot 886.Little Johns Auction. It was not refinished at time and sold for $35,000. It became part of the Wes Adams collection and he had it refinished sometime between purchase and next sale at Julia’s after his death. The butt plate was missing on original so present plate is a replacement. Refinished professionally but not at Winchester Factory.
Caliber/Bore
.32 Winchester Special