GUN SPRING 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/21/2018
EXTRAORDINARILY RARE AND BEAUTIFUL FACTORY ENGRAVED GILDED FRAME 1866 WINCHESTER RIFLE WITH FACTORY DELUXE 4X WOOD STOCK. WINCHESTER 1866 80360 44 HENRY Cal. 44 Henry. 24-3/8" full oct bbl with full magazine. Mounted with straight grip uncheckered deluxe grade 4X burled American walnut. Sling swivels on bottom of stock and on nose cap. Has crescent rifle buttplate. Equipped with period tang sight. Standard ladder rear bbl sight is marked at 900 yd. with a globe front sight. Engraving on left side depicts two deer and one bear that have been fatally shot. The shooter is standing over the bear with his rifle resting on its head. Right side of the receiver shows Indian on horseback with his bow drawn, attempting to take down the buffalo. This engraved scene is as rare and desirable as the famous maple stocked "On the Rocky Mountains" 1866 formerly in the collection of Robert M. Lee. The engraving is exquisitely executed and depicts a quintessentially American Western scene of an Indian hunting the buffalo making this fantastic rifle a work of American Western art. The beauty and important subject matter of the engraving on this rifle makes it a true Winchester collector's prize. No assembly line numbers stamped on bottom of tang. SN on inside of buttplate matches gun, instead of having an assembly line number. An exceptional opportunity to acquire an engraved gilded 1866 rifle with magnificent engraving by one of the Ulrich's depicting a poignant scene from the fast vanishing Western frontier. PROVENANCE: The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Overall fine. Screw heads look untouched. Case color on hammer is 85-90% full, dark but very evident. Lever is mostly patina with no color showing. Trigger is slate color. Right side of receiver retains 50% gold with balance turning patina. Left side has 50% gold with brass not turning quite as dark as on the right side. Highly feather-crotch wood with no slivers or chips missing. A few dings are present, but for the most part, condition is extremely fine. Rifle cycles fine. Mechanics are fine. Bore bright and shiny. Fresh and appearing untouched, the beauty and artistry of this rifle is equal to those which have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ray Bentley was particularly fond of this 1866 and for good reason. 53091-22 MS (100,000-200,000)