November 5th & 6th 2016 Premier Firearms Sale
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/5/2016
Blued round steel side by side barrels with solid matte rib marked "SPECIAL. V.L. & A. TRAP GRADE", dolls head extension at breech and gold inlaid band, single silver bead, stiff leaf engraving around breeches, right barrel marked "VON LENGERKE & DETMOLD" and other barrel marked "U.S.AGENTS, NEW-YORK". Boxlock actions finely engraved with ornate scrolls on all sides and marked on both sides "A. FRANCOTTE MAKER & PATENTEE/LEIGE BELGIUM". Fences with chiseled relief Acanthus leaves, side clips and Greener crossbolt, scroll engraved letter and triggerguard. Triangular panels of scroll engraving on each side of barrels at breeches. Ejectors automatic safeties and double triggers. Highly figured walnut semi pistol grip buttstock with checkered panels on each side of grip, carved panels behind each side of action with roped borders and checkered panel in center, leather covered red buttpad and checkered splinter forearm with Anson release. Complete with a solid mahogany case which is professionally made with leather covered edges decorated with evenly spaced brass tacks and steel corner protectors, brass dust cover on front edge, leather stitch carry handle and hooked brass latches. Engraved nickle plated brass plaque on top of lid has engraved borders and a patriotic eagle overlay with a banner reading "E. PLURIBUS UNUM". Plaque inscribed "Theodore Roosevelt/PRESIDENT/UNITED STATES AMERICA". Green felt lining specifically fitted to this shotgun with wooden shell holder for 29 shells. Very good condition, barrels retain 95-98% original blue finish with scattered light marks and scratches from use, some light muzzle wear, and some wear on rib. Excellent bright bores and tight crisp action. Action retains a silvered patina with some scattered dark spots on triggerguard and triggerguard tang with generous traces of case colors on triggerplate. Buttstock good but showing heavy wear to checkering on wrist and grip and having scattered marks and dents from use, one fairly large scratch on left side checkered panel behind action and buttpad showing some deterioration and significant wear from setting upright with top of buttpad deformed from weight. Forearm shows significant wear to checkering, scattered marks from use and 1-3/4" crack at rear. One screw on right side of action and lever screw are slightly marred. Case excellent with dark patina on wood and leather, brass retains a dark and unpolished patina, corner protectors with some rust around screws and leather handles showing some wear. The presentation plaque is unpolished with some brass showing through on eagle and beneath inscription. Interior shows some light staining and some fraying of material. Otherwise excellent. A few light scratches on the lid. An ultraviolet light test confirms that the green cloth lining does not fluoresce, thus it was woven prior to the advent of synthetic fibers which were first introduced in the 1930s. Also accompanied by a lamented letter dated February 25th 1958 from Miss Mary Johnson showing significant age which reads "Mr. Robinson, This letter is about the President Theo Roosevelts shotgun in the box. My father was a good friend of the president. He went on many a hunting and shooting trips with the President. Before the President died, he gave the shotgun and he box it was in to my father. My father loved the President and thus the shotgun was his most prized possession." Also accompanied by two Griffin & Howe factory letter stating that this gun was first entered into the Von Lengerke & Detmold logbook on October 1, 1901 as a Francotta Grade 'A' and confirms all of the current specifications to be correct. It was sold by this Chicago, Illinois sporting goods retailer. This information was extracted from V.L.&D. inventory records, Book No. 1, page 124 on October 3, 2008. There are also copies of this logbook, in color, a photograph of the VL&D storefront, and two copies of Francotte descriptions for this grade from 1923 and 1928 catalogs of VL&D. This particular gun is featured in an article on pages 6 through 21 of the prominent publication "The Double Gun & Single Shot Journal, Volume Twenty-Three, Issue 2" from summer of 2012. The article states that this shotgun, through a preponderance of evidence, this is, in fact a TR gun, according to testimonials from Phil Schreier, curator of the NRA museum who is of the opinion that this is a TR gun and would display it in the museum. This, along with information from Griffin & Howe, Tweed Roosevelt, Col. Greg Wynn, Sagamore Hill, and Mary Johnson. The article shows that Theodore Roosevelt gave many guns away to friends and hunting guides, so this would certainly fit the story, along with the fact that many of Roosevelt's guns sat for many years at Sagamore Hill. They sat upright, which is consistent with the buttpad on this shotgun. A virtually identical case was made for Roosevelt for a 1902 Luger carbine from Kaiser Wilhelm, which bears the same design and plaque, possibly made by the same craftsman. Also, record archives from this gun show that it was paid for by VL&D and still in inventory in 1902, the first year of the Roosevelt presidency. Two copies of the magazine are included. A fine shotgun with some very extraordinary provenance.
Barrel Wall Thickness
Both barrels - .042"
Choke
Both barrels - improved modified
Internal Bore Diameter
Both barrels - .731"