June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2018
This exceedingly rare and magnificently engraved gun, one of only 17 A-3’s made by Hunter Arms Co, and listed in L. C. SMITH SHOTGUNS by William S. Brophy (15 in 12 gauge, all but one with 30" barrels), was shipped Feb. 12, 1901 (per factory letter). As listed, it has 30" barrels with raised, matted game rib. Rear portion of rib behind gold band divider is beautifully engraved and gold inlaid with pigeon sitting on stump. Tops of barrels are engraved “Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Compressed Steel.” and “Made to Order By the Hunter Arms Co. Fulton N. Y.” There are 2-3/8" triangles of fine scroll at breech ends pierced by gold inlaid lightning bolts as well as 1-1/2" triangles of scroll and geometric bands at muzzles. Barrel flats are engine turned, left engraved with serial number. Bottoms of barrels are stamped with Whitworth "sheaf of wheat" trademark. Case hardened standard weight action is filed with single bead around fences and is finely engraved with full coverage small floral scroll with larger blossom highlights, along with geometric borders for well detailed oval extra-deep relief panel vignettes of dogs on each lockplate. A setter is on left lockplate and a pointer on right. “L. C. Smith” is in floral terminated riband at front of each lockplate. Top of action behind scroll engraved fences has two oval delicately detailed vignettes of dogs retrieving birds; a Springer spaniel with snipe on left, and a curly haired spaniel with duck on right. Water table and breechface are highly polished in a unique treatment reserved for only one of a kind creations, with serial number, patent date and “H.A. Co” engraved in panels on the water table surface. Trigger plate is engraved with covey of quail. Blued trigger guard has oval vignette of setters flushing quail with hunter shooting, flanked by smaller ovals portraying grouse on bow, with serial number at grip. Trigger blades are nicely checkered. Very fine, red-toned, darkly marbled, and figured European walnut with “Prince of Wales” grip. Buttstock measures 14-3/8" over original ribbed composition buttplate. Exceptionally fine (36 LPI) fancy pattern borderless checkering has thin ribbons through pattern in fleur-di-lis style. Matching splinter ejector forend has inlet ebony tip, and round secondary ejector latch with knurled thumbpiece. Interior of iron is engraved with scroll and patent dates. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter and certified copy of original L.C. Smith ledger book page for this gun. Copies of pages from Col. Brophy’s book. Orig 1907 vintage Hunter Arms Co catalog, listing the A-3. Extremely fine, retaining almost all of its orig finish on wood and metal, barrels with 95% or better blue, only slightly thinned, and only a few minor marks. Action and lockplates retain 70-80% original muted case color, silvered mostly on bottom of action, and at front of lockplates. Stocks retain nearly all their original rubbed oil finish, thinned slightly on right side of butt, with a few minor marks and light pings. Checkering of grip is excellent, with very light wear. Checkering of forend with only slight wear and darker from normal use. Forend iron and secondary release retain most of their original blue. Trigger blades retain most of their bright blue. Screw slots are excellent. Bores are brilliant and shiny. Action is tight. Ejectors are in time. The highest grade offered by Hunter Arms Co. from 1892 – 1913, and as splendid an example as one could hope to find. The finest A-3 Smith offered publicly that we know of.
Barrel Wall Thickness
.034(L) .030(R)
Internal Bore Diameter
.728(L) .725(R)