September 26, 2018 O'Connor's Americana Collection
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2018
This swivel-barreled flintlock rifle was carried by actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961) as Christopher Holden in Cecil B. DeMille's productions of "Unconquered", a 1947 Paramount Pictures release. This piece, circa 1760, was made by John George Flittner of Carlsruhe in Saxony. He is recorded as a gunsmith in period documents from Carlsruhe. The rifle was once in the famous Stembridge Gun Room on Paramount's lot, a privately owned arms rental agency accessible only to the theatrical world. It was also carried by actor Dewey Martin as Boone Cordell in the Howard Hawks directed production "The Big Sky", (RKO 1952). The 28 1/8" barrels are iron, one full octagon of approximately .52 calibre rifled, engraved "1" at breech. The other part octagon to round, smooth bore of about 20 gauge, engraved "2" at breech. Both are struck with six fleur-de-lis at breech, the octagon barrel with indistinct, sunken maker's cartouche and the Stembridge inventory number "S501" beneath the lock. Both barrels are sighted at muzzle. The rifled barrel with decoratively fashioned rear sight (one small piece missing at rear). The stock is of walnut, both relief and incised carved, generous amounts in each butt area, less so on each of the two 25-5/8" panels which support the barrels. The original, relief-carved sliding wooden cover for the butt trap (the patch box) remarkably remains intact. The mountings are brass, triggerguard bow with iron, "squeeze" release which when compressed enables the barrels to be rotated; set trigger assemble; the finial of the rear trigger guard extension is missing. There are three "S" shaped escutcheons along one panel, a screw passes through each of these and secures the three ramrod pipes on the opposite side. There is a decoratively-fashioned forend cap. The present iron ramrod is an incorrect replacement; the original was of wood. The mechanisms which comprise the three units of the lock are in their original state with all components original. Inscribed in two lines on the main plate is "Flittner/Carlsruhe". The main plate is 3-1/16" in length, and each of the forward plates are 2-3/8" in length. Also included is a pair of wooden bullet blocks carried with the swivel barrel gun by Flittner as received by Christopher Holden (G.C.) from John Fraser (W.B.) during their search for Abigail Hale (P.G.) at Garth's Gilded Beaver Tavern. Each block is made of softwood and measurs 6" long by 1-7/16" wide, three cavities each, one vacant. The lot includes a copy of the magazine "Western Pennsylvania History" from winter of 2014, featuring an article about the movie "Unconquered". The article shows this rifle as well as stills of Gary Cooper with the rifle. There are also several copies of stills and one cutout mounted on cardboard showing Gary Cooper with the rifle, as well as Walter O'Connor's hand written description of the rifle and its history, most of which is in this description. The rifle and bullet blocks were also on display between August 2013 and October 2014 as part of the "Unconquered" Exhibit at the Fort Pitt Museum.