October 30 - November 2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria, & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2018
(ca 1892) Boss & Company is mostly known for its shotguns, but over the years they have produced a few rifles. This fine example has 29" two stripe Damascus barrels fitted with full length matted rib. Rib holds one standing, three folding leaf express rear sight and silver bead front. Unmatted portion of rib is engraved "Boss & Co 75 St. James's Street, London." Barrel flats are stamped with London black powder proofs; bottoms of barrels with serial numbers and "JP". (Did Boss source these barrels from Purdey's?) A sling eye is soldered to bottom rib. Round bodied Jones underlever action is fitted with peninsula backspring locks having non-rebounding round bodied serpentine hammers with stylized dolphin heads. Locks are fitted with back sliding stalking safeties, that engage hammers at half cock. Fences are nicely filed and action and locks are engraved with 80% coverage very finely cut and shaded varying sized, but mostly small, scroll. "Boss & Co" is at the top rear of each lockplate. Trigger guard has serial number at grip, and checkered steel extension forming pistol grip in typical early rifle fashion. Well marbled stump figured dense European walnut buttstock measures 14 - 1/8" over checkered steel buttplate with short top spur. A sling eye matching that on barrels is on toe line along with a silver oval engraved with coat of arms, consisting of a castle surmounted by rampant lion over motto "Semper Parati" on riband. Matching splinter forend with shaped metal tip attaches to barrels with captive side bolt through engraved oval escutcheons. Rifle is housed in its original leather case, lined in scarlet cloth. Large paper Boss label is in lid, along with a smaller paper label with charges for this rifle. Case contains a fine array of original accessories and loading tools including two steel bullet molds, each marked with this rifles serial number, one casting a round ball, the other a conical bullet. The conical mold uses pins for either hollow point or solid bullets which are not present. Other tools include a brass screw type capper/ decapper, horn handled powder measure, striker key, Dixon broken case extractor for .450, large round pewter oil jar, pewter top glass oil bottle with green label marked "HILLAS'S Exhibition Prize Oil". Cleaning equipment includes brass and rosewood two piece cleaning rod with 6" handle, and some mops and brushes. A small leather wallet contains spare strikers, nipples, and lock screw. There is also an empty tin of Rangoon oil with Boss label. Weight: 9 lbs. 0 oz. CONDITION: Excellent, original. Barrels retain approximately 80% original finish with good definition to pattern, and with scattered areas of light pitting. Action and locks retain over 90% of their original case hardening color with only light silvering of sharp edges. Temper blue on safeties remains bright, tails slightly silvered. Operating lever and trigger guard retain most of their case hardening color. Buttplate has a considerable amount of its original blue, considerably flaked. Stocks retain nearly all of their original finish with a number of light marks and a few heavier dents, mostly on left side of butt. Finish is very dry, does not appear to have ever been re-oiled. Checkering is lightly worn. Bores are excellent, bright, sharp and shiny throughout. Action is tight. Locks are crisp. Case leather is darkening and has many scuffs and rubs. Newer straps and handle are good. Interior cloth is fair to good with considerable insect damage in lid. Boss label has large stain across center, and some rubs through. Charge label also has losses, wrinkled. Accessories are generally fine. MGM 174
Accessories
Case, Molds and other accessories
Caliber/Bore
.500 3 - 1/4 BPE
Drop at Comb
Approx 1 - 1/2"
Drop at Heel
Approx 2 - 1/2"