GUN FALL 2015
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/5/2015
RARE MARLIN MODEL 1898 D-GRADE ENGRAVED WITH GOLD PUMP ACTION SHOTGUN TWO BARREL SET.MARLIN1898 2 BBL SET4401512 GAMODERN; C&RCal. 12 Ga. Spectacular Marlin shotgun, probably the finest of its type extant. Shotgun is equipped with 2 orig Damascus bbls, each complete with magazine tube and forearm. One is 28", full choke, SN 46081F and the other is 26" cylinder choke, SN 7782C. Shotgun is mounted with exceptional marble cake Circassian walnut with very highly figured buttstock and matching grain forearms. Forearms and serpentine buttstock are checkered and carved in C-style and it has a rare hard rubber buttplate with white "Marlin" inlay. Receiver is engraved by Conrad Ulrich in #15 style plus. Engraving consists of the extremely large vignette on the left side which depicts a bull elk being attacked by hunting dogs with one of the dogs having the elk by the hind leg; another baying at the front and a third dog having been gored and thrown into the air, all in a very detailed forest scene with very fine stippled background, all surrounded by very fine borders. Front and rear edges of the panel have extremely fine, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with pearled background. Right side is also incredibly engraved with the central vignette of a whitetail buck leaping a stream in a very detailed forest scene, also with very fine stippled background. The remainder of the right side has full coverage, foliate arabesque patterns with fine pearled background and matching very fine borders. The engraving on the bolt incorporates a crouching mountain lion engraved around the screw heads. Rear of the panel incorporates a running wolf within the patterns and the front incorporates a running long eared rabbit. Trigger-bow and top rear of the bolt have small vignettes of flying mallard drakes. The front and rear edges of the receiver are inlaid with fine gold wire bands. Sides of the hammer spur are lightly engraved and have a fine gold wire inlay down each side. Trigger and screws are all gold washed. Top of the receiver, top tang, bottom of the receiver and bottom tang are lightly engraved to match. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this shotgun as a Model 1898/D in 12 ga with 28" bbl, number "46081", shipped Nov 20, 1902 with a second bbl set with the same ship date, also 12 ga, 26", SN 7782/D. Additionally accompanied by its orig green baize lined leather trunk case, compartmented in the bottom for the stocked receiver and both bbl sets. This shotgun was exhibited at the NRA Annual Meeting and Show in Pittsburgh, PA, April 2004 where it was awarded one of the Ten Best Firearms silver medal number "420" at the show. Medal, in its orig case and small award stand accompanies this shotgun. At the same show, the consignor with this shotgun was filmed for the Outdoor Channel TV show I Have This Old Gun. There were about 55,000 shotguns of this model produced in the period 1898-1905. Extremely few were deluxe engraved and incredibly few were so elaborately finished. Of those rare few that were produced, only one or two are known today. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Both bbls retain about 99% bright deluxe star and chain pattern Damascus finish. Magazine tubes retain 93-95% orig blue. Receiver retains 96-97% orig blue, showing sharp edge wear and some thinning over the top and bottom edges. Trigger guard and bottom tang retain about 75-80% orig blue. Top tang retains 92-93% orig blue. Hammer retains most of its brilliant case colors on left side, showing wear on the right side and turned silver on the edges. Wood is sound with a few light nicks and scratches and shows light diamond point wear on the checkering, retaining about all of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp. Brilliant shiny bores, shows very little use. Case is sound showing wear on the corners with some light damage and a replaced carrying handle. Interior is moderately faded with some light mothing and minor damage from the hammer and other parts. Altogether, a rare and high condition set. 49505-1 JR (55,000-75,000)