GUN FALL 2015
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/5/2015
EXTRAORDINARILY RARE IDENTIFIED #10 ENGRAVED DELUXE SPECIAL ORDER MARLIN MODEL 1897 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.MARLIN189733160222MODERN; C&R; IVORYCal. 22. Spectacular and rare, probably one of a kind Marlin rifle with 24" oct to rnd bbl, half magazine, Lyman "certifiable antique ivory" bead front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight & Lyman combination tang sight. Mounted with very highly figured burl and shell grain #10 checkered American walnut with serpentine grip on the buttstock & Marlin hard rubber buttplate. Buttstock is slightly cast-off, probably to accommodate a very large person. Left side of upper tang, under the wood, is marked with last 3 digits of matching SN & buttstock has matching number in top tang channel. Receiver is masterfully engraved by Conrad Ulrich in special #10 pattern which consists of full coverage leaf and vine patterns on both sides. Left side has a large oval vignette with extremely well executed forest scene depicting a feeding whitetail buck & doe. Right side is engraved with the intertwined initials "FEV". Right side of receiver also has a small squirrel incorporated within the leaf patterns. Lever & hammer have fine line borders. Bottom & top of receiver forend cap & top tang are also engraved. The large vignette on the left side is outlined in platinum and gold with platinum and gold surrounding the small rnd vignette on the right side which shows the "V" also in platinum. The exposed 5 flats of the bbl over the chamber area have a narrow band of latch-hook patterns with 2 platinum bands and platinum and gold designs above that. Forend cap also has a platinum line around the top & rear edges. Accompanied by a notarized letter dated Dec 12, 2003 over the signature of John A. Veness. Mr. Veness states that he received this rifle, identified by SN, from his grandfather Fred Eugene Veness and that it had remained in his family descending down to him from the date it was received by his grandfather from the factory in 1906. He states that his family has been the owner of a lumber company and a holding company for lumber companies in the Winlock, WA area since about 1890. Descendants of the family retained ownership of the Winlock-Toledo Railroad & Logging Company and the Winlock-Toledo Lumber Company until about 1931. He further states that he sold this rifle to Bennett Auslaender on Sept 21, 2000. Additionally accompanying is a signed letter from Mr. Auslaender dated Aug 12, 2004. apparently informing cosigner that this rifle was for sale. Also accompanying is a hand written bill of sale dated "10/27/05" to consignor for this rifle, identified by SN over the signature of Mr. Auslaender. Also accompanying is a notarized letter from Mr. Auslaender dated Aug 2006 detailing the provenance on this rifle from the Veness family. He states that this rifle was delivered to him at the 1997 NRA meeting in Seattle, WA where it was placed on display in the Marlin Firearms Collectors Association booth. It was awarded a NRA silver medal as one of 10 best firearms in that show. Additionally accompanied by a 131 page paperback booklet The Timber Baron of Winlock, Galvin. This booklet details the rise and fall of the timber industry in Winlock, WA., principally about John Allen Veness the orig owner of this rifle. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 99% strong orig blue with rear sight showing wear. Receiver retains most of its orig case colors, lightly faded and turning dark, bright in sheltered areas. Lever & hammer retain bright case colors, turned silver on outer faces of lever. Forend cap case colors have turned silver. Wood is sound with a few, very light nicks & scratches with the buttstock retaining about 98% strong orig varnish and the forearm 96-98%, showing light diamond-point wear. Mechanics are crisp. Strong bright bore with some scattered roughness. A truly rare and exceptional rifle and certainly one of Conrad Ulrich's most inspired and prideful works - Perhaps the finest extant! 49121-10 JR (50,000-70,000)