GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
RARE DELUXE ENGRAVED MARLIN MODEL 1897 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.MARLIN189731044422MODERN; IVORYCal. 22. Beautiful Model ’97 Marlin with 24” tapered rnd bbl, half magazine, "certifiable antique ivory" bead front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Mounted with very nicely figured, B-style checkered American walnut with straight grip and Marlin hard rubber buttplate. Receiver and forend cap are engraved in #2 style, probably by Conrad Ulrich which consists of the large oval vignette of a running whitetail buck in a very detailed woodland scene on the left side and a squirrel sitting on a limb, also with great detail on the right side. Both vignettes are surrounded by light foliate arabesque patterns and latch-hook borders. Bottom & top of receiver and forend cap are engraved to match with simple zigzag border around the top tang and top flat of receiver. Left side of upper tang is marked with last 3 digits of matching SN. Although buttstock is not numbered, there is little doubt that this is the orig stock to this rifle. This rifle, identified by SN, is pictured on p 238 of Marlin Firearms, Brophy. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in Cal. 22 with 24” rnd bbl, half magazine, straight grip, engraved #2 and “Sel & Chked” (Select & Checkered wood), shipped Nov 2, 1904. Also accompanied by a copy of the shipping ledger for this rifle. These rifles are quite rare in deluxe and engraved configuration, but even more rare is the extent of the letter as listed above. Rarely does one find such complete information in the Marlin records. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 98% strong orig blue with some dulling over the chamber area. Forend cap retains about 74% thin orig blue. Receiver retains about 60-70% orig case colors, bright in sheltered areas, faded elsewhere. Lever and hammer retain faded case colors. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and retains most of its outstanding professionally conserved finish. Mechanics are crisp. Brilliant shiny bore. 49121-15 JR (10,000-15,000)