GUN FALL 2015
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/5/2015
LATE ENGRAVED HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE PURPORTEDLY BELONGING TO GENERAL ANDRES AVELINO CACERES, PRESIDENT OF PERU.HENRY18601151644 RF HENRYCal. 44 RF Henry. Very late Henry rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl that has integral magazine, nickel silver front sight & a modified 1866 carbine sight in the rear seat. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock & crescent buttplate with small trap. Left side of buttstock has a factory sling swivel with a corresponding sling loop on left side of bbl. SN is found on top flat of bbl just forward of receiver, left side of lower tang under the wood, partially visible inside top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Rnd section of bbl under the loading sleeve is marked with the assembly number "4141". Rear face of loading sleeve is eroded with light pitting & heavy wear which has mostly obliterated the matching assembly number. Receiver is elaborately engraved by Master Engraver L. D. Nimschke with about full coverage, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with fine pearled background. Matching engraving patterns extend over all 3 top flats of the receiver with a ribbon pattern on each side of ejection port. Top tang & rear edge of receiver are engraved to match with double chip patterns on each side of hammer slot. Buttplate tang is also elaborately engraved to match, with small flourishes on the heel and around the bottom screw hole. Butttrap contains an orig 4-pc brass & iron cleaning rod. Accompanied by a 4-pg letter from renowned author, researcher & historian, R. L. Wilson wherein he states that this rifle has been "documented as belonging to the distinguished military and political hero, General Andres Avelino Caceres, Head of the Pacific War and later President of Peru". Mr. Wilson also states that General Caceres was known to have been a close friend of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. No further information is available regarding the provenance of this rifle. CONDITION: Very good to fine, all matching. Bbl retains a dark black patina with scattered areas of heavy pitting, showing heavy wear on the sharp edges which has also obliterated the bbl address. Receiver retains 15-20% orig silver, being mostly a medium mustard patina with a few light scratches and a couple of small dings on top edges of side plates. Lever & hammer are a mottled dark brown patina with some rust pitting on the lever. Buttplate is matching color to the receiver. Stock has a crack down both side of the comb with numerous small nicks & scratches and a couple of bruises with a repaired chip in the toe and retains most of a very old refinish. Mechanics are fine. Worn, dark bore with heavy pitting. 48944-1 JR (25,000-35,000)