GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
VERY RARE WINCHESTER MODEL 1876 LEVER ACTION MUSKET FROM CITIZENS’ GUARD OF HAWAII WITH BAYONET.WINCHESTER1876 MUSKET2874545-75Cal. 45-75. Standard grade musket with 32" rnd bbl, full magazine, barleycorn front sight/bayonet lug and a standing fixed rear sight in place of the more delicate Baker leaf sight, which was probably broken during the period of use and replaced with the current sight. Receiver is 3rd type with integral dust cover rail that has a 3rd type dust cover. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with full length forearm and straight stock with musket buttplate without trap. Left forward side of forestock is grooved and contains a slotted head steel ramrod which passes through the forend cap which also has a saber bayonet lug on the right side. Buttstock & middle band have sling wires. Accompanied by an orig saber bayonet that has 20-1/4" Yaghtahan blade and cast brass handle with eagle head & feather pattern handle. Bayonet has its orig black leather & brass scabbard. This musket was issued to Private C. G. Mahyre who was 42 years old at the time of commission on Feb 18, 1897. He was of Scandinavian descent, a resident of Honolulu and the Assistant Engineer for the HAWA Agricultural Company at that time. The 1910 census shows him still in Hawaii. Copies of Mr. Bell''s research pages accompany this lot. Also accompanying are copies of two articles about the Hawaiian Winchesters and the Citizens’ Guard, Republic of Hawaii which gives the history of these rare muskets. One of the articles states that only 617 muskets were produced. Also accompanying is a hand written copy of a page of research regarding the Hawaiian Model 1876, which states that there were 72 carbines and 300 muskets on order number “35449", Nov. 22, 1882. One line of this research lists SN 28701 through 28800 as muskets, which includes this musket. Another listing of Hawaiian muskets lists this musket by SN. It is believed that this research is that which was compiled by the late John A. Bell from whose estate this musket is consigned. One of the articles by Philip A. Reis mentioned above appeared in the June 1977 edition of Guns magazine, beginning on pg 27, states that under the reign of King Kalakaua in 1889 about 150 members of The Honolulu Rifles, a loosely organized home guard, attempted a coup of the King, which was unsuccessful. The King was quick to dissolve the Honolulu Rifles. Between 1889 and 1893 the struggle for power continued. The King died while on a trip to San Francisco and was replaced by his sister, Queen Liliuokalani. She was dethroned in 1893 by a group known as the Republic of Hawaii. At that time the old Honolulu Rifles was reformed into a group known as the Citizens'' Guard of Hawaii. From 1893 through 1898 the islands were controlled by the Republic of Hawaii, at which time it became a Territory of the United States. The late John A. Bell was employed in Hawaii for many years, where he developed an interest in Hawaiian firearms history and began collecting those arms and amassing information regarding them. Most of what is known today about Hawaiian firearms is a result of Mr. Bell''s research. This musket and three other arms being sold in this auction are from Mr. Bell''s collection, all of which are documented to Hawaii by various means. PROVENANCE: Citizens'' Guard of Hawaii; John A. Bell Collection. CONDITION: Very good. The metal, overall, is a smooth, even brown patina with some light freckling on the receiver, sideplates and dust cover. Wood is sound with nicks, dings and scratches and overall retains a dark hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine. Bright shiny bore. Bayonet is also fine with lightly cleaned blade. Handle has a couple of small dings and shows a medium mustard patina. Scabbard is very fine with a few small nicks in the finish and retains about 80% orig black finish on the leather with dark patina on the throat and tip. 49501-2 JRL (6,000-10,000)