GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
EXTREMELY RARE FACTORY ENGRAVED, JOHN ULRICH SIGNED SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1894 TAKEDOWN LEVER ACTION RIFLE. WINCHESTER 1894 274583 30 WCF (30-30) MODERN; IVORY Cal 30 WCF (30-30). Very rare Winchester with tapered 26" rnd bbl, full magazine, ivory bead Jack front sight, 3-leaf express rear sight with platinum line in the 200 yard leaf & Lyman combination tang sight. Mounted with 3-4X center crotch, flame grain American walnut with "D" carved forearm & capped pistol grip stock with ossified Silvers rubber buttplate. Receiver is wonderfully engraved by John Ulrich and signed on the bottom tang. Engraving is nearly full coverage on the receiver in #4 pattern which consists of the very large vignette of a hunter shooting from behind a tree in the background and a dying bull elk and a wounded bull elk in the foreground. Right side has the smaller vignette of a grizzly bear on a rocky promontory. Both vignettes are surrounded by extremely well detailed foliate arabesque patterns with fine shaded background. Top of the left vignette has multiple borders and the right side is surrounded on 3 edges with latchhook borders. Engraving extends over the top of the receiver, onto the top tang, bottom edges of the receiver, floorplate, lever & hammer. Bbl extension and about 1" of the bbl are engraved to match. Rear edges of the receiver, front edge of bbl extension, over chamber area of the bbl edges of floorplate and forend cap have fine gold wire inlay. Screw heads, most unusually, are all engraved. Right side of buttstock is inlaid with a 1-3/8" x 1-1/8" oval silver medallion, beautifully engraved with intertwined initials "GH". Accompanied by a Cody Firearm''s Museum records office work sheet which identifies this rifle in Cal. 30 with rnd bbl, plain trigger, checkered pistol grip stock, front and rear Lyman sights, Silvers recoil pad, takedown, "D" carved, "Target 100 Yards" & engraved $24.00. Letter also shows that there is a silver plate in side of stock engraved monogram "G.H.", received in warehouse Nov 10, 1905 and shipped same day to order number 28944. This rifle is known to have been a gift to the 1st National Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio for inclusion in their Winchester collection where it remained and which was on display in the bank for several decades over the last quarter of the 20th Century. Pg 172 of Winchester Engraving, Wilson pictures two other Model ''94 rifles both of which are identically engraved, one of which has identical gold wire inlay. One is SN 222901 and the other is SN 308993. Engraved Winchesters in and of themselves are rare. Very highly engraved arms are even more rare. Add in the engraver''s signature & the very rare gold inlays and it becomes incredibly rare. Couple that with exceptional high condition and it is off the charts rare. CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, as new. Overall, the metal retains about 99% crisp orig factory finish with only some very faint thinning on the raised rib at the front side of the receiver and some very faint sharp edge wear. Forend cap retains virtually all of its orig blue. Lever & hammer retain brilliant case colors, moderately faded on outer faces of lever. There is a chip in the right side of the grip at the cap, otherwise wood is sound with a very few, very light nicks in the varnish and overall retains about 99% crisp, orig piano varnish finish. Silver''s pad is dry, hard & crackled, but orig, showing losses at the heel & toe. Mechanics are crisp. Bright shiny bore, may have been fired but if so very little. 50141-1 JR96 (55,000-85,000)