GUN FALL 2016
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 4, 2016.
RARE SPECIAL ENGRAVED AND CARVED DELUXE TAKEDOWN WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION EXTRA FINE (NEAR NEW) CONDITION RIFLE. WINCHESTER 1886 145592 33 WCF MODERN; IVORY Cal. 33 WCF. Extremely rare rifle with 24" tapered rnd bbl, takedown, half magazine with full matted top, pedestal mounted ivory bead hunting front sight and flat-top semi-buckhorn rear sight. Left side of bbl, takedown ring & receiver are stamped with British proofs. Mounted with very highly figured center crotch 3X American walnut with style-D carved forearm and capped pistol grip stock with Winchester solid red recoil pad. Carved & checkered wood consists of large checkered panels with carved oak leaves & acorns. Receiver factory engraved for 80 hours by Angelo Stokes as noted in Winchester factory letter. Details of engraving include large vignette of a cougar standing on a precipice on the left side with the small vignette of a grizzly bear on loading gate base and a larger vignette of a grizzly bear on the right forward flat. These vignettes are all surrounded by extremely well-executed foliate & floral arabesque patterns with beautiful heart motif borders. Top of receiver is engraved to match with a large leaf pattern over the receiver ring. The takedown ring is engraved to match with the heart shaped border on the bbl at the takedown ring. Sides of lever & hammer are also engraved with matching shell patterns and foliate arabesque patterns. Top tang is also engraved. Bottom of receiver is engraved with the large oval vignette of a standing, face-on bull elk surrounded by foliate and floral arabesque patterns. There are additional foliate patterns around the lever opening with decorative borders. Outer face of lever is also engraved as is the top of the hammer nose and there is a band of engraving around the muzzle. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number "851" and "406" which has been obliterated and "XXX". Top tang of buttstock has the X'd out "406" number and the replacement "851" assembly number. Bottom of stock and forend cap have sling eyes. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter identifying this rifle in caliber 33 with matted takedown rnd bbl, plain trigger, fancy pistol grip stock, half magazine, shotgun butt with Silvers recoil pad, special engraving and lists "80 hours Stokes, carved style D $10.00" and screw eyes, received in warehouse Nov. 10, 1909, shipped Apr. 29, 1910 to Order #256114. Received back at factory May 28, 1910, Work Order #29957 and re-shipped with the same description to Order #191784. Given the elaborate special engraving & carved wood along with the British proofs, it seems likely that this rifle was originally prepared for an English exhibit as an exhibition piece and never used. PROVENANCE: Ex-Dr. James M. Goforth Collection; Ex-Wes Adams Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching, probably unfired. Overall retains virtually all of its orig factory finish to both metal & wood with bright orig blue and crisp varnish; wood is sound with a minor nick or two in the finish; lever and hammer retain about all of their orig case colors, brilliant on sides, faded on top edge of hammer and outer face of lever. Orig sights retain matching, excellent condition with "certifiable antique ivory" front bead. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Bolt face retains about all of its orig factory blue as does the loading gate. 50412-5 JR303 (50,000-100,000)