GUN FALL 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/4/2016
RARE SPECIAL ORDER FACTORY ENGRAVED MARLIN MODEL 1889 DELUXE LEVER ACTION RIFLE. MARLIN 1889 44294 44 Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Rare Model '89 with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, Rocky Mountain German silver front sight, long semi-buckhorn rear sight and Lyman #15 windgage tang sight. Mounted with very beautiful, highly figured, European walnut with checkered forearm and serpentine pistol grip buttstock with crescent buttplate. SN is on bottom of receiver, left side of upper tang under the wood, inside top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Top tang also had another SN "42739" which has been factory defaced. Receiver is very nicely engraved with the vignette of a standing grizzly bear in a mountain scene on left side with extremely well-executed foliate arabesque patterns and border patterns on left side with matching foliate arabesque patterns on right side and a flower blossom centered on the bolt. Light foliate arabesque patterns and straight line borders extend over the top & bottom of receiver and top tang. Model '89 rifles are fairly scarce in their own right with deluxe rifles quite scarce and engraved rifles extremely rare. PROVENANCE: Ex-Wes Adams Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching. Bbl and magazine tube retain 98-99% crisp orig blue and forend cap 96-97% blue; receiver retains strong case colors on sides, moderately faded over top & bottom; lever & hammer retain moderately faded case colors turned silver on outer faces of lever; buttplate retains smokey case colors. Wood is sound with a few light bruises in the checkering on both stock and forearm and a few light nicks & scratches and overall retains about all of its crisp orig varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 50412-20 JS (15,000-25,000)