GUN SPRING 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/11/2017
EXTREMELY RARE FACTORY ENGRAVED CASED EXHIBITION QUALITY WHITNEY KENNEDY DELUXE LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH LOADING TOOL, BOWIE KNIFE AND AMMO IN CASE. WHITNEY KENNEDY LEVER ACTION O564 44 Cal 44 WCF (44-40). Beautiful deluxe rifle with nickel trim. It has 28" extra length rnd bbl, full magazine, gold washed Beaches combination front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight with checkered edges and a Winchester Model 1873 sporting tang sight with 4" staff. Lever, forend cap, magazine band and buttplate are nickel finished. Mounted with very highly figured American walnut with checkered forearm and straight stock with crescent buttplate that has a trap. Bottom of the stock has a factory nickel finish sling swivel marked with patent date. Serial number was observed on the bottom tang, left side of top tang, under the wood, left side of lever shank and inside toe of buttplate. Wood is un-numbered and is possibly an old replacement. Top tang is marked with standard patent dates including the August 12, 1879 Kennedy-Tiesing patent. Receiver is exhibition quality engraved, probably by Master Engraver L.D. Nimschke with the large oval vignette of 3 dogs attacking a bear in the foreground, another dog attacking a bear cub climbing a tree in the background, and a hunter with a rifle rushing toward the bear further in the background all set in a very detailed forest scene. This vignette is surrounded by wonderful foliate arabesque scrolls with light pearled background. The bolt dust cover is engraved with a small vignette of a running buck deer and right side of receiver is engraved in matching foliate arabesque patterns with an empty inscription scroll in the center. Bottom of the receiver and over the chamber area of the bbl, along with the top tang, lever forend cap and buttplate tang are engraved to match. Bbl is marked with the "WHITNEYVILLE ARMORY, CT U.S.A. KENNEDY" address with the caliber marking over the chamber area. Accompanied by an extremely rare, possibly the only one of its type in existence, rosewood blue velvet lined casing. Case measures 49" long X 10-3/4" wide and 3-1/2" deep. The lid is inlaid with a 3-1/4" X 1-3/4" silver shield engraved "M.D. / 1885". Interior is French fitted in the bottom for the rifle, knife, loading tool and cartridge block with 6 small & large empty compartments. Also accompanied by a fine Marlin model 1881 loading tool bearing SN "358" which is complete except for the expander plug. Left arm of the tool is marked "44 W". Additionally accompanied by a London, Victorian style Bowie knife with 9-1/4" clip point blade that has 4" back grind and is marked with an oval cartouche on the left side "J. CURLEY & BROTHERS". Knife has an integral fluted 3/16" thick hand-guard as part of an unusual solid German silver handle. Accompanied by its original black leather sheath with decorative German silver throat & tip. Reverse side of the sheath has an attached matching black leather belt loop. Additionally accompanied by a cartridge block containing 50 rounds of mixed head stamp 44-40 ammo. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms there was a total of about 15,000 of these firearms produced in 2 distinct styles in rifles, both large & small frame, muskets & carbines. Extremely few were special ordered with extra length bbls over the standard 24" in deluxe configuration and of those extraordinarily few were exhibition engraved. It is very likely that this rifle was part of a World Expo exhibition. CONDITION: Very fine plus, all matching except stock as noted. Bbl retains about 95-96% strong orig blue and the magazine tube about 95% blue turning plum. Receiver retains about 90% glossy orig blue with the losses from flaking, not from wear. Hammer retains bright case colors on the sides turned dark on the edges. Lever retains about 60-65% orig nickel and the forend cap about 30% with the balance cleaned metal patina. Loading gate retains about 25-30% orig nickel. Buttplate is cleaned metal patina. Wood is sound with a few very light handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains most of an extremely fine restored finish on the buttstock with the forearm retaining most of its orig varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with some minor roughness about mid-way. Loading tool is extremely fine retaining 88-90% glossy orig blue with loss areas from flaking. Knife has been sharpened and shows a slight concave belly on the cutting edge. Handle is fine. Sheath has a crackled surface and retains about 85% orig black finish. Throat & tip each have a couple of small dents. Ammo is dark & oxidized with 1 misfired primer. Case has a grain check in the lid otherwise is completely sound with handling & storage marks and retains most of its orig finish. Interior is heavily faded with moderate soil in the bottom and some minor damage in the area of the sights. An incredibly rare set. 51687-2 JRL (20,000-30,000)