GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
HIGHLY DESIRABLE BERGMANN M1896, NUMBER 3, TARGET PISTOL. BERGMEN M1896 898 6.5 Cal. 6.5mm Bergmann. Theodor Bergmann was an early pioneer in the development of European semi-automatic pistols in the early 1890s and early 1900s. All of the Number 2s, 3s and 4s had an integral magazine that was loaded by rotating down the magazine sideplate and inserting a clip of cartridges from the side. Bergmann made very few target pistols, all in 6.5mm Bergmann. This gun has a longer than usual 7.25" octagonal bbl, fully adjustable sights, a finger rest, a set trigger with its auxiliary cocking catch in the front of the trigger guard which must be pushed forward to cock the set trigger mechanism to fire the pistol, and a trigger stop. The screw-in bbl is marked 278 (bore gauge) on the left side. Adjacent to this number is the Crown/Crown/U proof marking that is repeated on the left side of the chamber. The left receiver, with long flutes, is marked "Patent Brevete S. G. D. G." The SN 898 appears on the right side of the receiver just below the flute. In the center of the sideplate is the Bergmann factory logo featuring a miner surmounted by the word" "Gaggenau" and over V.C.S. Suhl. In this case, V.S.C were the initials for V. Charles Schilling, who made the pistols for Bergmann, with Suhl being the location. Walnut grips are finely checkered and without a logo. PROVENANCE: Dr. Geoffrey Sturgess Collection; The Esteemed Collection Of Noted Expert And Author Warren Buxton. CONDITION: The pistol is faded from use and mild oxidation with 80-85% blue mixed with patina, particularly over the sliding cover and front/back straps. Comparable fading and toning of the fire blue on the safety and the straw on the hammer, safety stop, and trigger. Nicely checkered, orig grips with comparable condition in-the-white grip screw and escutcheon. Bright bore with sharp rifling. A rare and distinctive Bergmann that should appeal to every collector of automatic pistols. 51568-18 LMA (12,500-15,500)