GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
INCREDIBLY RARE TURKISH CONTRACT CONEHAMMER, ORIGINAL FINISH, WITH MATCHING STOCK. MAUSER C96 CONE HAMMER 917 7.63 MAUSER Cal. 7.63mm. The Turkish Contract was Mauser's first government contract sale of its C96. These Conehammers were assigned a separate serial range of 1-1000 and numbered in Farsi. To emphasize the crest of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, then the ruler of Turkey, the milling on the left frame was modified to include a central island. Under the crest appear the numbers (1314), a date in the Islamic calendar, possibly when the order was placed. That converts to 1896 on the Gregorian calendar used in the West. As with all Turkish Contract C96s, this gun has a 5.5″ bbl and pinned 1-10 rear sight in Farsi characters. Usual chamber address. 6-pointed star on both the left and right side of the bbl extension. Turkish crest on the left side of the frame. Full SN in Farsi on the backstrap, just below the locking lever, and repeated back of the hammer, on the sight assembly, bolt stop and firing pin retainer. Detailed disassembly shows all matching parts, including the floorplate, follower, appropriate components of sub-frame, firing pin, bolt, and each of the grips, all with Farsi numbers. Orig lanyard ring. Accompanied by a later configuration shoulder stock, with two safety cut-outs in lid, having a matching lug. PROVENANCE: The Friedrich-Wilhelm Dauphin Collection - Germany. CONDITION: The gun retains over 70% orig blue, wear and sectors of patina in areas of usual contact, particularly in front of mag well and front and backstrap that have largely transitioned to a uniform patina. Smaller areas of pitting above each grip. Fire blued parts with 50-80% orig finish with comparable condition hammer and trigger. Grips lightly re-varnished over scattered surface dings. Generally bright bore with nicely defined rifling and minor oxidation. Perfect manual mechanics. Fair/good condition stock that appears dark with oil soaked discoloration, several cracks, and brown hinge. Exceptionally rare and desirable C96 whose impact would be greatly enhanced by replacing the stock with a correct type in better condition. 49828-30 LMA (10,000-20,000)