GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
RARE MERIDEN MFG T-LATCH SHOTGUN AND A TRIPLETT & SCOTT RIFLE - THE EARLY PRODUCTS OF CHARLES PARKER SOLD TOGETHER FOR A DISCERNING COLLECTOR.MERIDEN MFGT-LATCH / TRIPLETT & SCOTT419/ 143512GA/50CAL1) 12 gauge, 28" decarbonized steel bbl. Full length plain top rib with brass front bead. Lockplates lightly scroll engraved and marked "Meriden Man'fg Co./Meriden, Conn./For/Chas. Parker."Straight grip buttstock nicely checkered with long trigger guard tang and full steel buttplate. This gun is a bar in wood action with "T-latch" lock on top tang. This is one of the first shotguns manufactured by Charles Parker under the Meriden Manufacturing Company name. The upper tang is marked "PATENTED NOV 13,1866". The forearm is plain and attached to the underside of the barrel by a single screw. 2) Cal. 50 RF. Rare Civil War era repeating carbine with 30" rnd bbl, pinched blade front sight & small ladder rear sight. Left side of breech block is marked "KENTUCKY". It has usual company markings on receiver & top tang. Magazine tube is located on left lower side of receiver and extends down into buttstock. In addition this unusual carbine has two sling swivels at heel & toe of stock. Mounted with uncheckered American walnut with rnd forearm & straight stock with carbine buttplate. About 3,000 of these carbines with this bbl length were purchased by the State of Kentucky to arm the Kentucky Home Guard to protect supply lines for Sherman during his Atlanta campaign. They arrived too late to see Civil War service. CONDITION: 1) Very good. All metal surfaces have a mottled brownish/gray patina with dings/bulge on top of the barrels at the breech. The wood is good overall having been re-varnished some time ago and there is cracking on the bottom of the stock ahead of the trigger guard, a repair behind the right lock and some age cracks on the bottom right side which have been filled. The checkering is worn smooth. Action is loose. Bores are fair, with scattered pitting throughout. Front trigger is an old replacement. Very rare and collectible. 2) Very fine. Bbl & breechblock retain 85% strong orig blue and receiver and some of its orig case hardening, perhaps as much as 40% overall. Stock are excellent. Mechanics are fine, though hammer will not hold cock. Bright shiny bore with scattered pitting. 51393-7 JSL (2,500-4,500)