GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
RARE WHITNEY KENNEDY LARGE FRAME LEVER ACTION RIFLE.WHITNEY KENNEDYLARGE FRAME293P45-60Cal. 45-60. Standard grade rifle with 28" oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight & sporting leaf rear sight graduated to 800 yards. Top flat of the bbl, forward of the rear sight is marked "WHITNEYVILLE ARMORY CT. U.S.A. KENNEDY". Chamber area of the top flat has the caliber marking. Receiver is flat sided with serpentine shaped lever. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with straight stock & crescent buttplate with trap, containing an orig Winchester style 4-pc brass & iron cleaning rod. Bottom of stock and forend cap have period sling eyes that may not be orig to this rifle as the buttstock threaded shank of that sling eye extends into the buttstock trap recess. Left side of top tang, under the wood is marked with matching serial number which is also found on front end of stock tennon under the receiver and inside toe of buttplate. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms there were only about 15,000 of these rifles produced 1879-1886 in 2 frame sizes, both rifles & carbines and 7 different calibers with 2 different bbl lengths in the large frame version. These rifles are rarely ever found today in any condition, but especially with high orig finish. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 95% strong orig blue with some fine surface etching on the bbl. Receiver retains about 90% orig blue with a variety of fine scratches, showing sharp edge wear. Loading gate retains about 95% orig fire blue. Hammer retains moderately faded case colors and the lever about 88-90% orig blue. Buttplate shows about 70% orig blue with the losses flaked to a light patina, showing wear only at the heel & toe. Forend cap is a plum blue patina. Wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches.Possibly a small amount of extra finish has been added but without any sanding. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with a couple small spots of orange peel pitting. Cleaning rod is fine. 52609-4 JRL (6,500-11,000)