GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
RARE AND UNUSUAL PRESENTATION QUALITY SLOTTERBEK CUSTOM SHARPS RIFLE.SLOTTERBEK SHARPS1863 CUSTOMC4539238 CFW/BRAND BOOK 16, THE IRVINE RANCH, FRONTIER TRAPPER TO CA. RANCHEROCal. 38 CF (appears to be 38-40 Maynard). Fine custom Sharps with 29-3/4" oct bbl that has iron rib and 2 iron guides, attached to the bottom flat containing a replacement hickory ramrod, with fixed sights, front blade missing from the base. Chamber end of the bbl has a machined, tapered round section with beaded edges. Top flat of the bbl, between rear sight and receiver is marked "H.SLOTTERBEK LOS ANGELES" in a broken arch shape. Receiver is apparently from a model 1863 saddle ring carbine that has had the sling bar removed and the threaded hole in the receiver neatly plugged. Mounted with its original type buttstock that has the sling bar base still in the wrist and a brass crescent buttplate. Forearm is Sharps style, of uncheckered walnut with dimpled pewter nose cap secured by a single wedge through nickel silver oval escutcheons. Trigger plate has Sharps-style double-set triggers. Left side of buttstock is inlaid with a German silver plaque in arabesque shape which is engraved "J.W. Wolfskill from his Father". Receiver and lock plate have standard Sharps markings. This is one of the most unusual Slotterbek rifles in that it is small bore, has a cleaning rod rail & guides and is light weight compared to his usual big bore, heavy plains-type rifles for buffalo and big game hunting.
Joseph W. Wolfskill was born 1844 in Los Angeles, the son of one of the founding fathers of the Los Angeles area and southern California, William Wolfskill. William had gone west from Boonesboro, Kentucky, a neighbor of Daniel Boone, and in about 1830 and joined a team of mountain men including the famous Mountain Men Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson, and George Yount, traveling from Taos, New Mexico Territory (Kit Carson's home) to southern California across the Sierra Mountains, arriving in early 1831. Mr. Wolfskill was a very shrewd businessman and entrepreneur who acquired several tracks of land from the Mexican govt and various other private acquisitions where he planted vineyards and citrus and also raised sheep & other livestock. At his death in 1866 William was producing 50,000 gal of wine a year, was the greatest producer of table grapes and is credited with starting the commercial citrus industry by selling a shipload of lemons to gold miners for $1 each and followed the next year with oranges. William financed the first public school in Los Angeles and was a great supporter of education. Some of his ranch holdings encompass today's Irvine & Santa Ana CA, as well as large tracts of Los Angeles. Joseph, the recipient of this rifle, was associated with his father in the business and upon his father's death took it over. He introduced scientific methods into the culture of oranges and became the largest commercial producer in that area and remained so until an insect infestation from Australia decimated their citrus groves.
Charles and Henry Slotterbek were sons of a long line of gunsmiths in Germany. At about age 10 or 11 the family emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Philadelphia. At about age 20 Henry began working for the famous gun makers Henry Deringer. In 1859 he left Deringer's employment and worked for a succession of companies eventually forming his own company. In 1869 Henry moved to Los Angeles where he worked for gunsmith Henry Schaffer and in 1872 purchased that business making sporting and target rifles. He was killed in a freak shooting accident on a rifle range in June 1888. It seems likely that the Wolfskill family would have been acquainted with Henry Slotterbek given that they resided in the same small community and were both famous people in their day. Accompanied by three hardback books: 1). William Wolfskill 1798-1866, Wilson; 2). The Westerners Brand Book 16, Wood; and 3).The Irvine Ranch, Clealand. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl, cleaning rod rail and guides retain 96-98% strong orig brown finish with only sharp edge wear. Receiver, lock plate, hammer and breech block retain case colors in sheltered areas with the balance a smooth gray patina. Wood is sound showing an old restored finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 52176-2 JRL (15,000-25,000)