GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
RARE FRENCH "COLLETTE SYSTEM" GRAVITY FED REPEATING PISTOL.VICKTR COLLETTGERNFYFEED215240Cal. 40. This is a rarely offered pistol with a very small production. Victor Collette marketed a gun patented in 1853. He, along with the inventor Herman Jean Nicolas, co-exhibited this gun at the 1855 Paris Universal exhibition to present this new invention. This is one of the first working self-loading firearms that actually functioned. It is interesting how the top rib contains a series of cartridges that when gun was cocked, breech would rise, accept cartridge when gun was tilted up, hence, gravity-fed. Gun exhibits 9″ multi-grooved bbl, engraved frame and trigger guard, carved and fluted grip with shaped iron buttcap. Note the VC in front of SN stands for Victor Collette, the well-known Liege gun maker. This is a nice example appears to be complete and fully functional though SN has nothing to do with the actual production as there are only a handful of these guns known. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Gun appears complete and orig, functional with crisp rifled bore. Checkered wooden grip is sound, well fit, retaining much of its orig varnish. Metal has no finish, but sharp silver/grey overall with light staining and pitting. 52289-1 JS (2,500-4,000)