GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
INCREDIBLE PAIR OF HIGH CONDITION BIG BORE CHARLES LANCASTER SLIDE AND DROP HAMMER DOUBLE "HOWDAH" RIFLES WITH ORIGINAL CASE AND MANY ACCESSORIES. CHARLES LANCASTER SXS UNDER LEVER 4916/4917 .577 SNYDER (1879) Cal. .577 Snyder. 22" Damascus bbls with full length matted ribs mounting three folding leaf express rear sights, are gold inlaid "1" and "2" on rear portions of ribs; matching numbers are on ovals on forends and buttplate top tangs. Tops of bbls are engraved "Charles Lancaster 151 New Bond St London" and "Patent Smooth Bore Breech Loading Rifle". Lancaster patent under lever slide and tilt actions are fitted with non-rebounding peninsula back locks with, unique to Lancaster, flat faced breast fire hammers with tall spurs, as well as front safeties. Actions and locks are engraved with exceptionally well cut varying sized small to medium scroll within small scroll borders. Sides of actions are engraved "Charles Lancaster's Patent" and locks have "C. LANCASTER" "PATENT LONDON" in ribbon devices on tails. Case hardened trigger guards have tangs with checkered curved extensions forming pistol grips. Nicely marbled and figured European walnut buttstocks measure 14-1/8" over checkered steel buttplates with short top spurs. Stocks feature beaded shadow line right hand cheekpieces, and widely spaced checkering at grips. Vacant gold ovals are on toe lines. Matching forends with exceptionally well filed and fitted irons, have schnabeled horn tips and attach to bbls with captive side bolts through oval steel escutcheons. Gun "2": Drop at heel: approx 2-1/2", drop at comb: approx 1-1/2". Neutral cast. Weight: 8 lbs. 2 oz. LOP: 14-1/8". Guns are housed in quartered oak two gun case with arch decorated inlet brass corners, round central medallion, and double hook closure. Remnants of an old label are on top with Sanskrit inscription. Interior is lined in green cloth, and has large paper Lancaster label in lid along with charge card for these particular guns, and information label "Composition for Filling Shell Bullets". Bottom section holds both rifles as well as an array of superb orig accessories including steel bullet mold casting hollow base solid and another with hollow pointing pin for "shell" bullets which also has separate funnel for casting. Both molds are engraved "Chas Lancaster Breech Loading Rifles" and with these rifles SNs. Also included are two ebony and brass cleaning rods with brushes, jags, Turks heads, and mops, bullet crimper on mahogany base, rosewood patchbox, spare mainsprings, mainspring vice, dusting brush, turnscrew, two 84 grain powder measures, and a small leather wallet containing spare strikers and lock pins. CONDITION: Excellent, with rifle "1" showing considerably more handling and use than "2", retaining approx 90% orig bbl brown, with many marks and light scratches. Action retains most of its orig color, silvered and cleaned a bit on right side. Locks retain nearly all of their color. Trigger guard is silvered at grip. Bbls of rifle "2" have only a few light scratches on left side from removal of forend bolt. Action is silvered a bit on sides. Stocks of "2" have a few minor marks and knocks in its orig finish. Stocks of gun "1" have an old refinish of butt over some marks. Buttplate of "1" is mostly silver. Gun "2" has nearly all of its blue. Bores of both rifles are excellent. Actions are tight. Locks are crisp. Case retains most of its orig varnish with separated glue joint on top. Interior cloth is very fine with rubs and marks. All labels are fine with some rubs through on main label. Partitions are good. Accessories are excellent. A wonderful pair of short barrelled fast handling rifles in superb condition. 52999-5 MGM375 (55,000-65,000)