GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
SCARCE AND DESIRABLE HOGGSON FACTORY ENGRAVED HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE WITH LOVELY DELUXE FIGURED WALNUT STOCK. NEW HAVEN ARMS 1860 4522 44 HENRY Cal. 44 RF Henry. 24-1/4" oct bbl that has integral magazine tube, late style square back German silver front sight and 900 yd. Henry ladder rear sight. It is mounted with exceptional, highly figured, uncheckered, American walnut with 1st type brass buttplate with rnd heel & trap with small hole. Left side of buttstock & left side of bbl have factory sling loops. Buttplate screws are matching numbered while two of the tang screws are properly unnumbered. The bottom tang wood screw is a replacement numbered "1947". Receiver & buttplate tang are engraved by Samuel J. Hoggson in his typical style consisting of a running buck deer surrounded by foliate arabesque patterns on the left side with line & chip pattern borders. Right side of the receiver is engraved in his beautiful matching foliate arabesque patterns with both front side flats engraved in his very identifiable large flower blossoms. Matching foliate arabesque patterns are engraved on top 3 flats of receiver, around rear edges of receiver, on the top tang and buttplate tang. All matching serial numbers are found on the top bbl flat between rear sight & receiver, left side of lower tang under the wood, inside top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Round part of bbl underloading sleeve is marked with the assembly number "630", which number is also found on rear face of loading sleeve. This rifle was produced in 1864 during the height of the Civil War when virtually all Henry rifles were purchased for use in the war. PROVENANCE: Woody Frey Collection; The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Very fine, all orig and all matching, except one tang screw as noted. Bbl & magazine tube retain a silver brown patina with a couple of minor nicks & scratches. Receiver retains 70-75% strong orig silver-plating that has turned black with oxidation. Lever screw and breech block spring screw are both marred up quite a bit. Buttplate retains about 20% silver-plating with all the exposed gun metal a dark brass patina. Stock has a hairline back of the top tang, otherwise is sound with light nicks, dings & scratches and retains most of a protective coating of varnish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bright bore with light to moderate pitting. A beautiful quite early factory engraved Henry and not one of the frequently encountered aftermarket embellished rifles. 53091-83 MS (40,000-60,000)