GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
MAGNIFICENT SILVER PLATED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 FIRST MODEL DELUXE RIFLE FACTORY ENGRAVED WITH PANEL SCENES BY THE MASTER JOHN ULRICH.WINCHESTER18731836244Cal. 44. 28" bbl with equal length magazine tube. Equipped with a thick base long range veneer tang sight. Receiver has set trigger. Rare straight stock is deluxe figured 2X American walnut with early style matching checkered forearm and crescent buttplate with trap. Receiver, side plates, dust cover, forend cap and buttplate tang are beautifully engraved with lovely masterful John Ulrich scrolls. All the panels are surrounded by fine intertwined foliate arabesque patterns that have fine pearled background and light shading. The receiver, dust cover and bottom of the receiver are engraved en suite. Checkered stock and forearm in the early style of the first model range. Profusely scroll engraved with wolf heads on left and right side of receiver unusually elaborate for Ulrich. Silver plated receiver engraved with an elk in circle on the left and right side. Comes with thumb print dust cover and set trigger. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Records Office search document confirming configuration with special order features: Set Trigger, Checkered Stock, Casehardened, Silver Finish, Engraved. Shipped May 6, 1878. PROVENANCE: The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl retains most of its orig finish to about 95% and 90 to 95% on magazine tube. Finish on left side receiver retains 98% original Winchester factory silver plating with the right side equally excellent. Lever with muted case colors on the side and bottom and strong colors in protected area. Hammer has 90% plus colors remaining indicating this magnificent rifle has seen little or no use and was cared for throughout more than 125 years. Buttplate has 90% original factory silver plating. Stock is with some minor impressions on the left side, more evident on the bottom than on the side. Stock fit is excellent with no chips or pieces missing. Forearm has a very light crack on the upper left side. Silver plating is starting to turn a most attractive bluish color indicating that it has not been cleaned or polished. Action is crisp and bore has strong rifling of the early style five land/groove. Serial number 18362 is a well known example of some of John Ulrich's best engraving and is suitable for the most advanced Winchester collection or collector of deluxe engraved American firearms. Using the words of the immortal R.L. Wilson this lovely rifle is truly a 'steel canvas'. 53091-46 MS (60,000-90,000)