GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
A WINCHESTER ICON: FANTASTIC DELUXE FACTORY ENGRAVED SILVER PLATED WINCHESTER 1873 RIMFIRE RIFLE MADE FOR GEORGE D. SNYDER. WITH FACTORY LETTER.WINCHESTER187347255622SESACal. 22 Short. 24-3/8" half rnd, half oct bbl. Scroll engraved on flats of bbl w/caliber designation. Muzzle is likewise engr. Silver-plated mag tube with engr guide ring.Silver sporting rear sight w/period replacement Lyman patent ivory bead front sight. Nose cap is silver-plated and engr, as is buttplate. Dust cover is relief engraved "GEO.D.SNYDER". Superb deluxe factory engraving, likely by one or more of the Ulrich's, in flowing foliate scrolls and punch dot background with large panel portraits of a buffalo on right side and panel scene of a grand bull elk on left. Bottom of receiver is similarly engraved with lifter showing "22 Cal Short". Rare checkered trigger is case hardened. Fancy straight grip stocks w/fine "H" Style checkering and deluxe piano finish. Extremely rare full coverage engraving on barrel, hammer and lever as found on only the most elaborately decorated 1873 rifles. This exact rifle is illustrated in R.L. Wilson's book "Steel Canvas" on p. 170. Accompanied by a 1997 Winchester Factory Letter confirming the rifle configuration with special features: Half octagon barrel, Plain trigger, Engraving of a Buffalo head on left side plate, Engraving of a "Antelope" head on right side plate, Shipped on Feb 3, 1894. Also accompanied by a 1991 notarized letter from Bernie Braverman chronicling his purchase of the rifle from Ed Startzman in 1958, and a two page letter from noted historian, R.L. Wilson describing the Snyder rifle and its importance. PROVENANCE: Ex Ed Startzman Coll; Ex Bernie Braverman Coll; Gregg Martin, San Francisco, 1995; The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Extremely fine overall condition. Left side of receiver is very fine with some of copper plating showing through silver. Balance is a nice shiny silver that has yet to oxidize to a darker color. Right side of receiver has small amounts of copper showing through sideplate, otherwise balance of silver in intact. Lever is case colored and has turned to mellow patina. Forearm retains 40% orig finish with a couple of heavy dings forward of forearm. Stock retains ample amount of orig finish with no cracks, repairs or missing wood. A few surface impressions that are not very deep. Stock fit to gun near perfect with no splits or cracks. Bright shiny bore. Rifle cycles properly. Mechanically excellent. The George Snyder 1873 Winchester is likely unique as the most deluxe and highly engraved .22 rifle extant. Truly one of a kind and impossible to upgrade. George D. Snyder was a very prominent civil engineer for the city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1895 and it is probably he who ordered this magnificent rifle and rarely if ever used it. 53091-38 MS (60,000-90,000)