October 30 - November 2, 2018 Firearms, Militaria, & Sporting
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2018
Includes a tattered copy of the book "The Sporting Rifle" by Walter Winans, Knickerbocker Press 1908. Walter Winans was a famous shooter and writer at the turn of the century and this book is extremely rare but in need of rebinding. This rifle comes directly from the grandson of Bertrand F. Bell, who was a Naval observer and gunner on the Admiral Peary Relief Expedition to the North Pole. It has a signed and notarized affidavit from Connecticut, March 17th, 2003 where he states that Winchester Model 1894 serial No. 26181 .30 caliber "was a family heirloom of my Grandfather Bertrand F. Bell who was a Naval observer/gunner on the Peary Relief Expedition of 1899. He used this rifle to shoot seals and walruses to feed the crew and he inlaid the left side of the fore grip (forearm) with a row of 14 small ivory inlays from the tusks of the walruses he shot during the expedition." Factory research lists this gun as being shipped on January 25th, 1898 as a .30 caliber rifle with round barrel, plain magazine, extra light with plain pistol grip checkered stock Lyman front sight, high leaf rear sight, half magazine (four cartridges), shotgun butt. It was returned and repaired on October 12th, 1914. This gun was purchased from Bell by Hanson & Hanson Arms and offered for sale in their Man at Arms ad. The barrel and tube retain approximately 95% original factory blue with a bit of thinning at breech. Razor sharp legends. Sides of the frame retain 90% of the original Winchester factory bright polish. There are a couple areas around periphery with some brown spotting. Bolt retains 90% original blue. Case colors still evident on sides of hammer and lever. All screws heads are fairly straight. Checkered walnut stocks are excellent with sharp checkering, proud to metal with a few minor bumps and one 1/8" sized chip at right top wrist. Walnut forend does indeed have the 14 ivory inlays. Winchester black composite buttplate and grip cap. Fine bore and action. A beautiful deluxe special order rifle that is attributed to Bell and the Expedition but we could find no photographs or any other substantiating documents that place this rifle on that trip other than the testimony of the grandson.