March 13, 2012
Live Auction203 Skowhegan Road
Fairfield, ME, 04937 USA
Phone: 207 453 7125
Fax: 207 453 2502
Email: info@jamesdjulia.com
Viewing NotesPreview: Friday, March 9, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 10, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday, March 11, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Monday, March 12, 8:00-10:00 a.m.; Tuesday, March 13, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Sale NotesOur March 2012 auction potentially will be the most extraordinary Firearms Auction our company has ever conducted. Included will be the astounding coll. from Wes Adams. Mr. Adams was an extraordinary man. His success, that of his family and his rise from literally nothing to one of the most prominent developers on the West Coast is in itself a true Horatio Alger story. A man of great passion, conviction and energy, he amassed in a few short years what is unquestionably one of the best coll. of Winchester rifles in the world today. These will be offered over three sessions, the first being our March sale. Also included in the first session will be his spectacular Colt single action collection and his superb Marlin collection. Also included is the last collection of the late Robert Howard. Mr. Howard's lifelong collection of antique firearms represented one of the finest of its type amassed during the 20th century. Also included is the renowned collection of Scagel knives of Dr. Jim Lucie. Dr. Lucie is considered by many to be the foremost scholar, author and collector of Scagel knives today. His collection is one of the finest offerings to ever come at auction. Also included is an important single-owner coll. of rare Civil War and Confederate items as well as an outstanding private collection of Class III weapons. This sale will also include superb high-grade shotguns and sporting rifles; fine military items; early flint and percussion arms; extraordinary Colts; Kentucky rifles and important historical items.
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Lot 2000: RARE EARLY "HENRY" MARKED PRESENTATION WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 SADDLE RING CARBINE.
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Description: SN 16705. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Fine early '66 carbine with 20" bbl, full magazine with integral front sight/front band, a forearm band and 2-position rear sight graduated 100-300-500 yards. Left sideplate is engraved in period script "D Edwin Hawley / New York / from H.E.H. Dec. 25th 1868". Left side of frame has a staple & ring. Mounted with nicely figured, uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock & crescent brass buttplate containing a 3-pc orig all steel cleaning rod. Left side of lower tang is stamped with SN along with "CV" and "W". Matching number is also found inside toe of buttplate. A quick search of the internet disclosed no information pertinent to D. Edwin Hawley. This carbine was produced very shortly after the transition from the Henry rifle to the Model 1866 Winchester and these '66s are rarely found today with high orig finish. They were the first repeating lever action carbine, ever, and were immediately adopted by all manner of frontiersmen for use in the great American West, generally carried in saddle scabbards & wagon boxes or across saddle bows, usually under harsh conditions of weather & dirt with very limited or nonexistent maintenance. When one is fortunate enough to find such an early carbine, the bbl address is usually completely worn away with rounded edges on the receiver and damaged wood. While this carbine has been used and shows evidence of blood pitting on the bbl, over the chamber area, front sight & spots on the bbl, it is in remarkably strong orig condition. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Bbl, as noted above, has heavy blood pitting over chamber area and left side of the rear sight, on the front bbl band & sight with lesser spots on the bbl which have been cleaned; middle band has a couple of additional small spots; loading gate retains about 60-70% orig blue; receiver retains sharp edges and a wonderful, smooth, dark coffee patina; hammer retains dark case colors, turning brown on rear edge; lever retains dark case colors in sheltered areas being a brown patina on the loop; wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches and the buttstock retains most of an old refinish; forearm is sound with a hand worn finish, possibly refinished. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of pitting. 4-44551 JR449
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Lot 2001: RARE EARLY "HENRY" MARKED WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
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Description: SN 26268. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and 900 yard Henry ladder rear sight. Top flat of bbl has both Henry's & King's Patent markings. Forend cap is the early style brass with dimpled front edges. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent brass buttplate with trap which contains a 4-pc brass & iron orig cleaning rod. Buttstock is stamped with the last four digits of matching SN in top tang channel with matching number inside toe of buttplate. Bottom of stock & forend cap have factory sling swivels. Left side of buttstock has the hand scratched Roman numeral "XIX". Early "Henry"marked '66s are seldom encountered with high orig finish because, immediately upon their introduction, they were purchased & used on the American frontier, usually under very harsh conditions with little or no maintenance. Just finding a "Henry" marked '66 is a rarity but finding one with substantial orig finish is a very great rarity. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine plus. Bbl retains about 95% strong orig blue with light muzzle & sharp edge wear, a few small chemical spots and some thinning over chamber area; magazine tube retains about 98% strong orig blue with the magazine band mostly gray patina; receiver retains sharp edges showing only very light wear around carry point on the bottom and all the brass retains a wonderful dark mustard patina; hammer retains strong case colors; lever retains faded case colors on sides, turned dark on outer faces; stock has a gouge on left side with normal nicks, scratches & dings and retains about all of its orig varnish finish; forearm is also sound and retains about 92-93% strong orig varnish with a couple of small gouges toward the upper end & wear on the bottom at the carry point. Hammer is solid in the full cock notch when manually cocked or when the lever is operated slowly, however if the lever is operated rapidly the hammer will not hold at full cock and will follow the bolt forward, otherwise mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore; appears to be unfired with the bolt face retaining about all of its orig factory finish with crisp firing pins. 4-44556 JR448
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Lot 2002: EXTRAORDINARY, ONE OF A KIND, RELIEF ENGRAVED, GOLD & NICKEL WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
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Description: SN 96741. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Spectacular rifle, gold & nickel finish with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, gold washed Beech's combination front sight and a reproduction Henry 900 yard ladder rear sight. Mounted with spectacular center crotch, flame grain, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and gold plated brass crescent buttplate with trap containing an orig 4-pc brass & steel cleaning rod. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is stamped "XXX" and a "V". SN is in an engraved rectangle on the outer face of lower tang, inside the top tang channel of the buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Receiver & forend cap have full coverage engraving, probably by John Ulrich which consists of ten large & small game scene vignettes all in semi-relief. The left sideplate is engraved with the large oval vignette of a standing hunter in a forest scene shooting two bull elk. To the rear of this large vignette are smaller vignettes of a standing bird dog, a partridge and below the large vignette is a tiny panel of a bear's head. Forward of the large vignette is a small squirrel holding a nut and in the left front side panel is the rnd vignette of two feeding doe deer. Right sideplate is engraved with the large vignette of a standing bull elk, a reclining hind and a feeding fawn. To the rear are two smaller vignettes of a cougar and flying duck. In the right front side panel is the large rnd vignette of Diana the Huntress and her leaping hound. The remainder of the receiver has full coverage, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with extremely fine punch dot background. The various scenes & panels are divided with counterpoint bright borders and decorative engraved borders. Forend cap has full coverage foliate arabesque patterns with a fine scalloped border around rear edge. Forend cap has a factory sling swivel with corresponding swivel in buttstock. The buttplate tang is engraved with matching foliate arabesque patterns surrounding a bright round counterpoint panel with decorative borders around the front edge. The bbl, magazine tube, lever, hammer & loading gate are nickel plated. Close examination of the receiver and tangs of this rifle disclosed no engraver's signature. This rifle was discovered several years ago by well-known dealer/collector, LeRoy Merz in Spain. He personally traveled to Spain and purchased it from the great-great grandson of the former King of Spain. The family history of this rifle was that it was presented personally to the king by Oliver Winchester. Mr. Merz also purchased two other firearms from this direct descendant of the King of Spain, one being a Winchester Model 1873, SN 13, which was sold through the Julia Auction Company recently and a Colt Lightning Magazine rifle. It is almost without question that this rifle was created for a special presentation and given the elaborate and extensive engraving coverage, it certainly is of the quality one would expect for a royalty presentation. PROVENANCE: LeRoy Merz; Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching. Bbl retains 94-95% orig nickel with some flaked losses and fine freckling; magazine tube retains 96-97% restored nickel finish; receiver retains most of its bright orig gold wash with some light wear on right rear and right front sides of receiver; forend cap & buttplate retain virtually all of their orig factory gold wash; lever & hammer retain most of their orig nickel finish with a few small spots of flaking; wood is sound with numerous small nicks & scratches in the varnish and overall retains virtually all of its orig factory piano varnish finish; toe screw of buttplate is rusted which has stained the buttplate, but may clean; buttstock swivel is also lightly rusted; cleaning rod appears to be new & unused. 4-44554 JR299
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Lot 2003: SCARCE WINCHESTER 1ST MODEL 1873 SADDLE RING CARBINE.
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Description: SN 14420. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Standard grade early carbine, 2nd type, with 20" bbl, full magazine, integral front band/front sight and Model 1866 style forearm band with 2-position rear sight graduated 100-300-500 yards. Receiver has a mortised dust cover with impressed checkered thumb print and has a staple & ring in left side. Mounted with very nicely figured, slab-sawed, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and smooth steel carbine buttplate with trap containing a 3-pc, orig all steel cleaning rod. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is stamped with assembly number "294" with the matching assembly number in top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Lever latch is 1866-style. Accompanied by two Cody Firearms Museum letters, both dated 2006, which provide identical information identifying this firearm as a carbine, received in warehouse Jan. 7, 1877 and shipped June 26, 1877 to Order #9342. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig blue with only faint muzzle end wear; bbl bands retain most of their orig blue, lightly to moderately thinned and turning plum; receiver & sideplates retain 95-96% strong orig blue with a few light nicks & scratches, some fine spots of surface discoloration and a halo on left side from saddle ring; lever & hammer retain dark case colors; wood is sound with a few, very minor nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired; bolt face retains virtually all of its orig factory blue. 4-44594 JR421
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Lot 2004: RARE EARLY WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 SMALL BORE LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
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Description: SN 282148. Cal. 22 Short. Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4" oct bbl, full magazine, half nickel front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Bbl has usual 2-line Winchester & Kings' Improvement markings with caliber marking over chamber area. Bottom of brass carrier is marked "22 CAL. / SHORT." Mounted with straight grain, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock & crescent buttplate without trap. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum Records Office worksheet which identifies this rifle in caliber 22 with oct bbl & plain trigger, received in warehouse Nov. 5, 1888 and shipped Dec. 11, 1888 to Order #16346. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms there were a total of 19,552 of these scarce rifles manufactured in the period 1884-1904 in two bbl lengths and two calibers. This model was the first repeating rifle chambered for 22 rimfire and as such was accepted by the American shooting public with great enthusiasm. They were usually hard used and with the small bore had very little maintenance and today are almost never found with high orig finish and unblemished bores. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. Appears to be new & unused retaining about 99% crisp, orig factory finish to both metal & wood with only a faint hint of sharp edge wear in a few isolated places; lever & hammer retain most of their bright orig case colors, moderately faded on outer face of lever; buttplate retains brilliant case colors on tang, moderately faded on the face; wood is sound with a long scratch on bottom of forearm and a few other very minor nicks & scratches and retains virtually all of its strong orig factory finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore; probably unfired; bolt face retains about all of its orig factory blue; lever lock retains about all of its orig factory case colors as does the trigger. This is truly a magnificent, one of kind for condition '73 small bore rifle. 4-44576 JR341
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