1241

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE 1ST MODEL FIRST KNOWN SHIPMENT OF WINCHESTER MODEL 1894 TAKEDOWN LEVER ACTION R

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
EXTRAORDINARILY RARE 1ST MODEL FIRST KNOWN SHIPMENT OF WINCHESTER MODEL 1894 TAKEDOWN LEVER ACTION R
SN 139. Cal. 38-55. Extremely rare rifle with 26" oct bbl, full magazine, takedown with Beech's ivory bead combination front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight and Lyman tang sight. Receiver is 1st type with outside cartridge guide screw heads and was produced in the first day or two of manufacturing for this model. It is mounted with very nicely figured, uncheckered American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with short tang. Left side of lower tang, under the wood is marked with assembly number "7". The number "177" is found in the top tang channel of the buttstock and assembly number "7" on inside toe of buttplate. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this rifle in cal. 38-55 with oct bbl, plain trigger, takedown, received in warehouse Nov. 14, 1894 and shipped Nov. 17, 1894. Also accompanied by a copy of the original shipping record which shows that three takedown rifles were produced on the same day. This rifle, SN 139, plus 140 and 141. However, this rifle was shipped Nov. 17, 1894 to order #1892. SN 140 was not shipped until Nov. 26 and 141 not until Nov.30 making this rifle the second earliest documented and shipped Model 1894 Takedown rifle and, according to consignor, is the earliest "known" takedown Model 1894. Additionally accompanied by a letter on Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Winchester Arms Museum letterhead which states that a thorough research of "the first few thousand serial numbers of the Model 1894 Winchesters, I found that your serial number 139 was the fourth takedown made by numerical order. But by order of the shipping dates, I found your serial number 139 to have been the second takedown shipped from the warehouse". PROVENANCE: Robert C. Renneberg collection. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Bbl retains 90-92% orig blue turning a little plum with sharp edge wear and a few scattered small nicks; mag tube retains about 80% orig blue also turning a little plum and showing thin areas from rotation of the takedown feature; takedown ring retains a plummy-blue patina with bright blue showing through; receiver retains blue in sheltered areas fading to a plummy-blue patina with wear on the top rear edges; hammer retains moderately faded case colors with traces of case colors on the lever; buttplate is a silvered patina; wood is sound with buttstock retaining about 60% strong orig varnish with balance a dark oil stained patina mostly around wrist; forearm is a hand worn patina. Wood appears to be extra grain. Good mechanics, strong bore with light orange peel pitting. 4-47718 JR247