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EXTRAORDINARILY RARE SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE COLOR CASE HARDENED WINCHESTER MODEL 1894 LEVER ACTION RIF

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD
EXTRAORDINARILY RARE SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE COLOR CASE HARDENED WINCHESTER MODEL 1894 LEVER ACTION RIF
SN 13480. Cal. 30 WCF (30-30). Wonderful antique rifle with 26" full matted rnd bbl, half magazine with half nickel front sight with set screw and 3-leaf platinum line express rear sight. Mounted with extremely beautiful, center crotch, flame grain American walnut with "H" style checkered forearm and capped pistol grip stock that has smooth steel buttplate. Left side of lower tang is stamped with assembly number "2565", "XXX" and "S". Top tang channel of buttstock has the matching assembly number, however it is possibly renumbered as the fonts used on the tang of the rifle and on the wood do not exactly match. Inside toe of buttplate is stamped "2463 / XXX C". Receiver has the very rare feature for a Model 1894 of being color case hardened. Accompanied by two Cody Firearms Museum letters which identify this rifle in caliber 30 WCF with matted rnd bbl, plain trigger, checkered pistol grip stock, shotgun butt, case hardened & magazine to hold four cartridges. It was received in warehouse Jan. 11, 1896 and shipped same day to Order #3328. It was returned & repaired on Feb. 13, 1896, again on Feb. 10, 1897 and again on Oct. 24, 1899. There is an additional letter from the Cody Firearms Museum addressed to Mr. Ray Saign which states that the records in existence record a total of only 155 case hardened guns, a total of 84 rnd & matted barreled guns and a total of 16 rnd, matted & case hardened guns, of which seven were listed as 2-bbl sets. Additionally accompanying is a copy of the shipping record for this rifle. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine.Bbl & magazine tube retain 95-96% strong orig blue with a couple of minor thin spots; receiver retains 70-75% case colors, moderately faded on sides, turned silver over top & bottom; lever retains brilliant case colors on sides, lightly to moderately faded on outer face; hammer retains brilliant case colors on sides & rear edge with top edge turned silver; buttplate retains traces of blue, being mostly a silver metal color; wood is sound with light nicks & scratches with some dark oil staining at heel & around buttplate with wear on bottom rear end of forearm and overall retains most of its orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44357