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VERY RARE SPECIAL ORDER FACTORY ENGRAVED COLT MEDIUM FRAME LIGHTNING SLIDE ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:8,750.00 USD Estimated At:17,500.00 - 27,500.00 USD
VERY RARE SPECIAL ORDER FACTORY ENGRAVED COLT MEDIUM FRAME LIGHTNING SLIDE ACTION RIFLE.
SN 80940. Cal. 32 CLMR (32 WCF, 32-20). Beautiful special order deluxe rifle with 26" oct bbl, blue finish, with full pistol grip sycamore stock, factory engraved and shipped to A.G. Spalding & Brothers, Chicago, Il. on April 30, 1897 in a one gun shipment. Rifle is second type with patent marked bbl address. Receiver is beautifully engraved in grape leaf, vine and clusters of grapes pattern with the Rampant Colt logo on left side and a squirrel sitting on a grape vine eating grapes on right side. Engraving extends over top of receiver, dust cover, trigger bow and trigger plate with snake patterns down the bottom edges and around the bottom tang. Tip of bottom tang is engraved with a grape leaf with another at tip of top tang. Top tang and rear edge of receiver have a double line border which also surround the hammer slot. Bolt opening is surrounded by an engraved rosette. Side front edges of receiver are engraved in a half flower blossom. Buttplate tang is engraved with a matching grape leaf. This work appears to be by master engraver Conrad Ulrich. Mounted with most unusual and rare, very highly figured sycamore wood consisting of a 2-pc checkered, single schnable forearm and pistol grip stock with crescent buttplate. Bottom of grip is a checkered oval. Left side of upper tang is marked with matching SN along with a tiny "6." and identical "6". is also on lower tang. Matching SN is also found on the front edge of the buttstock, under the metal, and inside the toe of buttplate. Buttplate additionally has an old SN which appears to have been an assembler's mistake that was corrected. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms there were about 89,777 medium frame rifles produced in the period 1884-1902 in several different styles. Very few of these were deluxe and most rarely were any of those engraved. The special order wood adds an additional rare dimension almost never encountered. Consignor states only 19 medium frame Lightnings were shipped to A.G. Spaulding. PROVENANCE: Colt Factory Letter. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl and mag tube retain 95-96% strong orig blue turning a little plummy over the chamber area of bbl and with a few scattered spots of fine rust. Receiver retains about 50% blue turning plum, stronger in sheltered areas. Wood is sound with a few chips on edge of forearm and a few other scattered light nicks and scratches and overall retains about all of an old restored finish. Mechanics are crisp, strong bore with good shine, frosty and dark in grooves. 4-47341 JR158