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EXCEEDINGLY RARE WILKES BARRE GUN COMPANY GRADE D

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,500.00 USD
EXCEEDINGLY RARE WILKES BARRE GUN COMPANY GRADE D
(HIGHEST CATALOGUED) DOUBLE SHOTGUN WITH BERNARD DAMASCUS BARRELS AND LEG OF MUTTON CASE. Cal.12 Ga. S# 1436. The Wilkes Barre Gun Company operated for only 3 years, closing its doors around 1895. They sold 4 grades of shotguns ranging from "A" (lowest) to "D" (highest), this gun a "D" grade. retailed for $125.00. It has 28" Bernard Damascus bbls. w/ matted flat rib. There is some engraving at breech ends. S# is on flats. Casehardened boxlock action features automatic safety & pivoting third fastener, in addition to standard Purdey bolts. Action is engraved w/ near full coverage varying sized but fairly lg. scroll w/in geometric borders. Scroll surrounds game scenes depicting a pair of snipe taking wing in marsh on left side & a pair of mallards on right. Trigger plate has makers name in circle surrounding scene of a pair of hunting dogs in rolling meadow. Fences more deeply engraved in acanthus motif & top of action has surface dulled by geometric engraving. Blued trigger guard w/ scroll on bow has S# on tang. Somewhat figured American walnut capped pistol grip buttstock measures 14 3/16" over checkered hard rubber buttplate w/ oval circular vignette of spaniel retrieving snipe. Side panels are checkered in point pattern & have arrowhead drop points. Elaborate point pattern checkering at grip is separated at top & bottom by horizontal central ribbon & other ribbons separate flourishes toward comb. Matching splinter forend has Deeley type release & grade (D) is stamped into wood in front of iron, its normal location. Bore diameters: left - .729, choke .000 (cyl), right - .732, choke .003 (IC). Wall thickness: left - .028, right - .030. DAC: 1 3/4"+. DAH: 3". Neutral cast. LOP: 14 3/16". WEIGHT: 7 lbs. 3 oz. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: "A & F" marked brown leather LOM case is in fine condition w/ straps & handle restitched. CONDITION: very good, as partially refinished. Bbls. retain most of their original dramatic Bernard pattern w/ areas somewhat browned. Action retains traces of original casehardening color, mostly where protected by top lever & trigger guard. Balance is a pewter gray. Trigger guard newly temper blued. Stocks refinished & retain nearly all of that finish. Checkering competently recut. Bores are good, mostly shiny but considerably frosted, verging on light pitting. Bbls. most likely cut many, many years ago, as muzzles are considerably brown & w/ some denting on edges. Examples of guns by this company are very rarely encountered. Their total production was probably fewer than 500 guns. "D" grade production was probably far fewer than 20 units. (01-17164/MGM17). ANTIQUE. $1,500-2,500.