RARE ATLANTA POLICE DEPT 1873 WINCHESTER RIFLE.

SN 289758B. 44 Cal. WCF (44-40). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine with half brass blade fixed front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Receiver is third type with milled rail and third type dust cover. Left side plate is engraved “20 / Atlanta Police”. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with brass trap still retaining 4-pc metal cleaning rod. Buttstock and forend cap have factory sling swivels. There were thought to be only 125 of these rifles purchased by the Atlanta Police Department and that they are the only known Winchester rifles that will letter as having been engraved for a police department. The chief of the Atlanta Police Department was Arthur B Connolly when these rifles were ordered. He was elected Chief in April of 1881. He remained Chief until his death in 1897. During this time the population of Atlanta was 65,500 people and the Police budget was only 100,000.00 for the year. According to our consignor, when he acquired the gun it was told to him that the police gun number 20 was Chief Connolly’s gun. There is no documentation available at this time. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl retains about 70% orig blue finish with balance plum with sharp edge wear scattered small scratches and other minor blemishes; magazine tube retains about 80-90% thinning blue finish and the forend cap about 30% orig blue; receiver retains about 50% orig blue, strong and bright in the more sheltered areas, dull and turning plum on the more exposed areas; balance of metal is a silver/brown patina. Hammer retains strong case colors and the lever traces of bright color with balance light muted silver/gray with some rust and pitting. Stocks are sound and well fit with a bit of burl retaining much of their orig varnish, though forestock varnish is thin with a hand worn patina. Stock has scattered small scratches, dents and other small typical storage blemishes. Mechanics are fine; bright shiny bore with only a couple spots of light pitting. 4-50442 JS100 (7,000-9,000) – Lot 2038

Click here to view provenance

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2014

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2038	$8,625.00	RARE ATLANTA POLICE DEPT 1873 WINCHESTER RIFLE. SN 289758B. 44 Cal. WCF (44-40). Standard grade rifle with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine with half brass blade fixed front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Receiver is third type with milled rail and third type dust cover. Left side plate is engraved “20 / Atlanta Police”. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut with straight stock and crescent buttplate with brass trap still retaining 4-pc metal cleaning rod. Buttstock and forend cap have factory sling swivels. There were thought to be only 125 of these rifles purchased by the Atlanta Police Department and that they are the only known Winchester rifles that will letter as having been engraved for a police department. The chief of the Atlanta Police Department was Arthur B Connolly when these rifles were ordered. He was elected Chief in April of 1881. He remained Chief until his death in 1897. During this time the population of Atlanta was 65,500 people and the Police budget was only 100,000.00 for the year. According to our consignor, when he acquired the gun it was told to him that the police gun number 20 was Chief Connolly’s gun. There is no documentation available at this time. CONDITION: Fine. Bbl retains about 70% orig blue finish with balance plum with sharp edge wear scattered small scratches and other minor blemishes; magazine tube retains about 80-90% thinning blue finish and the forend cap about 30% orig blue; receiver retains about 50% orig blue, strong and bright in the more sheltered areas, dull and turning plum on the more exposed areas; balance of metal is a silver/brown patina. Hammer retains strong case colors and the lever traces of bright color with balance light muted silver/gray with some rust and pitting. Stocks are sound and well fit with a bit of burl retaining much of their orig varnish, though forestock varnish is thin with a hand worn patina. Stock has scattered small scratches, dents and other small typical storage blemishes. Mechanics are fine; bright shiny bore with only a couple spots of light pitting. 4-50442 JS100 (7,000-9,000) – Lot 2038 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - Fall 2014 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}

RARE ATLANTA POLICE DEPT 1873 WINCHESTER RIFLE.