RARE PRESENTATION FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 DELUXE LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

RARE PRESENTATION FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 DELUXE LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 148025. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Beautiful John Ulrich engraved ’73 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, windgage globe front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight and a thin base vernier tang sight with 3″ staff. Mounted with extraordinary 3-4X American walnut with H-style checkered forearm and serpentine pistol grip stock with black fleur-de-lis insert and full checkered hard rubber buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is marked with assembly number “5359”, “XXX” and “S”. Matching assembly number is found in top tang channel of buttstock and hand scratced inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is spectacularly engraved by John Ulrich and signed on lower tang. Left side plate has the large oval panel inscribed in period script and block letters “Presented to / GEORGE P. BISSELL / Colonel 25th Reg.t C.V. / by members of the Regiment / as a slight testimonial of affection / for their old Commander”. Left front flat is engraved with the vignette of the 19th Corps badge of the Civil War. Right sideplate is wonderfully engraved with the modified vignette of the No. 4 style pattern depicting a hunter shooting from behind a tree with a wounded bull elk in foreground. Right front flat is engraved with a standing cow elk. All the engraving is surrounded by beautiful foliate arabesque patterns with fine punch dot background and scalloped borders. Engraving extends over top & bottom of receiver and dust cover with matching engraving about 2-1/2″ over chamber area of bbl and 1-3/4″ around muzzle. Chamber end of bbl and muzzle end have silver band inlays. Col. George Bissell was the commander of the 25th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, a 9-month regiment recruited in the Fall of 1862 and mustered into service on Nov. 11, 1862. They sailed from Hartford to Long Island, NY to join the “Banks Expedition” with 811 men. They embarked on Nov. 29, 1862 and arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River then sailed up the Mississippi to New Orleans arriving on December 14th. They were brigaded under Gen. Paine along with four other regiments where they advanced on Fort Hudson arriving on March 10, 1863 and began their offense on Fort Hudson with Col. Bissell in charge of his own regiment, two detachments of cavalry and a regular Army battery. After the capture of Fort Hudson the regiment traveled to Baton Rouge engaging in several skirmishes and sailed on up the Atchafalaya Bayou, landing at Irish Bend where on April 14, 1863 they engaged in their first real battle, losing 95 killed & wounded. They continued this campaign, driving the Confederate troops through the entire valley of the Teche fighting four separate engagements and marching 300 miles in 20 days. During May & part of June they returned in the Siege of Fort Hudson, being almost constantly under fire in the trenches and engaging in several assaults. They led the advance on May 23 which resulted in the capture of Fort Hudson. After the surrender of Fort Hudson the 25th Connecticut Infantry Regiment returned to camp at Donaldsonville where they remained until their expiration of service and were mustered out at Hartford on Aug. 26, 1863. The regiment volunteered to serve longer but since the area was secure their request was denied and they were mustered out. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 97-98% strong orig blue with only light sharp edge wear; receiver retains about all of its orig case colors, strong in sheltered areas, fading elsewhere. Wood is sound with light, scattered fine nicks & scratches and retains about all of its strong orig oil finish. Buttplate has a large chip out of right lower side. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44566 JR70 (30,000-50,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012

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
	1051	$94,875.00	RARE PRESENTATION FACTORY ENGRAVED WINCHESTER MODEL 1873 DELUXE LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 148025. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Beautiful John Ulrich engraved ’73 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, windgage globe front sight, semi-buckhorn rear sight and a thin base vernier tang sight with 3″ staff. Mounted with extraordinary 3-4X American walnut with H-style checkered forearm and serpentine pistol grip stock with black fleur-de-lis insert and full checkered hard rubber buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is marked with assembly number “5359”, “XXX” and “S”. Matching assembly number is found in top tang channel of buttstock and hand scratced inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is spectacularly engraved by John Ulrich and signed on lower tang. Left side plate has the large oval panel inscribed in period script and block letters “Presented to / GEORGE P. BISSELL / Colonel 25th Reg.t C.V. / by members of the Regiment / as a slight testimonial of affection / for their old Commander”. Left front flat is engraved with the vignette of the 19th Corps badge of the Civil War. Right sideplate is wonderfully engraved with the modified vignette of the No. 4 style pattern depicting a hunter shooting from behind a tree with a wounded bull elk in foreground. Right front flat is engraved with a standing cow elk. All the engraving is surrounded by beautiful foliate arabesque patterns with fine punch dot background and scalloped borders. Engraving extends over top & bottom of receiver and dust cover with matching engraving about 2-1/2″ over chamber area of bbl and 1-3/4″ around muzzle. Chamber end of bbl and muzzle end have silver band inlays. Col. George Bissell was the commander of the 25th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, a 9-month regiment recruited in the Fall of 1862 and mustered into service on Nov. 11, 1862. They sailed from Hartford to Long Island, NY to join the “Banks Expedition” with 811 men. They embarked on Nov. 29, 1862 and arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River then sailed up the Mississippi to New Orleans arriving on December 14th. They were brigaded under Gen. Paine along with four other regiments where they advanced on Fort Hudson arriving on March 10, 1863 and began their offense on Fort Hudson with Col. Bissell in charge of his own regiment, two detachments of cavalry and a regular Army battery. After the capture of Fort Hudson the regiment traveled to Baton Rouge engaging in several skirmishes and sailed on up the Atchafalaya Bayou, landing at Irish Bend where on April 14, 1863 they engaged in their first real battle, losing 95 killed & wounded. They continued this campaign, driving the Confederate troops through the entire valley of the Teche fighting four separate engagements and marching 300 miles in 20 days. During May & part of June they returned in the Siege of Fort Hudson, being almost constantly under fire in the trenches and engaging in several assaults. They led the advance on May 23 which resulted in the capture of Fort Hudson. After the surrender of Fort Hudson the 25th Connecticut Infantry Regiment returned to camp at Donaldsonville where they remained until their expiration of service and were mustered out at Hartford on Aug. 26, 1863. The regiment volunteered to serve longer but since the area was secure their request was denied and they were mustered out. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain 97-98% strong orig blue with only light sharp edge wear; receiver retains about all of its orig case colors, strong in sheltered areas, fading elsewhere. Wood is sound with light, scattered fine nicks & scratches and retains about all of its strong orig oil finish. Buttplate has a large chip out of right lower side. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44566 JR70 (30,000-50,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2012 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.

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