EXTREMELY RARE DELUXE WINCHESTER 1ST MODEL HOTCHKISS SPORTING RIFLE.

EXTREMELY RARE DELUXE WINCHESTER 1ST MODEL HOTCHKISS SPORTING RIFLE. SN 3718. Cal. 45-70. Rare special order sporting rifle with 26″ tapered oct bbl, half nickel front sight and 1876 style ladder rear sight graduated to 1,000 yards. Top of sight blade, just below the stop screw is stamped with a small “H”. Left side of receiver has the 3-line company address & patent dates with SN at the top left rear side. Mounted in a very nicely figured, checkered, streaky, English, 1-pc walnut stock with horn schnable tip and black fleur-de-lis insert convex grip cap with a smooth steel buttplate. Right side of stock, below receiver, has the first model safety/cutoff which, when engaged, prevents cartridges from the buttstock magazine feeding into the action, thereby making this a single shot until repeat fire is warranted and the switch can be rotated to release the cartridges in the magazine. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter identifying this rifle with oct bbl, checkered pistol grip stock, received in warehouse May 22, 1880 and shipped May 24, 1880. It also states, quite unusually, “along with one other rifle with the same specifications to the same order”. There were about 6,419 1st Model Hotchkiss arms produced which included carbines & muskets as well as sporting rifles. Round bbls & crescent buttplates were standard equipment for the sporting rifles which means that this rifle was special order. Also special order was the horn schnable tip instead of the usual plain or smooth round horn or metal tip. The French walnut is also special order as the standard rifles had simple, uncheckered, straight grain walnut. PROVENANCE: Bruce M. Cady Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl retains about 95% strong orig blue with sharp edge wear and some light hammer marks on the right side of the front sight dovetail. Receiver retains 95-97% strong orig blue. Wood is sound with a few minor handling & storage nicks & scratches, a small bruise in the checkering on left side of the wrist and another small bruise in right side of the forestock and overall retains most of its orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-36913 JR230 (5,000-8,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010

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
	2112	$4,025.00	EXTREMELY RARE DELUXE WINCHESTER 1ST MODEL HOTCHKISS SPORTING RIFLE. SN 3718. Cal. 45-70. Rare special order sporting rifle with 26″ tapered oct bbl, half nickel front sight and 1876 style ladder rear sight graduated to 1,000 yards. Top of sight blade, just below the stop screw is stamped with a small “H”. Left side of receiver has the 3-line company address & patent dates with SN at the top left rear side. Mounted in a very nicely figured, checkered, streaky, English, 1-pc walnut stock with horn schnable tip and black fleur-de-lis insert convex grip cap with a smooth steel buttplate. Right side of stock, below receiver, has the first model safety/cutoff which, when engaged, prevents cartridges from the buttstock magazine feeding into the action, thereby making this a single shot until repeat fire is warranted and the switch can be rotated to release the cartridges in the magazine. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter identifying this rifle with oct bbl, checkered pistol grip stock, received in warehouse May 22, 1880 and shipped May 24, 1880. It also states, quite unusually, “along with one other rifle with the same specifications to the same order”. There were about 6,419 1st Model Hotchkiss arms produced which included carbines & muskets as well as sporting rifles. Round bbls & crescent buttplates were standard equipment for the sporting rifles which means that this rifle was special order. Also special order was the horn schnable tip instead of the usual plain or smooth round horn or metal tip. The French walnut is also special order as the standard rifles had simple, uncheckered, straight grain walnut. PROVENANCE: Bruce M. Cady Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl retains about 95% strong orig blue with sharp edge wear and some light hammer marks on the right side of the front sight dovetail. Receiver retains 95-97% strong orig blue. Wood is sound with a few minor handling & storage nicks & scratches, a small bruise in the checkering on left side of the wrist and another small bruise in right side of the forestock and overall retains most of its orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-36913 JR230 (5,000-8,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010 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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