*EXCEPTIONAL KORNBRATH ENGRAVED WINCHESTER CUSTOM HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE.

*EXCEPTIONAL KORNBRATH ENGRAVED WINCHESTER CUSTOM HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN 139700. Cal. 22 LR. Fantastic Kornbrath engraved custom rifle by J. Oberlies of Dayton, Ohio, with 28″ about No. 2 weight oct to rnd bbl with custom matted ramp front sight and dovetailed Rocky Mtn. blade, no provision for a rear sight and mounted with an Oberlies marked, custom Soule-style vernier tang sight with 2-1/2″ staff. Built on a flat-side Model 1885 Winchester High Wall action and mounted with very highly figured, custom checkered wood with black insert schnable tip forearm and deep pistol grip stock with deep cheek piece, 13-1/2″ over a stippled custom brass buttplate. Stock is inlaid with a very detailed, flush-mounted silver, maple leaf on the serpentine grip cap, a raised silver acorn on the forearm and a nicely engraved, flush-mounted silver shield on bottom of stock that is engraved “MARVIN / RUTAN / DAYTON / O” with a light border engraving. Receiver is executed in what is probably Mr. Kornbrath’s “piece de resistance”. Over many years of examining engraved firearms, with a special affection for Mr. Kornbrath’s work, this cataloger has examined upwards of 100 or more Rudolph Kornbrath engraved guns, many of which were exquisitely engraved with gold inlays etc., etc., however none of the previously examined Kornbrath work remotely approaches the overallartistry & detail engendered in this work of art. Left side of receiver is engraved with a deep relief Rocky Mtn. Big Horn sheep descending toward the viewer down a steep rocky mountainside. There are fine pine trees in the background and mountainside in the foreground, all of which highlight the center focus of this Big Horn Ram. The panel is outlined in intertwined oak branches with oak leaves & acorns. Right side of receiver is similarly engraved with the vignette of an equally detailed Rocky Mtn. goat, also situated on a rocky escarpment with mountain slopes in the background. This billy is quartering away from the viewer but looking back over his right shoulder. This panel is also surrounded with identical oak branches, leaves & acorns. Remainder of entire receiver is completely covered in Mr. Kornbrath’s trademark, very fine, intertwined, deep foliate arabesque patterns. The Winchester proofs on top of receiver are left open and the tang sight base sits on its own unengraved panel. Screw heads & pins are also engraved. Breech block is hand scraped with the hammer polished bright and fine stippled spur. The lever & bottom tang are engraved to match with wonderfully detailed oak leaf & acorn panels and extremely fine hand cut checkering on the tail of the lever with the tip of the lever and tip of lower tang engraved in a foliate fan. Front bottom screw hole is engraved with a large rosette. Face of trigger is also stippled. Receiver end of the bbl is engraved with a wonderful foliate border pattern and inlaid with a wide silver band. Finally the item that sets this piece of Kornbrath engraving art above all others is the signature, which is located on bottom front of receiver, which states, in relief, “ENGRAVING / BY / KORNBRATH-HFD. CT”. This rifle was the subject of a small article by Herbert G. Houze that appeared on p. 20 of Vol. 52, Issue 27, 1998, Sept. The Shotgun News. Mr. Houze had access to the Kornbrath archives housed in the McCracken Research Library of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY which disclosed that Mr. Kornbrath had envisioned two earlier artistic renditions of this rifle’s engraving before he settled on the final product that we see today. Accompanying this rifle are copies of those earlier Kornbrath drawings. Also accompanying is an orig Kornbrath engraving brochure/advertisement of 1934 wherein he illustrates several pieces of his work including the right side of this rifle, labeled as item “G”. While some of the work is substantially more detailed, in near-Bulino, bank note style, only one or two others are deep relief engraved as on this rifle. Most of Mr. Kornbrath’s most famous work was accomplished on handguns. This exact rifle appears on p. 528, in full color in the book The Colt Engraving Book Volume Two, Wilson, as the lead in to the Kornbrath section of this book. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Overall retains virtually all of its fine custom finish with bright blue on the bbl, strong subtle case colors on receiver and bright hand rubbed finish on wood. Crisp mechanics, brilliant shiny bore. A truly exceptional piece of work suitable for the most advanced collection or museum display of engraver’s art. 4-42052 JR215 (50,000-70,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

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
	1089	$57,500.00	EXCEPTIONAL KORNBRATH ENGRAVED WINCHESTER CUSTOM HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN 139700. Cal. 22 LR. Fantastic Kornbrath engraved custom rifle by J. Oberlies of Dayton, Ohio, with 28″ about No. 2 weight oct to rnd bbl with custom matted ramp front sight and dovetailed Rocky Mtn. blade, no provision for a rear sight and mounted with an Oberlies marked, custom Soule-style vernier tang sight with 2-1/2″ staff. Built on a flat-side Model 1885 Winchester High Wall action and mounted with very highly figured, custom checkered wood with black insert schnable tip forearm and deep pistol grip stock with deep cheek piece, 13-1/2″ over a stippled custom brass buttplate. Stock is inlaid with a very detailed, flush-mounted silver, maple leaf on the serpentine grip cap, a raised silver acorn on the forearm and a nicely engraved, flush-mounted silver shield on bottom of stock that is engraved “MARVIN / RUTAN / DAYTON / O” with a light border engraving. Receiver is executed in what is probably Mr. Kornbrath’s “piece de resistance”. Over many years of examining engraved firearms, with a special affection for Mr. Kornbrath’s work, this cataloger has examined upwards of 100 or more Rudolph Kornbrath engraved guns, many of which were exquisitely engraved with gold inlays etc., etc., however none of the previously examined Kornbrath work remotely approaches the overallartistry & detail engendered in this work of art. Left side of receiver is engraved with a deep relief Rocky Mtn. Big Horn sheep descending toward the viewer down a steep rocky mountainside. There are fine pine trees in the background and mountainside in the foreground, all of which highlight the center focus of this Big Horn Ram. The panel is outlined in intertwined oak branches with oak leaves & acorns. Right side of receiver is similarly engraved with the vignette of an equally detailed Rocky Mtn. goat, also situated on a rocky escarpment with mountain slopes in the background. This billy is quartering away from the viewer but looking back over his right shoulder. This panel is also surrounded with identical oak branches, leaves & acorns. Remainder of entire receiver is completely covered in Mr. Kornbrath’s trademark, very fine, intertwined, deep foliate arabesque patterns. The Winchester proofs on top of receiver are left open and the tang sight base sits on its own unengraved panel. Screw heads & pins are also engraved. Breech block is hand scraped with the hammer polished bright and fine stippled spur. The lever & bottom tang are engraved to match with wonderfully detailed oak leaf & acorn panels and extremely fine hand cut checkering on the tail of the lever with the tip of the lever and tip of lower tang engraved in a foliate fan. Front bottom screw hole is engraved with a large rosette. Face of trigger is also stippled. Receiver end of the bbl is engraved with a wonderful foliate border pattern and inlaid with a wide silver band. Finally the item that sets this piece of Kornbrath engraving art above all others is the signature, which is located on bottom front of receiver, which states, in relief, “ENGRAVING / BY / KORNBRATH-HFD. CT”. This rifle was the subject of a small article by Herbert G. Houze that appeared on p. 20 of Vol. 52, Issue 27, 1998, Sept. The Shotgun News. Mr. Houze had access to the Kornbrath archives housed in the McCracken Research Library of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY which disclosed that Mr. Kornbrath had envisioned two earlier artistic renditions of this rifle’s engraving before he settled on the final product that we see today. Accompanying this rifle are copies of those earlier Kornbrath drawings. Also accompanying is an orig Kornbrath engraving brochure/advertisement of 1934 wherein he illustrates several pieces of his work including the right side of this rifle, labeled as item “G”. While some of the work is substantially more detailed, in near-Bulino, bank note style, only one or two others are deep relief engraved as on this rifle. Most of Mr. Kornbrath’s most famous work was accomplished on handguns. This exact rifle appears on p. 528, in full color in the book The Colt Engraving Book Volume Two, Wilson, as the lead in to the Kornbrath section of this book. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Overall retains virtually all of its fine custom finish with bright blue on the bbl, strong subtle case colors on receiver and bright hand rubbed finish on wood. Crisp mechanics, brilliant shiny bore. A truly exceptional piece of work suitable for the most advanced collection or museum display of engraver’s art. 4-42052 JR215 (50,000-70,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 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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