RARE CUSTOM BUILT TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD SPORTING RIFLE.

SN 20521. Cal. 45-70. Beautiful sporting rifle with 30″ heavy oct bbl, dovetailed Rocky Mountain style front sight and an unmarked, full buckhorn Sharps ladder rear sight. Bore is rifled in a style similar to Metford rifling found on English rifles and Meacham re-barreled Sharps rifles where Mr. Meecham reportedly used English made bbls for his conversions. Bottom flat of bbl, under the forestock has last three digits of matching serial number. Receiver, breechblock & breech plug are color case hardened with the high arch breechblock having standard 1873 markings. Lockplate & hammer are also color case hardened with lockplate having later style markings of a small eagle and “U.S. Springfield”. Trigger guard is 2-pc style without sling loop and is also color case hardened. Buttplate was probably an orig 1873 style without trap and now has a sliding brass trap like found on Winchester rifles and contains an org 4-pc brass & steel cleaning rod similar to the Winchester style rods but distinctly different and of a style observed with other rifles of this type. Mounted in a 1-pc American walnut stock with checkered black insert, schnable tip forestock and straight grip. This rifle is one of a reported 600 units created from surplus military parts by Whitney Arms Co. for Hartley & Graham of New York who had purchased a large quantity of these surplus military parts. The few surviving pieces that have been observed by this cataloger are all virtually identical and in two different calibers, 45-70 & 40 caliber. Very few survive today with this rifle being the finest known to this cataloger. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl retains 96-97% strong orig blue; receiver retains most of its orig case colors, strong & bright over the front, faded on the sides; breechblock retains faded case colors; lockplate retains about all of its fine case colors, strong & bright around the hammer, moderately faded toward the front; hammer retains 50-60% faded case colors; trigger plate retains bright case colors in sheltered areas faded elsewhere and on trigger bow; buttplate retains strong case colors on the tang with the balance faded and mixed with mottled brown patina on the face. Stock has a tiny chip in the tip, otherwise wood is sound and retains most of its orig oil finish with light nicks & scratches. Mechanics are crisp; brilliant shiny bore. 4-47916 JR109 (5,000-8,000) – Lot 3216

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
	3216	$5,520.00	RARE CUSTOM BUILT TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD SPORTING RIFLE. SN 20521. Cal. 45-70. Beautiful sporting rifle with 30″ heavy oct bbl, dovetailed Rocky Mountain style front sight and an unmarked, full buckhorn Sharps ladder rear sight. Bore is rifled in a style similar to Metford rifling found on English rifles and Meacham re-barreled Sharps rifles where Mr. Meecham reportedly used English made bbls for his conversions. Bottom flat of bbl, under the forestock has last three digits of matching serial number. Receiver, breechblock & breech plug are color case hardened with the high arch breechblock having standard 1873 markings. Lockplate & hammer are also color case hardened with lockplate having later style markings of a small eagle and “U.S. Springfield”. Trigger guard is 2-pc style without sling loop and is also color case hardened. Buttplate was probably an orig 1873 style without trap and now has a sliding brass trap like found on Winchester rifles and contains an org 4-pc brass & steel cleaning rod similar to the Winchester style rods but distinctly different and of a style observed with other rifles of this type. Mounted in a 1-pc American walnut stock with checkered black insert, schnable tip forestock and straight grip. This rifle is one of a reported 600 units created from surplus military parts by Whitney Arms Co. for Hartley & Graham of New York who had purchased a large quantity of these surplus military parts. The few surviving pieces that have been observed by this cataloger are all virtually identical and in two different calibers, 45-70 & 40 caliber. Very few survive today with this rifle being the finest known to this cataloger. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbl retains 96-97% strong orig blue; receiver retains most of its orig case colors, strong & bright over the front, faded on the sides; breechblock retains faded case colors; lockplate retains about all of its fine case colors, strong & bright around the hammer, moderately faded toward the front; hammer retains 50-60% faded case colors; trigger plate retains bright case colors in sheltered areas faded elsewhere and on trigger bow; buttplate retains strong case colors on the tang with the balance faded and mixed with mottled brown patina on the face. Stock has a tiny chip in the tip, otherwise wood is sound and retains most of its orig oil finish with light nicks & scratches. Mechanics are crisp; brilliant shiny bore. 4-47916 JR109 (5,000-8,000) – Lot 3216 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.

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RARE CUSTOM BUILT TRAPDOOR SPRINGFIELD SPORTING RIFLE.