VERY RARE ENGRAVED AND GOLD INLAID DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

VERY RARE ENGRAVED AND GOLD INLAID DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. Cal. 45-70. SN 99730. Spectacular deluxe engraved ’86 with 26″ oct to rnd bbl, 2/3 magazine, ivory bead hunting front sight, flat top rear sight, and Lyman tang sight with loop. It is mounted with H-style checkered, spectacular, flame grain, center crotch-cut, 4-X, American walnut with black insert pistol grip stock and Winchester embossed hard rubber buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is stamped with assembly number 535, “XXX” & and “RB”. Assembly number is also found in the top tang channel of the buttstock. Receiver is very beautifully engraved, probably by John Ulrich, with a large scroll type panel on the left side, inlaid in gold script “George W. La Rue / 1895”. Border of panel has gold wire inlay and it is surrounded by fine, very well executed, foliate arabesque patterns with a wavelet and dot border. Right side of receiver has a standing bull elk in a small vignette at the front with light foliate arabesque patterns and surrounded with a mirror image border. Bottom has a large vignette of a walking bull moose surrounded by a wavy border. The double line wavy border is around both sides & bottom vignette. Receiver ring, top tang and forend cap are engraved to match. This undoubtedly was a very special order as even the SN is engraved. Pgs 240 & 241 of Winchester Engraving, Wilson shows one rifle, SN 99580 with identical patterns with the gold script inlay “Winchester / Repeating Arms Co. / 1895” while the other SN 101332 has a similar inscription to our rifle. It also has a standing bull moose on the left side. Both have identical vignettes on the right side. It is readily apparent that all three rifles were engraved by the same hand. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter fully identifying this rifle as found with $5 engraving and “Inscription Engraved” & “Inlaid in Gold”. It shows shipment April 22, 1895 to order no. 10600 and was returned and repaired July 2, 1895 and April 26, 1897. Additionally accompanied by a copy of a letter from this cataloguer giving a brief family history and stating that my branch of the La Rue family was from the Corning & Walnut Ridge areas of Arkansas and that oral family history related that George La Rue was the only “rich” La Rue and that he was a friend and hunting companion of Theodore Roosevelt. He may have been a guide rather than a close friend, I cannot recall. The successful bidder for this rifle will receive a rewritten “original” notarized copy of the original letter. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl and magazine tube retain 95-97% strong original blue with slight muzzle and sharp edge wear. Receiver retains about 95% strong, bright, orig factory blue slightly thinned on the bottom with light edge wear and a small amount of wear at the top rear edges. Lever retains most of its orig case hardening with faded colors on both sides and in the sheltered areas. Hammer retains about 80% strong case colors, faded on the left side and back edge. Stock has a small grain check at the toe and is missing a chip in back of the top tang and another on the right side of top tang at the receiver. Otherwise, wood is sound with light handling and use marks & few small spots of lifted varnish, otherwise retains most of its strong, bright, orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp. Bright shiny bore. Goforth Collection 4-60633 JR180 (50,000-100,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2006

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
	1041	$92,000.00	VERY RARE ENGRAVED AND GOLD INLAID DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. Cal. 45-70. SN 99730. Spectacular deluxe engraved ’86 with 26″ oct to rnd bbl, 2/3 magazine, ivory bead hunting front sight, flat top rear sight, and Lyman tang sight with loop. It is mounted with H-style checkered, spectacular, flame grain, center crotch-cut, 4-X, American walnut with black insert pistol grip stock and Winchester embossed hard rubber buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is stamped with assembly number 535, “XXX” & and “RB”. Assembly number is also found in the top tang channel of the buttstock. Receiver is very beautifully engraved, probably by John Ulrich, with a large scroll type panel on the left side, inlaid in gold script “George W. La Rue / 1895”. Border of panel has gold wire inlay and it is surrounded by fine, very well executed, foliate arabesque patterns with a wavelet and dot border. Right side of receiver has a standing bull elk in a small vignette at the front with light foliate arabesque patterns and surrounded with a mirror image border. Bottom has a large vignette of a walking bull moose surrounded by a wavy border. The double line wavy border is around both sides & bottom vignette. Receiver ring, top tang and forend cap are engraved to match. This undoubtedly was a very special order as even the SN is engraved. Pgs 240 & 241 of Winchester Engraving, Wilson shows one rifle, SN 99580 with identical patterns with the gold script inlay “Winchester / Repeating Arms Co. / 1895” while the other SN 101332 has a similar inscription to our rifle. It also has a standing bull moose on the left side. Both have identical vignettes on the right side. It is readily apparent that all three rifles were engraved by the same hand. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter fully identifying this rifle as found with $5 engraving and “Inscription Engraved” & “Inlaid in Gold”. It shows shipment April 22, 1895 to order no. 10600 and was returned and repaired July 2, 1895 and April 26, 1897. Additionally accompanied by a copy of a letter from this cataloguer giving a brief family history and stating that my branch of the La Rue family was from the Corning & Walnut Ridge areas of Arkansas and that oral family history related that George La Rue was the only “rich” La Rue and that he was a friend and hunting companion of Theodore Roosevelt. He may have been a guide rather than a close friend, I cannot recall. The successful bidder for this rifle will receive a rewritten “original” notarized copy of the original letter. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Bbl and magazine tube retain 95-97% strong original blue with slight muzzle and sharp edge wear. Receiver retains about 95% strong, bright, orig factory blue slightly thinned on the bottom with light edge wear and a small amount of wear at the top rear edges. Lever retains most of its orig case hardening with faded colors on both sides and in the sheltered areas. Hammer retains about 80% strong case colors, faded on the left side and back edge. Stock has a small grain check at the toe and is missing a chip in back of the top tang and another on the right side of top tang at the receiver. Otherwise, wood is sound with light handling and use marks & few small spots of lifted varnish, otherwise retains most of its strong, bright, orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp. Bright shiny bore. Goforth Collection 4-60633 JR180 (50,000-100,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2006 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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