VERY RARE ULRICH ENGRAVED DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

VERY RARE ULRICH ENGRAVED DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 36259. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Fantastic ’66 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight and 800 yard Henry style ladder rear sight. Mounted with uncheckered, highly figured American walnut with straight stock and crescent brass buttplate with trap. Bottom of stock & forend cap have factory sling swivels. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, has a small engraved “4”, along with a “G” and “XXX”. Three digits of SN “625” are visible in the top tang channel of the buttstock and last four digits of matching SN are stamped inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is spectacularly engraved by Conrad Ulrich and signed on bottom of receiver behind the trigger opening. Receiver is engraved in incredibly detailed, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with full coverage on both sides. Left front flat is engraved with the small vignette of an Indian elephant and a tree. Right front flat is engraved with the small vignette of a snarling tiger and right sideplate is engraved with the small vignette of a standing Sambar stag. Matching engraving patterns extend over top of receiver, top tang, bottom of receiver, carrier & bottom tang. Forend cap & buttplate tang are engraved to match. Given the India theme of the engraving with the incredible detail resembling Indian engraving & damascening work, along with the gold plating, there can be little doubt that this rifle was created for the India trade. This exact rifle is pictured in full color on p. 104 of Winchester Engraving, Wilson, and on pp. 92 & 93 of The Book of Winchester Engraving, Wilson, where it is identified as SN 36251, evidently a typographical error as there is no doubt that it is exactly the same rifle. In both captions it states that this is the earliest C.F. Ulrich-signed Winchester known to collectors and that the big game motifs are “rarely scene on early Winchesters”. The latter referenced publication credits this rifle to the Theodore M. Hutcheson Collection. SIZE: Theodore M. Hutcheson Collection. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 90% orig finish turning plummy brown; left side flat of bbl has a series of spots discoloring the finish from where it apparently laid in something; receiver retains about 40% orig gold wash with the exposed brass a medium mustard patina; forend cap retains about 80% orig gold wash and the buttplate 20-25%. Exposed brass in the buttplate is a dark mustard patina. Wood is sound and retains all of a fine restored finish. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 4-46618 JR238 (75,000-125,000)

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
	1233	$69,000.00	VERY RARE ULRICH ENGRAVED DELUXE WINCHESTER MODEL 1866 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 36259. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Fantastic ’66 with 24-1/4″ oct bbl, full magazine, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight and 800 yard Henry style ladder rear sight. Mounted with uncheckered, highly figured American walnut with straight stock and crescent brass buttplate with trap. Bottom of stock & forend cap have factory sling swivels. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, has a small engraved “4”, along with a “G” and “XXX”. Three digits of SN “625” are visible in the top tang channel of the buttstock and last four digits of matching SN are stamped inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is spectacularly engraved by Conrad Ulrich and signed on bottom of receiver behind the trigger opening. Receiver is engraved in incredibly detailed, intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with full coverage on both sides. Left front flat is engraved with the small vignette of an Indian elephant and a tree. Right front flat is engraved with the small vignette of a snarling tiger and right sideplate is engraved with the small vignette of a standing Sambar stag. Matching engraving patterns extend over top of receiver, top tang, bottom of receiver, carrier & bottom tang. Forend cap & buttplate tang are engraved to match. Given the India theme of the engraving with the incredible detail resembling Indian engraving & damascening work, along with the gold plating, there can be little doubt that this rifle was created for the India trade. This exact rifle is pictured in full color on p. 104 of Winchester Engraving, Wilson, and on pp. 92 & 93 of The Book of Winchester Engraving, Wilson, where it is identified as SN 36251, evidently a typographical error as there is no doubt that it is exactly the same rifle. In both captions it states that this is the earliest C.F. Ulrich-signed Winchester known to collectors and that the big game motifs are “rarely scene on early Winchesters”. The latter referenced publication credits this rifle to the Theodore M. Hutcheson Collection. SIZE: Theodore M. Hutcheson Collection. CONDITION: Fine to very fine. Bbl & magazine tube retain about 90% orig finish turning plummy brown; left side flat of bbl has a series of spots discoloring the finish from where it apparently laid in something; receiver retains about 40% orig gold wash with the exposed brass a medium mustard patina; forend cap retains about 80% orig gold wash and the buttplate 20-25%. Exposed brass in the buttplate is a dark mustard patina. Wood is sound and retains all of a fine restored finish. Mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 4-46618 JR238 (75,000-125,000) 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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