RARE BROWNING MODEL 1878 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE.

RARE BROWNING MODEL 1878 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN 228. Cal. 40-70 Sharps straight. Rare Browning rifle with very rare 34″ oct bbl, half nickel front sight and what is probably a Browning-made Kentucky rifle style sporting rear sight with elevator. Top flat of bbl, above rear sight, is marked “J.M. BROWNING OGDEN, U.T. PAT. OCT. 7, 79”. Receiver is 2nd type, thinner with short tangs and a nearly flat top breech block. Lever is a short Borchardt style. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with long, rounded forearm & straight stock with crescent buttplate. Forearm has a long spliced repair in the top left edge and the right 1/3 is another old spliced repair. Mr. Kontes states that he purchased this rifle in Butte, Montana from “Phil Judd’s wife”. PROVENANCE: John C. Kontes Collection. CONDITION: Good. No orig finish remains with the metal being a cleaned silver patina with fine pin prick rust pitting over about half the bbl & left side of receiver. Stock has several grain checks with the aforementioned repaired forearm and shows heavy wear with numerous nicks, dings & scratches and retains a dark hand worn patina. Hammer will sometimes not catch in the full cock notch on closing, otherwise mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 4-46628 JR343 (18,000-28,000)

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
	1342	$0.00	RARE BROWNING MODEL 1878 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN 228. Cal. 40-70 Sharps straight. Rare Browning rifle with very rare 34″ oct bbl, half nickel front sight and what is probably a Browning-made Kentucky rifle style sporting rear sight with elevator. Top flat of bbl, above rear sight, is marked “J.M. BROWNING OGDEN, U.T. PAT. OCT. 7, 79”. Receiver is 2nd type, thinner with short tangs and a nearly flat top breech block. Lever is a short Borchardt style. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with long, rounded forearm & straight stock with crescent buttplate. Forearm has a long spliced repair in the top left edge and the right 1/3 is another old spliced repair. Mr. Kontes states that he purchased this rifle in Butte, Montana from “Phil Judd’s wife”. PROVENANCE: John C. Kontes Collection. CONDITION: Good. No orig finish remains with the metal being a cleaned silver patina with fine pin prick rust pitting over about half the bbl & left side of receiver. Stock has several grain checks with the aforementioned repaired forearm and shows heavy wear with numerous nicks, dings & scratches and retains a dark hand worn patina. Hammer will sometimes not catch in the full cock notch on closing, otherwise mechanics are fine, strong bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 4-46628 JR343 (18,000-28,000) 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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