WINCHESTER MODEL 1885 FLATSIDE HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ARTIST, CHARLES M. RUSSELL.

WINCHESTER MODEL 1885 FLATSIDE HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ARTIST, CHARLES M. RUSSELL. SN 12385. Cal. 45-105. Standard grade rifle with 30″ No. 4 weight oct bbl, fine Rocky Mountain front sight and a Winchester 1886-style ladder rear sight. Mounted with uncheckered, nicely figured, slab sawed American walnut with black insert schnable tip forearm and straight stock with crescent buttplate. Caliber has had the “105” stamped over “70” that was part of the orig caliber marking “45-70”. Inside the forearm on the right flat is hand written in pencil “CM Russell” in the very distinctive signature of famous Montana western artist, Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926). Charlie “Kid” Russell remains today the iconic true western artist. Not only was he enormously talented he actually lived and saw what he drew and painted. As a young man he migrated to the wild area of Montana is the Judith Basin as a simple cowboy working for some of the big ranches. Even as a youngster he showed talent for drawing which he developed during the lonesome hours in line camps on the various ranches where he worked. When a business deal fell through he decided to go on his own and it is well recorded that during those early years he would trade paintings & drawings for food & whiskey. It was only after he married Nancy, who was a firm manager & task master, that Charlie came into his own as an artist. Today many of his paintings, drawings & bronzes command prices in the high five figures and even into six figures. This rifle was purchased by John Kontes in June 1980 from Elwood “Woody” Christianson who was working at Just’s Army Store in Idaho Falls, Idaho. An old man named “Packrat” Hammond came into the store with six guns and a quantity of old ammunition. The store owner did not want the guns so he allowed Mr. Christianson to buy them. Mr. Kontes purchases all six guns as a package for $50, which included this rifle. A couple named John & Nora Techick had helped “Packrat” Hammond move from the area of Butte, MT, to Arco, Idaho in about 1910 or 1912, and furnished a statement to that effect. Mr. Kontes relates that when he purchased, he had no idea that the signature was inside the forearm until many years later when a young friend asked him to borrow the forearm to copy as a replacement for his rifle. It was only then that the young friend discovered the signature. In ensuing years Mr. Kontes had this signature examined by renowned Charles Russell authority, Frederick G. Renner, of Paradise Valley, AZ. In a letter dated July 18, 1981, Mr. Renner states “It is my considered opinion this is, in fact, Russell’s signature and was inscribed there by the artist himself. The signature is of the style used by the artist beginning in 1897.”, signed “F.G. Renner”. Mr. Kontes also had this signature examined by another Russell art authority, Mr. Harold McCracken of Cody, WY. In a letter dated Aug. 8, 1981 Mr. McCracken states “I was very interested in the C.M. Russell signature written in the forearm on your Winchester Hi-Wall rifle………In my opinion the signature referred to is that of the famous western artist whose name the rifle bears.” Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which states only that it was received in the warehouse Oct. 11, 1887 and shipped next day “with 15 other guns with various specifications to the same order number……..Gun returned by Meacham and reshipped Oct. 26, 1894. This gun among others in the same group had no information recorded for it.” Also accompanying is the summary of an email dated April 18, 2012, from Alan C. Ransdell to John Kontes regarding the signature on this Winchester rifle. Mr. Ransdell is apparently a document examiner or appraiser with a series of titles behind his name which are ISA AM, AOA AM, CA. Mr. Ransdell states that “I looked up the signature in my encyclopedia of signatures and monograms and I can say it is him (C.M. Russell) in my expert opinion.” He also states “There is no other known gun out there that was his.” Additionally accompanying is the front page of The Great Falls Tribune of Oct. 26, 1926 which has the headline “C.M. RUSSELL, COWBOY ARTIST, DIES”. Top center has a large photo of Charles Russell along with a 4-column obituary. On page two is another article regarding Mr. Russell’s funeral. Mr. Kontes states that while he had this rifle at the Cody Museum Mr. McCracken became very interested to further verify Charlie Russell’s signature. The museum owned other firearms from the Russell family. When they removed the grips from one of the revolvers it had the signature of Nancy Russell which Mr. McCracken said appeared to have been written by the same hand. PROVENANCE: John C. Kontes Collection. CONDITION: Good to very good. Bbl retains traces of orig finish being mostly a cleaned bright metal patina; receiver is also a cleaned bright metal patina. Forearm has a repaired crack at the right front edge, otherwise wood is sound with buttstock retaining about 60% orig varnish with the balance of stock & forearm a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine, strong shiny bore with orange peel pitting in front of chamber. 4-46636 JR353 (150,000-250,000)

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
	1343	$0.00	WINCHESTER MODEL 1885 FLATSIDE HIGH WALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO ARTIST, CHARLES M. RUSSELL. SN 12385. Cal. 45-105. Standard grade rifle with 30″ No. 4 weight oct bbl, fine Rocky Mountain front sight and a Winchester 1886-style ladder rear sight. Mounted with uncheckered, nicely figured, slab sawed American walnut with black insert schnable tip forearm and straight stock with crescent buttplate. Caliber has had the “105” stamped over “70” that was part of the orig caliber marking “45-70”. Inside the forearm on the right flat is hand written in pencil “CM Russell” in the very distinctive signature of famous Montana western artist, Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926). Charlie “Kid” Russell remains today the iconic true western artist. Not only was he enormously talented he actually lived and saw what he drew and painted. As a young man he migrated to the wild area of Montana is the Judith Basin as a simple cowboy working for some of the big ranches. Even as a youngster he showed talent for drawing which he developed during the lonesome hours in line camps on the various ranches where he worked. When a business deal fell through he decided to go on his own and it is well recorded that during those early years he would trade paintings & drawings for food & whiskey. It was only after he married Nancy, who was a firm manager & task master, that Charlie came into his own as an artist. Today many of his paintings, drawings & bronzes command prices in the high five figures and even into six figures. This rifle was purchased by John Kontes in June 1980 from Elwood “Woody” Christianson who was working at Just’s Army Store in Idaho Falls, Idaho. An old man named “Packrat” Hammond came into the store with six guns and a quantity of old ammunition. The store owner did not want the guns so he allowed Mr. Christianson to buy them. Mr. Kontes purchases all six guns as a package for $50, which included this rifle. A couple named John & Nora Techick had helped “Packrat” Hammond move from the area of Butte, MT, to Arco, Idaho in about 1910 or 1912, and furnished a statement to that effect. Mr. Kontes relates that when he purchased, he had no idea that the signature was inside the forearm until many years later when a young friend asked him to borrow the forearm to copy as a replacement for his rifle. It was only then that the young friend discovered the signature. In ensuing years Mr. Kontes had this signature examined by renowned Charles Russell authority, Frederick G. Renner, of Paradise Valley, AZ. In a letter dated July 18, 1981, Mr. Renner states “It is my considered opinion this is, in fact, Russell’s signature and was inscribed there by the artist himself. The signature is of the style used by the artist beginning in 1897.”, signed “F.G. Renner”. Mr. Kontes also had this signature examined by another Russell art authority, Mr. Harold McCracken of Cody, WY. In a letter dated Aug. 8, 1981 Mr. McCracken states “I was very interested in the C.M. Russell signature written in the forearm on your Winchester Hi-Wall rifle………In my opinion the signature referred to is that of the famous western artist whose name the rifle bears.” Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which states only that it was received in the warehouse Oct. 11, 1887 and shipped next day “with 15 other guns with various specifications to the same order number……..Gun returned by Meacham and reshipped Oct. 26, 1894. This gun among others in the same group had no information recorded for it.” Also accompanying is the summary of an email dated April 18, 2012, from Alan C. Ransdell to John Kontes regarding the signature on this Winchester rifle. Mr. Ransdell is apparently a document examiner or appraiser with a series of titles behind his name which are ISA AM, AOA AM, CA. Mr. Ransdell states that “I looked up the signature in my encyclopedia of signatures and monograms and I can say it is him (C.M. Russell) in my expert opinion.” He also states “There is no other known gun out there that was his.” Additionally accompanying is the front page of The Great Falls Tribune of Oct. 26, 1926 which has the headline “C.M. RUSSELL, COWBOY ARTIST, DIES”. Top center has a large photo of Charles Russell along with a 4-column obituary. On page two is another article regarding Mr. Russell’s funeral. Mr. Kontes states that while he had this rifle at the Cody Museum Mr. McCracken became very interested to further verify Charlie Russell’s signature. The museum owned other firearms from the Russell family. When they removed the grips from one of the revolvers it had the signature of Nancy Russell which Mr. McCracken said appeared to have been written by the same hand. PROVENANCE: John C. Kontes Collection. CONDITION: Good to very good. Bbl retains traces of orig finish being mostly a cleaned bright metal patina; receiver is also a cleaned bright metal patina. Forearm has a repaired crack at the right front edge, otherwise wood is sound with buttstock retaining about 60% orig varnish with the balance of stock & forearm a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine, strong shiny bore with orange peel pitting in front of chamber. 4-46636 JR353 (150,000-250,000) 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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