SPECTACULAR DELUXE ENGRAVED MASS ARMS WESSON & LEAVITT’S PATENT DRAGOON SIZED REVOLVER WITH EXPERIMENTAL OR PROTOTYPE SPRING-LOADED LOADING LEVER.

SPECTACULAR DELUXE ENGRAVED MASS ARMS WESSON & LEAVITT’S PATENT DRAGOON SIZED REVOLVER WITH EXPERIMENTAL OR PROTOTYPE SPRING-LOADED LOADING LEVER. SN None visible.. Cal. 40. Very rare large heavy revolver with 6-1/4″ rnd bbl, brass blade front sight and fixed rear sight integral with top strap. It has heavy 6-shot cylinder with beveled front edge and square rear shoulder with angled nipples in individual recesses and safety notches on the lands between nipple recesses. It has a gold plated trigger guard with 1-pc walnut grip. Bbl has a rotating collar with a prototype or experimental 2-pc spring-loaded loading lever. It has a side mounted hammer with angled nose and a back action lock mortised into the right side of grip. This unusual action functions by means of a rack & pinion system which was an attempt to evade the Colt’s Patent on revolving cylinder arms including the locking bolt. Frame, back strap & loading lever pivot are beautifully engraved in extremely well-executed intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with a shield shape in center of back strap. Butt strap & top strap have small flourishes of matching engraving. Top strap is hand engraved “MASS ARMS CO. / CHICOPEE FALLS”. Lockplate is also hand engraved “WESSON’S & LEAVITT’S PATENT”. Cylinder is beautifully etched with two trophies of arms, one of which has the American Liberty cap and foliate arabesque patterns with borders at front & rear edges. The Mass Arms Company was issued a patent for this arm on Aug. 28, 1849 and was sued by Samuel Colt on June 30, 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts for infringement of his revolver patent. Mr. Colt sued on three points of patent infringement and was successful in his suit on all three points, winning a judgment of $1.00 (one dollar). This apparently ended the production of Mass Arms revolvers with only about 800 of the Dragoon size ever having been produced and about 1,000 of the belt size revolvers, all made during the same time period 1850-51. Mass Arms redesigned their revolvers making it a hand rotated cylinder and produced about another 1,000 of the belt model size, ending production in 1857. This beautiful revolver is undoubtedly a prototype piece or possibly a special presentation piece with its spectacular engraving & gold plated trigger guard. Accompanied by the hard-bound 327-page book The Trial of Samuel Colt, Rywell, published in 1953 which details the entire trial and verdict. Additionally accompanied by a scarce sealed packet of 44 combustible cartridges made by the Sage Manufacturing Company for W.J. Syms & Bro. of New York. PROVENANCE: Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, appears to be unfired. Bbl, rotating lug, top strap, back strap & butt strap retain most of their orig glossy blue, thin on exposed part of bbl and center of back strap. Frame & lockplate retain faded case colors, stronger around trigger & hammer. Cylinder is a gray metal patina, apparently never finished and left in the white. Trigger guard retains virtually all of its bright gold plating. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Book is very fine, cartridge packet is fine. 4-36416 JR102 (50,000-90,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009

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
	2021	$86,250.00	SPECTACULAR DELUXE ENGRAVED MASS ARMS WESSON & LEAVITT’S PATENT DRAGOON SIZED REVOLVER WITH EXPERIMENTAL OR PROTOTYPE SPRING-LOADED LOADING LEVER. SN None visible.. Cal. 40. Very rare large heavy revolver with 6-1/4″ rnd bbl, brass blade front sight and fixed rear sight integral with top strap. It has heavy 6-shot cylinder with beveled front edge and square rear shoulder with angled nipples in individual recesses and safety notches on the lands between nipple recesses. It has a gold plated trigger guard with 1-pc walnut grip. Bbl has a rotating collar with a prototype or experimental 2-pc spring-loaded loading lever. It has a side mounted hammer with angled nose and a back action lock mortised into the right side of grip. This unusual action functions by means of a rack & pinion system which was an attempt to evade the Colt’s Patent on revolving cylinder arms including the locking bolt. Frame, back strap & loading lever pivot are beautifully engraved in extremely well-executed intertwined foliate arabesque patterns with a shield shape in center of back strap. Butt strap & top strap have small flourishes of matching engraving. Top strap is hand engraved “MASS ARMS CO. / CHICOPEE FALLS”. Lockplate is also hand engraved “WESSON’S & LEAVITT’S PATENT”. Cylinder is beautifully etched with two trophies of arms, one of which has the American Liberty cap and foliate arabesque patterns with borders at front & rear edges. The Mass Arms Company was issued a patent for this arm on Aug. 28, 1849 and was sued by Samuel Colt on June 30, 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts for infringement of his revolver patent. Mr. Colt sued on three points of patent infringement and was successful in his suit on all three points, winning a judgment of $1.00 (one dollar). This apparently ended the production of Mass Arms revolvers with only about 800 of the Dragoon size ever having been produced and about 1,000 of the belt size revolvers, all made during the same time period 1850-51. Mass Arms redesigned their revolvers making it a hand rotated cylinder and produced about another 1,000 of the belt model size, ending production in 1857. This beautiful revolver is undoubtedly a prototype piece or possibly a special presentation piece with its spectacular engraving & gold plated trigger guard. Accompanied by the hard-bound 327-page book The Trial of Samuel Colt, Rywell, published in 1953 which details the entire trial and verdict. Additionally accompanied by a scarce sealed packet of 44 combustible cartridges made by the Sage Manufacturing Company for W.J. Syms & Bro. of New York. PROVENANCE: Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, appears to be unfired. Bbl, rotating lug, top strap, back strap & butt strap retain most of their orig glossy blue, thin on exposed part of bbl and center of back strap. Frame & lockplate retain faded case colors, stronger around trigger & hammer. Cylinder is a gray metal patina, apparently never finished and left in the white. Trigger guard retains virtually all of its bright gold plating. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Book is very fine, cartridge packet is fine. 4-36416 JR102 (50,000-90,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2009 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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