*VERY RARE DELUXE FACTORY ENGRAVED MARLIN MODEL 97 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

*VERY RARE DELUXE FACTORY ENGRAVED MARLIN MODEL 97 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 427225. Cal. 22. Extraordinarily rare little Marlin with 24″ tapered oct bbl, full magazine, Marbles #2 ivory bead front sight, a replacement folding rear sight and Hepburn combination receiver sight. Top tang is mounted with a Lyman combination sight with large disc. Wood is very highly figured, shell & flame grain American walnut with elaborately checkered & carved forearm & serpentine grip buttstock with “M.F.A. Co.” hard rubber buttplate. Checkering on the stock & forearm is 32 lines per inch with carved fleur-de-lis on the sides with a circle in the center. Grip area has a carved ribbon along with extended checkering toward the comb. Receiver is wonderfully engraved by Conrad Ulrich with large semi-relief vignettes of the “Monarch of the Dell”, a standing bull elk in a mountain scene on left side and a grizzly bear with freshly killed calf on right side, all surrounded by wonderful foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background. Side of bolt, top & bottom of receiver, sides of lever & hammer are engraved to match. Bottom of the serpentine grip is stamped “PERET”. This rifle probably belonged to noted trick shooter & big game hunter, Gus Peret, who shot professionally for the Remington & Peters Cartridge Companies. Left side of upper tang, under the wood, is stamped with the last three digits of SN “225” and the top tang channel of buttstock is stamped with entire matching SN & “JJ”. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig factory blue; receiver retains most of its orig case hardening with strong, bright colors in sheltered areas, primarily on left side with silvered case hardening on top & bottom; hammer & lever retain smoky case colors turned silver on the outer faces of the lever; wood is sound with a very few, very light nicks & scratches and overall retains about all of its crisp, orig varnish finish; checkering shows light diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-44646 JR452 (17,500-27,500)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 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
	2140	$65,550.00	VERY RARE DELUXE FACTORY ENGRAVED MARLIN MODEL 97 LEVER ACTION RIFLE. SN 427225. Cal. 22. Extraordinarily rare little Marlin with 24″ tapered oct bbl, full magazine, Marbles #2 ivory bead front sight, a replacement folding rear sight and Hepburn combination receiver sight. Top tang is mounted with a Lyman combination sight with large disc. Wood is very highly figured, shell & flame grain American walnut with elaborately checkered & carved forearm & serpentine grip buttstock with “M.F.A. Co.” hard rubber buttplate. Checkering on the stock & forearm is 32 lines per inch with carved fleur-de-lis on the sides with a circle in the center. Grip area has a carved ribbon along with extended checkering toward the comb. Receiver is wonderfully engraved by Conrad Ulrich with large semi-relief vignettes of the “Monarch of the Dell”, a standing bull elk in a mountain scene on left side and a grizzly bear with freshly killed calf on right side, all surrounded by wonderful foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background. Side of bolt, top & bottom of receiver, sides of lever & hammer are engraved to match. Bottom of the serpentine grip is stamped “PERET”. This rifle probably belonged to noted trick shooter & big game hunter, Gus Peret, who shot professionally for the Remington & Peters Cartridge Companies. Left side of upper tang, under the wood, is stamped with the last three digits of SN “225” and the top tang channel of buttstock is stamped with entire matching SN & “JJ”. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig factory blue; receiver retains most of its orig case hardening with strong, bright colors in sheltered areas, primarily on left side with silvered case hardening on top & bottom; hammer & lever retain smoky case colors turned silver on the outer faces of the lever; wood is sound with a very few, very light nicks & scratches and overall retains about all of its crisp, orig varnish finish; checkering shows light diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-44646 JR452 (17,500-27,500) Auction: Firearms - Spring 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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