EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF UNIQUE FRANZ ULRICH PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS.

EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF UNIQUE FRANZ ULRICH PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS. SN NSN. Cal. About 46. Fabulous pair of pistols with a set of 8-3/8″ smoothbore Damascus bbls and a matching set of 8-3/8″ Damascus micro-rifled bbls. All bbls are slightly swamped with small German silver dovetailed front sights and elevation adjustable rear sights mounted on top tangs. Smoothbore bbls are hand engraved in period script on top flats “F. Ulrich in Stuttgart”. Rifled bbls are inlaid in silver identically in block letters. Breech plugs are color case hardened with integral nipple bases and two gold cartouches, one of which is a face in a diamond shape and the other is the dated “1840” in an oval. Locks & hammers are equally unique, mounted on right sides with half concealed hammers. Lockplates have Mr. Ulrich’s patented hammer safeties. Top tangs are numbered “1” and “2” with the bbls marked on bottoms with one and two dots respectively. The smoothbore bbls are engraved with a script “D” on bottom of breech plugs and adjacent bottom flats of bbls. One of rifled bbls has Belgian “ELG” proof in an oval. The other three bbls are not so marked. They are mounted with nicely figured European walnut half stocks with horn forestock tips and flared oval butts with stamped steel, flower blossom buttcaps. Stocks have raised teardrop side panels and nicely checkered wrist panels. Lockplates are secured with a sgl screw through a round escutcheon and the left raised panels are inlaid with an empty silver shield. Trigger guards have long smooth tangs with a unique folding finger rest in the bows and have decorated urn-shaped finials on the trigger plates. Lockplates are marked “ULRICH” in front center and are engraved in beautiful flowing foliate patterns with scalloped borders. Sides of hammers, trigger bows and breech plugs are engraved to match. Hammer noses are shaped & engraved in dolphin patterns. Stocks are secured with a sgl key through rectangular horn escutcheons. Pistols are fitted with sgl set triggers. Accompanied by their orig walnut casing lined in dark green velvet and French fitted in bottom for the two pistols; a yellowish opaque cow’s horn powder horn with German silver mounts and a threaded spout cover that when removed exposes a wood-handled nipple pick; a unique color case hardened nutcracker-style sgl cavity ball mold with integral sprue cutter; a unique fire-blued combination tool screwdriver/nipple wrench; a tiny gutta percha funnel and a unique horn & ivory spout for the powder horn. Right rear compartment is for two spare bbls and has a removable divider to prevent them touching each other. Left center rear compartment contains a lacquer & gold decorated hinged lid tin box with a square metal oiler and an empty compartment. Lid is embossed in gold “Ohl & Pflaster.” (Oil & Patches). Front center compartment contains an ebony & brass cleaning jag and an ebony & horn ramrod/mallet. It has three covered compartments with horn pulls, all are empty. Inside lid is an orig Ulrich trade card, in French, which advertises his wares. This unique pair of pistols were the subject of an article that appeared in The Gun Report by William O. Achtermeier. The article speaks briefly about the pair of pistols, being mostly about Franz Ulrich. Mr. Ulrich was born in Switzerland Feb. 1771 and learned his trade from his gunmaker father. In 1812 he was appointed as the inspector at the Royal Arsenal of Wurttemberg in Obendorf, a lifetime appointment. In about 1820 due to irregularities at the arsenal Mr. Ulrich was placed on paid leave for about two years until the Spring of 1822 when he was assigned as the supervisor of repair work at Ludwigsburg Arsenal. On Sept. 23, 1823 Mr. Ulrich was placed on pension and retired from royal service. The above mentioned trade card has the statement “Recently retired Firearms Inspector from Bern” would indicate that the card was printed sometime after that date. The address on the card is Eberhardt Street No. 57 in Stuttgart. He apparently was still using the same card in 1840 when these two pistols were made. Mr. Ulrich died in Stuttgart in May 1845. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, pistols appear to be new & unfired. Mechanics are crisp with brilliant shiny bores. Overall they, and the extra set of bbls, retain virtually all of their orig finish with bright brown Damascus pattern on bbls and strong orig case colors on lockplates and hammers, slightly faded on trigger bows. Breechblocks & top tangs also retain about all of their orig case colors. Stocks are fine with minor handling & use surface mars and a chip in one buttcap. Implements, tools & accessories are all equally new. Case has a crack in lid and a couple of grain checks in bottom with a slightly warped lid and retains most of its orig varnish. Interior is lightly faded and soiled but basically completely intact. A truly wonderful & unique set suitable for any advanced collection or museum. 4-38836 JR328 (7,500-12,500)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 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
	2432	$18,400.00	EXTRAORDINARY CASED PAIR OF UNIQUE FRANZ ULRICH PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS. SN NSN. Cal. About 46. Fabulous pair of pistols with a set of 8-3/8″ smoothbore Damascus bbls and a matching set of 8-3/8″ Damascus micro-rifled bbls. All bbls are slightly swamped with small German silver dovetailed front sights and elevation adjustable rear sights mounted on top tangs. Smoothbore bbls are hand engraved in period script on top flats “F. Ulrich in Stuttgart”. Rifled bbls are inlaid in silver identically in block letters. Breech plugs are color case hardened with integral nipple bases and two gold cartouches, one of which is a face in a diamond shape and the other is the dated “1840” in an oval. Locks & hammers are equally unique, mounted on right sides with half concealed hammers. Lockplates have Mr. Ulrich’s patented hammer safeties. Top tangs are numbered “1” and “2” with the bbls marked on bottoms with one and two dots respectively. The smoothbore bbls are engraved with a script “D” on bottom of breech plugs and adjacent bottom flats of bbls. One of rifled bbls has Belgian “ELG” proof in an oval. The other three bbls are not so marked. They are mounted with nicely figured European walnut half stocks with horn forestock tips and flared oval butts with stamped steel, flower blossom buttcaps. Stocks have raised teardrop side panels and nicely checkered wrist panels. Lockplates are secured with a sgl screw through a round escutcheon and the left raised panels are inlaid with an empty silver shield. Trigger guards have long smooth tangs with a unique folding finger rest in the bows and have decorated urn-shaped finials on the trigger plates. Lockplates are marked “ULRICH” in front center and are engraved in beautiful flowing foliate patterns with scalloped borders. Sides of hammers, trigger bows and breech plugs are engraved to match. Hammer noses are shaped & engraved in dolphin patterns. Stocks are secured with a sgl key through rectangular horn escutcheons. Pistols are fitted with sgl set triggers. Accompanied by their orig walnut casing lined in dark green velvet and French fitted in bottom for the two pistols; a yellowish opaque cow’s horn powder horn with German silver mounts and a threaded spout cover that when removed exposes a wood-handled nipple pick; a unique color case hardened nutcracker-style sgl cavity ball mold with integral sprue cutter; a unique fire-blued combination tool screwdriver/nipple wrench; a tiny gutta percha funnel and a unique horn & ivory spout for the powder horn. Right rear compartment is for two spare bbls and has a removable divider to prevent them touching each other. Left center rear compartment contains a lacquer & gold decorated hinged lid tin box with a square metal oiler and an empty compartment. Lid is embossed in gold “Ohl & Pflaster.” (Oil & Patches). Front center compartment contains an ebony & brass cleaning jag and an ebony & horn ramrod/mallet. It has three covered compartments with horn pulls, all are empty. Inside lid is an orig Ulrich trade card, in French, which advertises his wares. This unique pair of pistols were the subject of an article that appeared in The Gun Report by William O. Achtermeier. The article speaks briefly about the pair of pistols, being mostly about Franz Ulrich. Mr. Ulrich was born in Switzerland Feb. 1771 and learned his trade from his gunmaker father. In 1812 he was appointed as the inspector at the Royal Arsenal of Wurttemberg in Obendorf, a lifetime appointment. In about 1820 due to irregularities at the arsenal Mr. Ulrich was placed on paid leave for about two years until the Spring of 1822 when he was assigned as the supervisor of repair work at Ludwigsburg Arsenal. On Sept. 23, 1823 Mr. Ulrich was placed on pension and retired from royal service. The above mentioned trade card has the statement “Recently retired Firearms Inspector from Bern” would indicate that the card was printed sometime after that date. The address on the card is Eberhardt Street No. 57 in Stuttgart. He apparently was still using the same card in 1840 when these two pistols were made. Mr. Ulrich died in Stuttgart in May 1845. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, pistols appear to be new & unfired. Mechanics are crisp with brilliant shiny bores. Overall they, and the extra set of bbls, retain virtually all of their orig finish with bright brown Damascus pattern on bbls and strong orig case colors on lockplates and hammers, slightly faded on trigger bows. Breechblocks & top tangs also retain about all of their orig case colors. Stocks are fine with minor handling & use surface mars and a chip in one buttcap. Implements, tools & accessories are all equally new. Case has a crack in lid and a couple of grain checks in bottom with a slightly warped lid and retains most of its orig varnish. Interior is lightly faded and soiled but basically completely intact. A truly wonderful & unique set suitable for any advanced collection or museum. 4-38836 JR328 (7,500-12,500) Auction: Firearms - Fall 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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