EXTREMELY RARE ROYALTY GRADE THOMAS BLAND & SONS CASED DBL RIFLE.

EXTREMELY RARE ROYALTY GRADE THOMAS BLAND & SONS CASED DBL RIFLE. SN 17417. Cal. 40-72. Rare English dbl rifle in an American caliber made for the Maharaja of Jodhpur. This spectacular rifle has 27-1/8″ steel bbls with smooth concave rib, day & night gold bead caterpillar front sight on a pedestal with quarter rib at the chamber ends having gold line 3-leaf express sight with matted faces and gold inlaid “100”, “200” & “300” yards. Rib just in front of quarter rib is inlaid in flat gold, Old English “Thomas Bland & Sons. 2 King William Street. West Strand. London.” The rear end of the quarter rib is engraved in an elliptical arc “WINNERS OF THE / AMERICAN RIFLE TRIALS” along with an exquisitely engraved slinking leopard with grasses & brush. It has a concealed third fastener with ejectors & dbl underbites. Mounted in spectacular burled, marblecake, circassian walnut with checkered splinter forearm & rnd knob pistol grip stock with raised teardrop side panels, 14-1/4″ over a checkered steel buttplate. It has dbl triggers with the front being articulated. The boxlock receiver with large scalloped back edges is most fabulously engraved with big cat vignettes consisting of two slinking tigers in a jungle scene on left side, two male & one female lions in a jungle scene on right side, a large male & female lions with two cubs on bottom, all in jungle scenes with two spectacular leopards on trigger bow and another tiger at rear of bottom tang. Bottom tang also has serial number in flat gold. Opening lever also has two leopards beautifully engraved as does the top tang. Top tang also has “SAFE” in flat gold. Fences are deep relief engraved in grape leaf, vine and clusters of grapes patterns. Opening lever pivot is engraved with acanthus leaves & berries and the center screw is the sun face pattern apparently the crest of the Maharaja. Forend iron at the receiver is beautifully engraved in foliate patterns with still another leopard on the metal forend tip. The heel of the buttplate is engraved with a full- bodied tiger. The heel of the stock has a large gold shield engraved with a sun face and Indian writing. Bottom of bbl & buttstock have narrow sling loops. Accompanied by its orig burgundy leather & oak, burgundy velvet lined trunk case with gold embossed tan maker’s label inside lid. Outside of lid has a large brass shield engraved identically to the shield on buttstock of the rifle. Bottom of case is compartmented for the rifle, a 2-pc horn & brass cleaning rod, a checkered horn & brass chamber brush, a checkered horn & brass bore brush, a checkered horn & gold washed turn=screw, a pair of orig Thomas Bland 40-72 snap caps, an orig cut crystal oil bottle and the orig matching burgundy leather 2-pc sling with other cleaning implements in compartments. Most of the implements are engraved with the Maharaja’s mark. Missing one turn=screw. Weight: 10 lbs. 8.96 oz. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbls retain about 95% fine orig blue with some slight thinning over forearm area and a minor nick or two. Receiver, top tang & trigger guard retain 75-80% faded case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Floorplate retains 75% orig blue. Stock is sound with minor nicks & scratches and retains about 90% orig factory finish. Forearm has a chip by right bbl channel and is dark & oil stained showing light to moderate wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bores. Case is very fine with usual handling and storage nicks and scratches with worn edges and some minor damage to the bottom rear edge. Interior is extremely fine with light wear and soil. Implements are all fine. 4-33792 JR262 (40,000-60,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2008

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
	577B	$69,000.00	EXTREMELY RARE ROYALTY GRADE THOMAS BLAND & SONS CASED DBL RIFLE. SN 17417. Cal. 40-72. Rare English dbl rifle in an American caliber made for the Maharaja of Jodhpur. This spectacular rifle has 27-1/8″ steel bbls with smooth concave rib, day & night gold bead caterpillar front sight on a pedestal with quarter rib at the chamber ends having gold line 3-leaf express sight with matted faces and gold inlaid “100”, “200” & “300” yards. Rib just in front of quarter rib is inlaid in flat gold, Old English “Thomas Bland & Sons. 2 King William Street. West Strand. London.” The rear end of the quarter rib is engraved in an elliptical arc “WINNERS OF THE / AMERICAN RIFLE TRIALS” along with an exquisitely engraved slinking leopard with grasses & brush. It has a concealed third fastener with ejectors & dbl underbites. Mounted in spectacular burled, marblecake, circassian walnut with checkered splinter forearm & rnd knob pistol grip stock with raised teardrop side panels, 14-1/4″ over a checkered steel buttplate. It has dbl triggers with the front being articulated. The boxlock receiver with large scalloped back edges is most fabulously engraved with big cat vignettes consisting of two slinking tigers in a jungle scene on left side, two male & one female lions in a jungle scene on right side, a large male & female lions with two cubs on bottom, all in jungle scenes with two spectacular leopards on trigger bow and another tiger at rear of bottom tang. Bottom tang also has serial number in flat gold. Opening lever also has two leopards beautifully engraved as does the top tang. Top tang also has “SAFE” in flat gold. Fences are deep relief engraved in grape leaf, vine and clusters of grapes patterns. Opening lever pivot is engraved with acanthus leaves & berries and the center screw is the sun face pattern apparently the crest of the Maharaja. Forend iron at the receiver is beautifully engraved in foliate patterns with still another leopard on the metal forend tip. The heel of the buttplate is engraved with a full- bodied tiger. The heel of the stock has a large gold shield engraved with a sun face and Indian writing. Bottom of bbl & buttstock have narrow sling loops. Accompanied by its orig burgundy leather & oak, burgundy velvet lined trunk case with gold embossed tan maker’s label inside lid. Outside of lid has a large brass shield engraved identically to the shield on buttstock of the rifle. Bottom of case is compartmented for the rifle, a 2-pc horn & brass cleaning rod, a checkered horn & brass chamber brush, a checkered horn & brass bore brush, a checkered horn & gold washed turn=screw, a pair of orig Thomas Bland 40-72 snap caps, an orig cut crystal oil bottle and the orig matching burgundy leather 2-pc sling with other cleaning implements in compartments. Most of the implements are engraved with the Maharaja’s mark. Missing one turn=screw. Weight: 10 lbs. 8.96 oz. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine. Bbls retain about 95% fine orig blue with some slight thinning over forearm area and a minor nick or two. Receiver, top tang & trigger guard retain 75-80% faded case colors, brilliant in sheltered areas. Floorplate retains 75% orig blue. Stock is sound with minor nicks & scratches and retains about 90% orig factory finish. Forearm has a chip by right bbl channel and is dark & oil stained showing light to moderate wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bores. Case is very fine with usual handling and storage nicks and scratches with worn edges and some minor damage to the bottom rear edge. Interior is extremely fine with light wear and soil. Implements are all fine. 4-33792 JR262 (40,000-60,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2008 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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