RARE ENGRAVED COLT SPECIAL ORDER MEDIUM FRAME LIGHTNING SHORT RIFLE.

RARE ENGRAVED COLT SPECIAL ORDER MEDIUM FRAME LIGHTNING SHORT RIFLE. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). SN 6491. Very rare rifle with 20-1/4” tapered rnd bbl, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight that is located closer than normal to the receiver. It has a 2/3 magazine with straight grain American walnut wood, checkered 2-pc forearm and straight stock with nickeled crescent buttplate. The receiver, trigger guard and trigger guard extension are all beautifully engraved in Nimschke style and were nickel-plated. The left side of the receiver has an open vignette of a very detailed Buffalo Bill astride a horse, roping a bull buffalo with mountain background and prairie foreground. It has two flourishes of nice arabesque patterns with very fine punch dot background in front and back of the vignette. The right side has about 60% coverage, matching arabesque patterns with other flourishes and foliate patterns over the top of the receiver. The rampant Colt is nicely engraved across the top rear of the receiver and there is a sunburst just above the hammer. The trigger guard extension has a diamond motif geometric pattern engraved and the trigger guard is engraved with foliate arabesque patterns. The receiver, top and bottom tangs, have a dbl straight-line border. The serial number is also engraved in about 3/8” letters. The Buffalo Bill motif is not implausible when one takes into account that one of the three engraved Burgess rifles was presented to Buffalo Bill and had the motif of him shooting a buffalo from horseback using a Burgess rifle. This little rifle is of the early type without sliding breech cover and has the slot for a safety in the trigger guard, which is missing. This exact rifle is pictured, both sides, on page 354 of The Book of Colt Engraving by R.L. Wilson. CONDITION: About very good. Bbl and magazine tube retain about 95% smooth plum/blue finish with light muzzle wear and some thinning. Receiver and trigger guard retain traces of original nickel-plating, being mostly a silver/gray metal color. Buttplate retains 85-90% nickel-plating. Wood is sound with the forearm checkering showing moderate wear and a few bruises. Stock is missing a couple of chips by the top tang and has numerous light nicks, scratches and dings and retains a fine old hand rubbed patina. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore with a few spots of fine pitting. 4-52588 JR327 (8,000-15,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2004

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
	777	$12,650.00	RARE ENGRAVED COLT SPECIAL ORDER MEDIUM FRAME LIGHTNING SHORT RIFLE. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). SN 6491. Very rare rifle with 20-1/4” tapered rnd bbl, German silver Rocky Mountain front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight that is located closer than normal to the receiver. It has a 2/3 magazine with straight grain American walnut wood, checkered 2-pc forearm and straight stock with nickeled crescent buttplate. The receiver, trigger guard and trigger guard extension are all beautifully engraved in Nimschke style and were nickel-plated. The left side of the receiver has an open vignette of a very detailed Buffalo Bill astride a horse, roping a bull buffalo with mountain background and prairie foreground. It has two flourishes of nice arabesque patterns with very fine punch dot background in front and back of the vignette. The right side has about 60% coverage, matching arabesque patterns with other flourishes and foliate patterns over the top of the receiver. The rampant Colt is nicely engraved across the top rear of the receiver and there is a sunburst just above the hammer. The trigger guard extension has a diamond motif geometric pattern engraved and the trigger guard is engraved with foliate arabesque patterns. The receiver, top and bottom tangs, have a dbl straight-line border. The serial number is also engraved in about 3/8” letters. The Buffalo Bill motif is not implausible when one takes into account that one of the three engraved Burgess rifles was presented to Buffalo Bill and had the motif of him shooting a buffalo from horseback using a Burgess rifle. This little rifle is of the early type without sliding breech cover and has the slot for a safety in the trigger guard, which is missing. This exact rifle is pictured, both sides, on page 354 of The Book of Colt Engraving by R.L. Wilson. CONDITION: About very good. Bbl and magazine tube retain about 95% smooth plum/blue finish with light muzzle wear and some thinning. Receiver and trigger guard retain traces of original nickel-plating, being mostly a silver/gray metal color. Buttplate retains 85-90% nickel-plating. Wood is sound with the forearm checkering showing moderate wear and a few bruises. Stock is missing a couple of chips by the top tang and has numerous light nicks, scratches and dings and retains a fine old hand rubbed patina. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore with a few spots of fine pitting. 4-52588 JR327 (8,000-15,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2004 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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