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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOKS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, HUNTER-CONSERVATIONIST AND THE PEACEMAKERS BY WILSON
LOT 1287
Extraordinary Historic Documented Massive S. Hawken .70 Caliber Half-Stock Percussion Buffalo Rifle from President Theodore Roosevelt Personal Collection and Attributed to Kit Carson - NSN, 70 cal., 36 inch octagon bbl., brown/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This historic, incredibly rare, and very distinctive rifle is featured on page 49 of “The Peacemakers: Arms and Adventure in the American West” by R.L. Wilson where it is described as a “Sam Hawken-made .70 caliber rifle, the most massive Hawken known. From the collection of Theodore Roosevelt, the rifle was Kit Carson’s. Likely a buffalo killer, as well as a target rifle for bench shooting. Condition and the quality of workmanship as fine as those of any known Hawken firearm.” This rifle is also pictured and described in Wilson’s book “Theodore Roosevelt: Hunter Conservationist” by Wilson with more information: “Massive, 18-pound Hawken Target Rifle, dispersed from the Boone & Crockett Club Collection in 1972. Listed as item no. 10, the rifle was one of 30 pieces which were sold, while 13 were retained-the latter all with TR significance. The intent had been
to retain the 13 for exhibit at the Gun Room at Sagamore Hill. For security reasons, the firearms are no longer on display.” Kit Carson’s Hawken rifle is mentioned again on page 88 in Wilson’s discussion of the gun room. Also see page 89 of Wilson’s “Theodore Roosevelt: Outdoorsman” which discusses the guns on display in the Sagamore Hill gun room. The rifle was also described in the catalog for the Christie’s October 7, 1981, catalog in lot 31 where it was headlined as “An Historic American Heavyweight Target or Hunting Rifle” and the provenance was listed as “The Theodore Roosevelt gun room, Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, Long Island. According to the Roosevelt family tradition the rifle belonged to
Kit Carson.”
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