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LOT 3129
Well-Documented, Extremely Rare Factory Engraved Smith & Wesson Model 320 Revolving Rifle with Only Known Rosewood Stock, Case, and Factory Letter - Serial no. 516, 38 cal., 18 inch solid rib bbl., nickel finish, rosewood grips. Manufactured from 1879 to 1887, the Model 320 Revolving Rifle is one of the rarest Smith & Wesson firearms produced with a total production of 977. The Model 320 was seldom engraved. In fact, a grand total of 6 or less of this model received a period engraving. At the time of this writing, three, including this example, are known in existing collections. Rock Island Auction Co. has had the honor to have sold two of these engraved examples, nos. 221 and 533, in previous auctions, and now we are fortunate to offer to the public no. 516, the third known engraved Model 320.
The frame, cylinder, and back strap are decorated in attractive floral scrollwork on a punch dot background. These patterns are indicative of S&W’s rich quality and style established by the Young family members, arguably the greatest family dynasty in the 19th century American engraving: Gustave, Oscar and Eugene. Gustave Young worked with Smith & Wesson as early as 1865 after serving as Colt’s Master Engraver and was the in-house engraver for Smith & Wesson starting in 1869 until his death in 1895. Gustave’s sons, Oscar, Eugene, and Robert, worked at his side and eventually succeeded him as S&W factory engravers. Oscar created some of S&W’s most extravagant embellished pieces and remained with the company until his death in 1912. His engraving style typically followed his father’s motifs using tight scroll patterns.
The factory engraving is confirmed in the accompanying factory letter. At the time this gun was shipped in April 1884, this grade of engraving cost
a customer an additional $10.00. Not to be overlooked are the rosewood stock, forearm, and grips. Costing an additional $12.00 rosewood is another special order feature confirmed in the factory letter. Rosewood is even rarer to this model than the engraving. Circassian walnut stock and hard rubber grips and forearm were standard. This Model 320 is attributed as the only known example of its type with factory rosewood grips, forearm, and stock. The stock hardware is engraved to match, and the stock is fitted with a standard S&W hard rubber buttplate. Additional information presented in the factory letter indicates it was shipped on April 19, 1884 and delivered to George A. Craven of Springfield, Massachusetts, with an 18 inch barrel, nickel plating, “sight” (referencing the included stock peep sight), reloading tools, and 1,000 cartridges.
Previous owner and noted
S&W expert Karl Leonhardt
concluded that “Craven”
in the factory records is
actually “Graves” and his
notes and research are
included. Factory records were handwritten and not
always clearly legible. Charles A. Graves was a hardware
dealer in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his store was
located on Main Street, just “four doors north of Post Office.”
As reported in the city directory, members of the Graves
family (C.H., Eugene, and Wallace H.) were employed at Smith
& Wesson. Leonhardt came to believe that this Model 320 was
owned by one of the Fisk brothers, Noyes W. and George C. Fisk.
These two brothers certainly had the means to purchase this extravagant special order piece. George was president of Wason Manufacturing Co., a leading name in the design and production of passenger rail cars. Wason designed and manufactured the first sleeping car. Leonhardt wondered if the accompanying non-factory case was made at the Wason factory: “The Wason Mfg. Co. was an early builder of Pullman cars. These cars had a lot of fancy wood paneling. It might be logical to assume that the case was made at that factory or by one of their mill work subcontractors. The case gun could then have been presented to a favored customer.” Noyes had for a short time worked for Wason Mfg. Co. and then became book keeper for the grocer E.B. Haskell. When the Civil War broke out Noyes enlisted in the 46th regiment of Massachusetts volunteers and when he returned started his own grocery business which closed in 1867, so that Noyes could manage his father’s soap manufacturing business where Noyes served as clerk and treasurer and George as president while still serving as president of Wason.
The 18 inch barrel is fitted with a blade front sight and a two leaf folding rear sight on the solid rib marked with the two-line S&W address/patent dates legend and has subsequently been professionally sleeved to 38 caliber. Out of the 977 Model 320s manufactured, 514 had the 18 inch barrel. Matching serial numbers appear on the butt, cylinder, barrel, and barrel latch. The hammer, trigger guard, trigger, and barrel latch are blued, and the remaining surfaces are plated in nickel. Also included is a globe front sight with crosshair aperture, stock tang peep sight, and box of
50 UMC .32 S&W rifle cartridges. The whole set is contained in a period
partitioned case. This Model 320 was displayed at the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum in 2013 and is pictured in Michael Kennelly’s
“Smith & Wesson
Engraving” on
page 102 and
“Guns of the NRA
National Sporting
Arms Museum”
on page 231.
CONDITION: Fine as period
replated and re-chambered, retaining nearly all of the nickel
finish. The engraving is crisp. The grips and forearm are also fine with
a number of handling marks. The stock retains nearly all of the period replated nickel finish and has some chipping at the tangs, handling marks, and a splice repair at the toe. The case is very good. Mechanically excellent. Provenance: The Karl Leonhardt Collection; The Supica Collection; NRA National Sporting Arms Museum 2013.
Estimate: 32,500 - 55,000
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