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LOT 14
Very Scarce Documented Factory Engraved Robbins & Lawrence Jennings Breech Loading Rifle with Automatic Pill Primer Formerly in the William M. Locke Collection - Serial no. 206, 54 cal., 26 inch round bbl., brown/blue finish, walnut stock. The Jennings rifles were designed by Lewis Jennings and are considered
to be an improvement of the Hunt Repeating Rifle and forefathers of the famous Winchester rifles. The sliding internal bolt, the tubular magazine (on the repeaters), the automatic pill primer, and the “Rocket Ball” cartridges are all related to the Hunt design. They were manufactured by Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont, in 1848- 1851, and production is believed to have been limited to less then 1,000, which includes both the repeaters, single shot breech loaders, and single shot muzzle loaders. Benjamin Tyler Henry was the foreman at Robbins & Lawrence, and Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson were also involved. Smith’s later revision of the design, the
Smith-Jennings, was also manufactured by Robbins & Lawrence for a brief period around 1851 and are the predecessors of the Smith & Wesson lever action pistols which in turn evolved to become the Volcanic pistols
and carbines, then Henry rifle, and finally the Winchester Model 1866. Given this line, the Jennings firearms are considered forbearers of the beloved Winchester rifles. The connection with both Winchester and Smith & Wesson has long made these rifles very desirable. This variation loads from the breech using a folding door, has an automatic pill primer operated by the ring trigger which connects to a rack and pinion mechanism, and has a long ramrod/cleaning rod tube in place of the magazine tube that was used on the repeaters under the barrel.
The barrel has a blade front sight and a notch rear sight and engraved floral scrollwork at the muzzle and breech. Additional scrollwork is featured on the receiver, hammer, trigger guard, upper receiver tang and buttplate tang. The left side of the receiver has the Robbins & Lawrence and Dixon agent markings in two blocks. The stock has a scroll engraved silver oval on the left side.
dents visible on top of the barrel, rear of the muzzle. Generous traces of original blue finish remain in and around the protected areas on the frame, otherwise a mixed brown-gray patina. The engraving is crisp. The wood is very fine with minor dings and scratches and retaining most of the original varnish. Mechanically fine. Difficult to find in any condition, this is an important early breech loading design, particularly for advanced collector’s of Smith & Wesson and Winchester firearms as it has connections to both historically significant firms.
Provenance: The William M. Locke Collection; The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection; Property of a Gentleman. Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
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This rifle is illustrated and discussed on page 494 of “The William M. Locke Collection” by Frank Sellers.
CONDITION: Fine. The barrel retains 60% thinned original brown finish with numerous scattered
AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK THE WILLIAM M. LOCKE COLLECTION BY SELLERS