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LOT 418
Exemplary and Rare Factory Master Keith Thomas Signed and Engraved P. V. Nelson First Ever .410 Bore Small Frame Sidelock Over/ Under Ejector Shotgun with Case - Serial no. 0001, 410 gauge, 28 inch solid rib bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. P. V. Nelson started his career at Purdey in 1953 at the age of 15 where he learned the trade from Ben Delay and Ernie Lawrence, some of the best in the business, before setting out to create outstanding guns of his own. It has been said that he only built as few as 85 guns, making them incredibly rare and and hard to find. We at Rock Island Auction Company have only had the pleasure to sell one of his guns prior to this one, a Brown Brothers engraved 12 bore gun with extensive gold work which sold for $235,000 in May of 2022. This small bore gun is an outstanding example of his workmanship. Built with blued steel barrels featuring dual brass bead sights on the matted solid rib, “P. V. NELSON, (GUNMAKER).”
and “LONDON” signed in gold inlay on the right
and left of the upper barrel respectively, fine scroll engraving around the breech, 1994 dated London proofs, choke constrictions .008/.003 inches, and 3 inch chambers with automatic ejectors. In addition to the beautiful workmanship, this gun is also serial number 0001 and is marked “OUR FIRST 410 OVER
& UNDER” on the lower tube beneath the forend making it a truly landmark piece for P. V. Nelson.
The barrels are fitted to a diminutive sidelock action which displays near full coverage bouquet and scroll engraving surrounding nitre blue action pins and “P. V. NELSON” signed in gold on either lockplate, and
a relief gold inlaid snipe in flight on the underside. The scroll continues off of the action and flows onto the triggerguard, toplever, and both tangs, with
the lower showing the serial number “0001” inlaid
in gold. The gun is signed on the triggerplate to
the right of the trigger “K THOMAS ENG.” by highly regarded Master Engraver Kieth Thomas.