Page 181 - 4094-BOOK1

LOT 181
Rare Manually Turned Percussion
Revolving Rifle - NSN, 42 cal., 27 1/4
inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut
stock. This unusual revolving rifle was likely manufactured in the 1840s to 1850s and has
no identifying markings. It may have been a one-off prototype or patent model. The octagonal
barrel has a rounded copper blade front sight with a dovetailed base, a dovetailed notch rear sight, angled
breech and cylinder face somewhat similar to the Edwin Wesson and Wesson & Leavitt “Dragoon” revolvers but
with a more extreme angle, shields between the nipples, recoil plate with capping cutout on the left, pinned top strap, forward “trigger” for
releasing the cylinder for manual rotation, rear firing trigger, central mounted hammer with spur on the right, a walnut stock with a brass buttplate, and a
brass “176” marked collection tag.
CONDITION: Good with primarily gray and brown patina, some tool marks and dings and scratches, dark aged patina on the buttplate, some applied blue finish
mainly on the under-rib and handmade top strap (latter with pits), mild overall wear, and replacement brass ramrod. The stock is very good with scattered ding
and scratches. Mechanically fine.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 1,800 - 2,750
LOT 180
Scarce C.B. Allen “Second Type” Cochran Patent Underhammer Revolving Turret
Percussion Rifle - Serial no. 90, 40 cal., 28 3/8 inch octagon bbl., brown finish, walnut
stock. This is a desirable example of a “Second Type” Cochran turret
rifle manufactured by Cyrus B.
Allen in Springfield, Massachusetts
in the mid to late 1830s.
Flayderman’s Guide indicates
approximately 125 of the “Second
Type” rifles were believed to
have been manufactured in the
approximate 30-155 serial range,
with notable differences from the
“First Type” examples including
a differently shaped top strap with a retaining latch that doubles as an open
type rear sight. This example has a hammer that engages the trigger at the rear
and also doubles as a trigger guard, and has a 9-shot revolving turret cylinder. The
rifled barrel has an open dovetailed slot where a front sight once resided and
a dovetailed notch rear sight (absent its notch piece). The hinged top strap
is marked “COCHRANS/MANY/CHAMBERED/&/NONRECOIL/RIFLE” on the
top front area with an eagle motif above “C.B. ALLEN/SPRINGFIELD/MASS.” on top at the rear. The barrel, frame, top strap, turret cylinder are marked with the
matching serial number “90”. The furniture is German silver, with a brass top strap latch base.
CONDITION: Very good, with mostly artificial brown patina with some scattered patches of mild oxidation, and a few patches of light pitting. Absent front sight,
broken/absent notch section of the rear sight. Stock is also very good, with numerous scattered dents and scratches, and a small crack visible on top behind the
top strap latch base. The hammer occasionally slips out of the cocked position, otherwise mechanically fine.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 5,000 - 8,000
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