Page 19 - 4094-BOOK1

LOT 13
A Monumental Discovery, Documented as “The
First Express Rifle in the U.S” Rock Island Auction
Company Proudly Unveils the Historic: “Forest &
Stream Express” Winchester Centennial Model 1876
Straight Grip Deluxe Presentation Lever Action Rifle
in .50-95 Express with Inscription to Captain L. V. Sone
of the New York Rifle Club by The Forest and Stream
Tournament in 1879 with Factory Letter - Serial no. 8097,
50 express cal., 26 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened
finish, deluxe walnut stock. The included factory letter lists
this rifle with an octagon barrel, plain trigger, checkered
stock, casehardened finish, and “Forest & Stream Express” and
indicates it was received in the warehouse on April 21, 1879,
and shipped the same day to Forest & Stream in order number
14932. “Brentano’s Aquatic Monthly and Sporting Gazetteer”
in 1879 reported on “The ‘Forest & Stream’ Short-Range Rifle
Tournament” and indicated that the second annual tournament
was held at Conlin’s Gallery in New York on March 10th-March
14th and that there were several ten men teams in the tournament,
including two teams from the New York Rifle Club. “The prizes were
ten gold monogram badges, presented by Forest & Stream and Rod
and Gun; an American Express rifle, the first one ever manufactured
in this country, presented by the Winchester Arms Company; a Ballard
sporting rifle, presented by Schoverling & Daly; a Galway rifle, presented
by the Remingtons; two badges, presented by N. M. Shepard, and a prize,
as yet undetermined, from the Union Metallic Cartridge Company.” The
Zettler team took first place for the second year in a row with 478 out of
500 while one of the New York Rifle Club’s teams came in second with 468.
Forest & Steam’s May 1, 1879, issue reported: “The New York Rifle Club held
an opening ‘field’ day at Creedmoor yesterday...In the evening, the supper
was eaten at the Grant Hotel, and Captain L. V. Sone was given a surprise, in
the presentation to him of the Winchester Express rifle, won by the club in the
recent F. & S. Tournament.”
17