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LOT 33
Antique Colt Medium Frame Lightning Slide Action Rifle in .44-40 - Serial no. 80302, 44-40 WCF
cal., 26 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1896, this is a solid representative example of the medium frame
variation of Colt’s Lightning slide action rifle. These rifles often saw hard use on the Frontier and are rarely found in high condition. The medium
frame was the first of the Lighting type slide action rifles Colt produced, and these rifles shared chamberings with the factory’s legendary Single Action Army
revolvers, making them highly desirable in the American West. This made carrying ammunition for both your rifle and your revolver simple and allowed an individual to be
ready to defend themselves against man or beast in a variety of tough situations. Colt proclaimed, “Nothing was faster than lightning!” These capable rifles have a short pump action
that allow for quick follow up shots. One trick was to hold the trigger and pump the action for “lightning” fast shots. The rifle is fitted with a German silver blade front sight and an elevation
adjustable rear sight on a barrel stamped with the two-line Hartford address/patent dates legend ahead of the rear sight and “44 Cal.” at the breech. A Rampant Colt is stamped on the left side of the
receiver. The upper tang has a single drilled and tapped hole (filler screw absent). The plain straight grip stock is fitted with a crescent buttplate.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 50% original blue finish with smooth brown-gray patina on the balance and some scratches on the receiver. The reoiled wood is very good with some minor dings and scratches.
Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 1,600 - 2,500
LOT 35
Attractive George Wostenholm & Son Sheffield
I-XL “Liberty and Union” Themed Folding Knife -
Manufactured in the mid-late 1800s by the George Wostenholm firm of Sheffield, England. The Wostenholm company
moved into their huge Washington Works facility around 1848, perfectly positioning themselves to deal with the demands
of the American market which exploded during the period of western expansion and the Civil War. This is a rare example of
a folding knife made by the firm, which are rarely seen compared to their fixed-blade offerings. An almost identical example
is pictured on p. 397 of “The Bowie Knife: Unsheathing An American Legend” by Flayderman. It measures 9 5/8 inches
overall when unfolded with a 4 1/4 inch drop point blade. The left of the blade is marked with the “I*XL” trademark and the
George Wostenholm maker’s mark on the left ricasso. The guard is German silver with floral motifs and banners marked
“LIBERTY AND UNION”. The pommel is likewise German silver and has American patriotic motifs. It is fitted with antique
ivory grip scales and a thin German silver nameplate on the left, which is blank.
CONDITION: Fine, the generally bright blade with some very light spotting. The German silver is lightly aged with some
minor dents and a braised crack in the guard. The grips are very good with a small repair/splice in each panel and otherwise
light handling marks. Mechanically fine, though the blade is slightly loose when unfolded.
Estimate: 2,750 - 4,000
LOT 32
Colt Large Frame “Express” Lightning Slide
Action Rifle in .40-60-260 Caliber with Very Scarce Special
Order Extra Length Barrel and Pistol Grip Stock - Serial no.
1723, 40-60-260 cal., 32 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock.
Manufactured in 1888. These “Express Model” rifles were the rarest of the series, and only 6,496
were manufactured in 1887-1894 compared to nearly 90,000 each of the Small and Medium frame
versions. The included factory letter states there are no available records for this serial number. The rifle has a
special order 32 inch barrel as the standard length was 28 inches. The pistol grip stock is another special order
feature. These pistol grip stocks were rare for this model. As Colt historian and author R.L. Wilson noted, “Pistol grip stocks were available
on special order, but only a very few were manufactured” (see “The Book of Colt Firearms,” page 505). The rifle is fitted with a combination Beach front sight and an
elevation adjustable buckhorn rear sight. The top barrel flat is marked with the two-line Hartford address ahead of the rear sight, and the upper left barrel flat has the caliber
designation “40-60-260.” The left side of the receiver is stamped with the Rampant Colt trademark, and the serial number is on the lower tang. The upper tang has a single
drilled and tapped hole (filler screw absent). The slide handle features multi-point checkering, and the pistol grip stock is plain and fitted with a crescent buttplate.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 60% original blue finish with an artificial brown patina visible on the magazine tube and some scattered pitting. The stock shows a reglued horizontal
crack protruding from the top tang; otherwise, the wood is very good with minor dings and scratches and mostly crisp checkering on the forend. Mechanically fine. A Colt “Express” Lightning slide action
rifle in a special order configuration missing from even the most advanced collections.
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
LOT 34
Colt First Generation Single Action Army
Revolver - Serial no. 302675, 45 Long Colt
cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened
finish, hard rubber grips. Manufactured in 1907, the Colt
Single Action Army Revolvers like this one are arguably
the most iconic American handgun. The example offered
here is in the standard configuration one sees when they
think of the legendary Colt revolver; blue and casehardened finish, 7 1/2 inch
barrel, and chambered in .45 Long Colt. The top of the barrel has the standard
single line address and the caliber marking is on the left. The left side of the
frame has the two-line patent dates followed by the circled Rampant Colt.
Matching serial numbers are visible on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap, and “2675” is
scratched by hand inside each grip panel. The assembly number “4559”
is marked inside the loading gate.
CONDITION: Very good, with strong traces of the original blue finish in sheltered areas and the
balance mostly grey patina with some brown freckling, typical of a gun that spent much of its life
in a holster in the American West. The grips are also very good with moderate handling wear and a
few light handling marks. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 1,800 - 2,750
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