Page 324 - 4095-BOOK1

322
LOT 342
Highly Attractive, Deluxe, Dual Relief Panel Scene Master Engraved Smith & Wesson
.44 Magnum (Pre-Model 29) Double Action Revolver with Ivory Grips, Case, and
Factory Letter - Serial no. S181414, 44 Magnum cal., 4 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, ivory
grips. Originally manufactured c. 1957 to 1958, this revolver was subsequently beautifully
embellished with near full coverage deluxe scroll engraving and dual relief engraved wild
game scene busts by either Master Engraver Joesef Fugger (1927-1960), who learned
the craft from the legendary Rudolph Kornbrath, or Master Engraver Arnold
Griebel (1890-1970). The included factory letter with this revolver lists it
with a 4 inch barrel, red ramp front sight, white outline rear sight, target
hammer and trigger, blue finish, and checkered goncalo alves grips
when shipped to Edward Tryon in Philadelphia on 14 January
1958. The embellishment on the revolver features incredible
engraving encompassing nearly all of the surfaces, in many
ways emulating the style and spirit of the previous master
Kornbrath (1877-1946), and, though unsigned, was
undoubtedly cut by the hand of a masterful artisan.
The writer believes this incredible masterpiece to
be the work of Griebel, who immigrated to the
U.S. in 1928 and was active in the Chicago area as
a die engraver and freelance firearms engraver
into the 1960s, and is often cited as one of the
finest mid-20th century engravers. The engraving
features a circular panel on each side of the frame
with highly detailed busts of a bighorn sheep on
the left and a bear on the right, with the bighorn
sheep in particular showing incredible similarities
to those executed by Kornbrath, such as the one
on the Winchester Model 1885 rifle, Lot 3047 in our
December 2022 Premier Firearms Auction, while the
bust of the bear shares very distinct similarities with a
bear engraved on a Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3
revolver by Griebel, which was Lot 148 in our May 2024
Premier Firearms Auction. The remainder of the revolver
shows beautifully executed floral scrollwork and bands,
showing very similar vine-like scroll patterns used by Kornbrath
and Fugger, but also extreme similarities to the scrollwork on a Smith
& Wesson Registered Magnum engraved by Griebel, which was sold as
Lot 1404 in our September 2020 Premier Firearms Auction.