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LOT 19
Extremely Rare Exhibition Grade Gustave Young Panel Scene Master Factory Engraved, Gold Plated Winchester Model 1866 Lever Action Rifle - Serial no. 25501, 44 Henry RF cal., 24 3/8 inch octagon bbl., blue/gold finish, walnut stock. Legendary Master Engraver Gustave Young is easily one of the most renowned firearms engravers of all time. He is most famous for engraving some of the most spectacular Colt percussion revolvers and later Smith & Wesson revolvers. Despite his long career, long guns engraved by Young are incredibly rare. The Germanic master engraver had been active in Hartford, Connecticut, working for Colt c. 1854-1858 as the primary engraving contractor and then again as a “pistol maker” upon returning from a trip to Germany in 1861. He set himself up as an independent engraver in Hartford c. 1863-1869. One of his early clients as an independent engraver
in Hartford was the nearby New Haven Arms Company. Young was still an independent engraver in Hartford for most of 1869, and then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he engraved for Smith & Wesson. He only engraved a select few arms for other companies as an independent engraver, and Winchester firearms engraved by Gustave Young are nearly impossible to find let alone purchase. They are extraordinary rarities suitable for the most prestigious museum or private arms collections. This extraordinary rifle exemplifies precisely why; it is a true work of art. This is one of those incredible discoveries that are essentially unheard of. The rifle has been hidden away for generations, and it is our honor to offer it to the collecting fraternity.
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