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LOT 1005
Historic Antique
Special Order Casehardened Winchester Deluxe Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle in .45-70 with Plaque Listing it as Loaned by Paul S. Andrews for the Defence of Britain, Factory Letter, and Display - Serial no. 104153, 45-70 cal., 26 inch part octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, deluxe walnut stock. The included factory letter lists this rifles in .45-70 with a 1/2 octagon barrel, 1/2 magazine, plain trigger, checkered stock with pistol grip, and rubber buttplate and indicates it was received in the warehouse on July 20, 1895, and shipped the same day in order 15274. The rifle has a beaded blade front sight
(bead now absent), flat folding two-leaf rear sight, the two-line address on top
ahead of the rear sight, “45-70” at the breech, casehardened frame,
tang mounted peep sight,
highly figured pistol grip stock
and forearm with checkering,
ebony grip insert, and hard
rubber shotgun buttplate.
The right side of the butt has a small plaque
reading: “THIS RIFLE WAS LOANED TO US FOR THE DEFENCE OF BRITAIN IN A
TIME OF DIRE NECESSITY. IT IS NOW RETURNED TO THE OWNER Dean Paul D. [sic] Andrews. WITH OUR GRATEFUL THANKS./R.B. PULLIN & Co LTD/LONDON.” Tags from The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes addressed to Andrews in
Syracuse, New York, and another for Rev. Nigel Andrews, his son, are included.
As outlined in included display, this rifle was originally owned by Herbert Shipman (1869-1930) and then loaned by Paul S. Andrews to the United Kingdom for Battle of Britain. The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes was formed in 1940 to help arm the United Kingdom against
an invasion by Nazi Germany and was licensed by the State Department to export firearms from the U.S. to the U.K. They also shipped ammunition, stopwatches, helmets, and binoculars. They ran advertisements reading “Send a Gun to Defend a British Home” and “Protect America - Help Britain Stop Hitler Now.” Because British law forbade the
arming of civilians, the weapons were not actually provided to civilians but instead mainly issued through the Ministry of Aircraft Production to Home Guard units which were officially part of the British armed forces. Thousands of firearms were ultimately donated, and Americans weren’t just sending cheap guns as this rifles demonstrates, they were sending whatever they
had. The New Yorker reported, “Mrs. Kermit Roosevelt sent in a hunting rifle used by Theodore Roosevelt.” While most of the sporting rifles were not actually issued to the Home Guard some were used until more suitable military grade firearms could be found, and many of the pistols and revolvers were likely issued. Many Winchesters had been used as secondary arms during World War I, including Model 1886s
purchased for air defense, but the NRA indicates the Model 1886 was purchased in limited numbers compared to the Model 1892, 1894 and 1895s. Given they were popular rifles in the U.S., many Winchesters were again among the guns donated during WWII, but most wouldn’t have been nearly such rare variations. You can imagine being a Home Guard soldier waiting to be issued a rifle and being handed this deluxe Winchester Model 1886 in
.45-70. You’d marvel at its beauty and craftsmanship but also likely be shocked that you might have to defend your country with it. In late 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt talked about turning the United States into “the arsenal of democracy.”The Lend-Lease Act increased the flow of munitions to the U.K. and soon American sporting rifles like this classic Winchester were no longer needed. By the time WWII ended, many of the donated weapons had been lost, sold, or destroyed. Initially, some were returned to their owners, as was clearly the case with this classic Winchester, but most were not and were sold in the U.K.
By the time the U.K. was more heavily armed, this rifle’s owner was also volunteering himself for the war. Paul Shipman Andrews (1887-1967) had served as a captain and operations officer of the 151st Field Artillery Brigade in France during WWI and returned to his law career after the war. Though the display says Herbert Shipman was Paul S. Andrews’s grandfather, he was actually his uncle. His mother was author Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews. When WWII broke out and Andrews donated this rifle, he was serving as the dean of the Syracuse University College of Law (founded in part by his grandfather). He took a leave of absence and was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel, worked as director of liaison at the School of Military Government at Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1942, and then served in North Africa and Italy in 1943 to 1946. While in Italy, he served as provincial commissioner of Aquila, Italy, and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Italian Red Cross. He returned home and resumed his work as dean of the law school until retiring in 1952 and then again worked for the U.S. Military as a special consultant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also worked for the United World Federalists and as chairman of international congresses of the World Association of World Federalists towards world peace. The second tag is marked for Rev. Nigel Andrews (1921-2006) on June 27, 1968. He was in the Army Reserve in 1942 and went to active duty when he completed his studies at Yale in 1943. He served in the Army Air Transport Command as a captain. After the war, he had a legal career before studying theology. He was among the religious leaders who participated in the famous civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
CONDITION: Fine. The rifle retains 95% plus of the original blue finish and 40% of the age faded original case colors. 30% of the niter blue on the loading gate also remains. There are numerous scattered scratches and dings and
minor age and storage related wear. The wood is also fine and has beautiful figure, dings and scratches likely acquired when the revolver was being shipped back and forth across the Atlantic, and distinct checkering. Mechanically 4 excellent. Without its history, this classic Winchester Model 1886 would already be very desirable, but its history certainly places it in a special class of historic Winchesters.
Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000