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on top of the barrel and gold borders added near the muzzle and breech. The coin gray finished receiver features exceptional floral scroll engraved borders around game scenes on the sides and top, with a gold inlay owl swooping down on a hare on the left, hound with pheasant in mouth on top, and hawk swooping down on pigeon on the right side. The trigger guard and buttplate are also finished in coin grey, with floral scroll and enlarged decorative checkered style patterns on the buttplate. Both sides of the receiver are signed “A. BEE,” but without the trademark bumblebee mark. Fitted with burled walnut forend and stock with skip-line checkering. Starting his career at Fabrique Nationale factory at the age of 16, Angelo Bee eventually became a “white cloak” factory engraver, where he perfected his craft for 25 years before eventually immigrating to the United States. CONDITION: Very fine as master engraved and embellished by Angelo Bee, with 99% of the blue finish retained with light handling marks and small spots of discoloration to the coin grey finish on the receiver. The stock is very fine with a sink mark at the top of the buttplate and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A fine example of Angelo Bee’s craft on a rifle made by the company where he cut his teeth. Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000
LOT 1545
Angelo Bee Signed and Master Engraved Fabrique Nationale Trombone Slide Action Rifle - Serial no. 45857, 22 LR cal., 22 inch round bbl., blue/coin grey finish,
walnut stock. Features fixed blade front and adjustable notched tangent rear sights, with standard two line address
become a “white coat,” or factory engraver, and subsequently spent four years attending evening classes at the Beaux Arts de Liege, before being accepted as an apprentice factory engraver. After 25 years working for Fabrique Nationale as an engraver, Angelo Bee immigrated to the United States to start his own business in 1975, sponsored by Frank Pachmayr. Features fixed blade front and adjustable notched tangent rear sights, with replacement checkered walnut forend and buttstock with smooth buttplate. The receiver and trigger guard feature closed floral scroll engraving with textured backdrop, along with raised gold inlay game scenes including a hawk chasing a hare on the left side, an eagle head on top, and wolverine following a pheasant on the right side. Signed “A.BEE” on both sides of the receiver, with the left side signature added into the bottom of the game scene and the right side signature on the rear most point of the bottom rail. Fitted in a multi-point, skip-line checkered fancy walnut stock, with added loading hole at the top of the wrist. CONDITION: Very fine overall as embellished by renowned Master Engraver Angelo Bee, retaining 99% plus of the blue finish with a few minor handling marks mostly on the wood, and most of the gold wash remaining on the trigger. The magazine tube is missing its follower and the action does not always cycle properly. Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000
LOT 1546
Angelo Bee Signed Game Scene Engraved and Gold Inlaid Fabrique Nationale 22 Semi-Automatic Rifle - Serial no. 817194, 22 cal., 19 1/4 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1956, the first year of production, and subsequently master custom embellished by Angelo Bee. At just 16 years old, he started work as a machinist at the Browning Fabrique Nationale in Herstal, Belgium. During his time there, he sought to