Page 264 - 89-FLIPBOOK3

LOT 3399
Scarce and Desirable
Army & Navy C.S.L.
Marked Webley-
Fosbery Model 1903 Automatic Revolver - Serial
no. 1780, 455 Webley cal., 6 inch solid rib bbl., blue
finish, hard rubber grips. Manufactured in limited quantity
(approximately 4,000 total, all variations), the Webley-Fosbery
revolver was meant as a counter-point to the early semi-automatic
pistols then emerging on the market. These innovative revolvers cock
and rotate the cylinder automatically under recoil allowing them to
have a rate of fire similar to a semi-automatic pistol while firing the
more powerful revolver cartridges of the time and retaining the light
trigger pull of a single action revolver. This large frame .455 Model 1903
Webley-Fosbery was manufactured some around late 1904-1905 per production figures listed on page 85 of “Webley & Scott Automatic Pistols” by Gordon Bruce. Patridge blade front sight and drift adjustable raised notch rear sight. Matching numbers on the barrel, cylinder and frame, “ARMY & NAVY CSL” marked on top of the rib, “WEBLEY-FOSBERY” on the left
side of the top strap, the “flying bullet” trademark above “W&S” (Webley & Scott) and “455
CORDITE” on the left side of the frame, and “SAFE” in raised letters on the left grip. Fitted with a
British/Canadian military pattern lanyard ring.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 50% plus original blue finish with smooth brown and gray patina on the balance, a few patches of light pitting around the muzzle, and sharp markings and edges in the metal overall. The grips are also fine with some light handling marks, a small chip visible at the top front corner of the right panel, a small chip at the top rear corner of the left panel, and mostly defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
LOT 3400
Fine Gustav Bittner
Model 1893 Manual
Repeating Pistol - Serial no. 32, 7.7 mm cal., 6 inch
round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips.
Developed in the 1890s in Austria with only approximately
500 believed to have been manufactured, Gustav Bittner’s pistol
is an excellent example of the “manual repeater” class of handgun. The rival to the single
and double action revolvers of the early cartridge era, manual repeaters were brought to an
end by the rise of semi-automatic pistols; anyone good enough to design and build a manual
repeater could make a semi-automatic. Bittner’s design uses a rotary locking bolt operated by a
ring lever and a fixed bar lever for the trigger and feeds via an internal magazine loaded with en
bloc clips (not included). Blade front and elevation adjustable notch rear sights, with “PATENT/BITTNER” above the
Bittner trademark marked on the right of the frame. The steel frame construction is elegantly machined and high
quality casehardened with distinct colors, with a set of checkered walnut panels covering the magazine spring and
a pair of checkered fine contour grip panels. “32” marked on the left of the grip frame, “120” handwritten inside the grip panels. CONDITION: Fine, retains 75% original blue finish on the barrel with some areas of light fading, and 70% plus vivid original case colors strongest on the right with the balance fading to a smooth gray patina and some scattered patches of light surface pitting. The grips are also fine with some scattered light scratches, light bottom edge wear and mostly crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
LOT 3401
Bergmann Model 1896 No. 2 Semi-Automatic Pistol - Serial
no. 1206, 5 mm cal., 3 inch round bbl., blue finish, hard rubber
grips. This is a scarce example of a Bergmann Model 1896 No. 2 semi-
automatic pistol manufactured by the firm of V. Charles Schilling in Suhl. The
magazine is integral to the pistol and is located in front of the trigger, with a magazine
cover that swings down. The pistol is equipped with the later style fixed trigger. The left side of the pistol has
an oval shaped logo that depicts a “mountain man” holding a pick with sun rays showing from behind his back.
The top of the oval is marked “GAGGENAU” and the lower area is marked “V.C.S./SUHL”. “611” followed by a “crown/
crown/U” proof on the left side of the barrel/receiver area, “PATENT/BREVETE/S.G.D.G” marked on the left front of
the frame, with serial number “1206” on the right front of the frame. Checkered hard rubber grip panels with the
Bergmann “B” monogram at the tops, and “1206” handwritten twice on the underside of the left grip panel.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 85% original blue finish on the frame and barrel extension, most the refinished blue remaining on the barrel, with some scattered patches of light surface freckling. The left grip panel is excellent, the right grip panel is fine with a reglued separated middle and a few small chips at the top corners. Mechanically excellent.
262 Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 3402
Excellent
Pieper Bergmann Patent Model 1910/21 Semi- Automatic Pistol Rig with Holster and Accessories - Serial no. 2185,
9 mm cal., 4 inch
solid rib bbl., blue
finish, hardwood
grips. Fixed sights,
with the left side of
the barrel extension
marked “BREVETE./
S.G.D.G.”, “M. 19
10/21” and “ANCIENS
ETABLISSEMENTS
PIEPER./HERSTAL-
LIEGE./BERGMANN’S PATENT.”,
with “2165” on the right side of
the frame and “8896” on the underside. Fitted with a set of smooth grip panels. Included with the lot is a brown leather flap holster, marked “crown/HV” on the flap, with an extra magazine
and a cleaning rod.
CONDITION: Excellent, with 95% of the original blue finish, showing some bright holster type edge wear, some light pitting on the right of the muzzle, and mild handling marks. The grips are also excellent, with a few light dings. The holster is very fine, with some verdigris buildup, cracks and wear. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 3403
Bergmann Model 1896 No. 3 Semi-Automatic
Pistol with
Scarce Holster
- Serial no.
1937, 6.5 mm
Bergmann
cal., 4 1/2 inch
round bbl., blue
finish, walnut
grips. This is a
scarce example
of a Bergmann
Model 1896
No. 3 semi-automatic pistol
manufactured by the firm of V.
Charles Schilling in Suhl. The magazine is integral to the pistol and is located in front of the trigger, with a magazine cover that swings down. The pistol is equipped with the later style fixed trigger. The right side of the pistol has an oval shaped logo that depicts a “mountain man” holding a pick with sun rays showing from behind his back. The top of the oval is marked “GAGGENAU” and the lower area is marked “V.C.S./SUHL”. A “crown/crown/U” proof followed by “298” is marked on the
left side of the barrel/receiver area, “PATENT/BREVETE/S.G.D.G” marked on the left front of the frame, with serial number “1937” on the right front of the frame. Checkered walnut grip panels with matching number “1937” stamped on the underside of both grip panels. Includes a rare unmarked brown leather holster for a Bergmann No. 3 pistol with a brass cleaning rod (broken tip). CONDITION: Very fine, retains 80% blue finish with some light edge and grip strap wear. The grips are also very fine with a chipped section in the top left corner of the left panel, some light handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. Included holster is fair with completely separated stitching along the edge, the ammunition pouch section is mostly detached,
and mild edge wear.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500