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BEST QUALITY ALEXANDER HENRY LARGE CALIBER

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:5,500.00 USD Estimated At:11,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
BEST QUALITY ALEXANDER HENRY LARGE CALIBER

UNDERLEVER HAMMER BLACKPOWDER EXPRESS RIFLE WITH CASE AND ACCESSORIES. Cal. 577, 3" BPE. S# 3446. Factory records indicate that this fine rifle was a best double centerfire rifle sold on 24th of October, 1874. It has 28" fine 3 stripe Damascus bbls. fitted w/ raised file cut full length rib holding 1 standing, 2 folding leaf express rear sight marked for 100, 150 & 200 yds. Sight blades are scroll engraved. Very sm. silver bead front sight is dovetailed into muzzle end. Unmatted portion of bbl. at center is engraved "Alexr Henry 12 South St. Andrew Wst Edinburgh Patent No. 2570" (this is a patent use no. referring to Henry's famous rifling system) / "Maker to Their Royal Highness's the Prince of Wales and Duke of Eninburgh". Bbl. flats are stamped w/ S# & "A.H". Bottoms of bbls. w/ London black powder proofs & gauge "25". A sling eye is attached to bottom rib. Case hardened rnd. bodied Jones underlever action is fitted w/ Peninsula back spring non rebounding locks having rnd. bodied serpentine hammers w/ tall thumb spurs. Heads are engraved in stylized dolphin motif. Locks are also fitted w/ back sliding stalking safeties that engage at half cock. Action is engraved w/ about 70% coverage sm. scroll at front & w/ somewhat larger open scroll at rear surrounded by feather borders. Lock plates are engraved w/ varying sized but very sm. scroll w/ in sm. scroll borders. "Alexr Henry" is on scrolled ribbon device on each lock plate behind safeties. Scroll engraved trigger guard has S# on tang. Trap, steel capped pistol grip buttstock made of a fine piece of well marbled & lightly figured European walnut measures 14 5/8" over checkered wood butt w/ engraved steel heel & toe plates. Point pattern checkering w/ mullered borders is at grip & a sling eye is on toeline. Matching splinter forend w/ fancy filed steel tip attaches to bbls. w/ captive side bolt through shaped & engraved steel escutcheons. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: rifle is housed in an old leather case w/ brass corners embossed "R.W.H.W." on top. Interior is newly lined in scarlet cloth & contains a good array of original loading tools as well as other accessories which include a rnd. pewter oil bottle marked "Nimrod", a turned rosewood patch bottle, 2 piece Parker Hale cleaning rod, ebony handled striker key & an ebony handled turn screw along w/ a "577" marked broken case extractor by Nimrod. Also included is the original bullet mold marked w/ this rifle S# & "A.H" which has a hollow pointing pin also marked w/ this rifle's S#. Other loading tools include a Dixon combination capper & decapper w/ flip over handle, ebony handled bullet seater, sizing die & a pincher type device of unknown use which looks like a leather punch. CONDITION: very good to fine. Bbls. retaining about 65% of their original Damascus brown w/ good definition to pattern. Action & locks retain a considerable amount, possibly as much as 30% original case hardening color which is rather faded but may not have been very bright originally as evidenced by color on water table. Safeties retain traces of bright blue. Stocks retain most of what appears to be their original oil finish w/ a fair number of marks & dings w/ some added oil. Checkering is lightly worn, has some dents & does not appear to have been recut. Bores are very fine, bright, sharp & shiny throughout. Action is tight. Locks are crisp. Case leather is quite dark & has a lg. number of rubs & bumps. Straps are good. Handle is fine as replaced. Renewed interior cloth has some minor rubs. Mold is shiny & near excellent as is primer/deprimer. Other accessories are very good to fine. A great old big bore rifle by the best rifle maker of the age. (01-20159/MGM). ANTIQUE. $11,000-15,000.