2027

SCARCE DANIEL FRASER SINGLE SHOT DROPPING BLOCK

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,750.00 USD Estimated At:7,500.00 - 12,500.00 USD
SCARCE DANIEL FRASER SINGLE SHOT DROPPING BLOCK
TAKEDOWN RIFLE W/ ORIGINAL SCOPE. Cal. 303 Brit. S# 2604. Bbl. 26". There were only about 410 Fraser single shot dropping block rifles made. It was an elegant design & examples are highly sought after. This rifle has 26" tapered rnd. bbl. fitted w/ full length rib. Rib is mounted w/ 1 standing 2 folding nested leaf express rear sight, scope blocks & gold bead front sight w/ flip up moon bead in raised portion of rib forming ramp. Top of rib engraved "Danl Fraser & Co." "Gun & Rifle Manufacturers" "4 Leith Terrace Edinburgh". British nitro proofs for .303 are on left rear. "Best" quality case hardened Frazer action (patent use # 322) has takedown lever on left side. Rotating it through 300 degrees allows bbl. to be unscrewed after removal of forend & while depressing operating lever, which is on right side of action. Action also features automatic top tang safety ("safe" on gold bar across action tang), background filled w/ blue enamel. Gold plated internals. W/ safety in fire position, a red enamel dot is visible on top tang. Action is engraved w/ near full coverage exceptionally well cut, varying sized medium to sm. shaded scroll w/in knotwork borders. S# is on trigger guard bow & top of action is engraved "Fraser's Patent" "No. 322". Well marbled & lightly figured flesh toned European walnut horn capped pistol grip buttstock measures 14 1/4" over coarsely checkered horn buttplate. Stock features thin shadowline right hand cheekpiece & an inlet gold shield on toeline engraved w/ monogram "HCC" (H. C. Childers). Matching removable forend has horn tip w/ groove for attaching laced on sling & Deely type release. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: accompanying rifle is its original 16 1/2" telescopic sight which appears to be about 4x & has 1 vertical & 3 horizontal crosshair ranging reticle. Scope is numbered to rifle on bottom of rear ring & also has Fraser name & address along w/ "Sole Patentees & Manufacturers" engraved on top. Ocular lens is spring loaded to avoid injury to your eye when firing. Leather eye pad missing. CONDITION: good to fine as partially refinished, bbl. retaining nearly all of a rust reblue over some still visible marks & dings. Edges are softened a bit. Action retains perhaps 20 to 30% original case hardening color, which has muted in tone shading to gray brown at wear points. Stocks have been refinished in hand rubbed oil & retain nearly all of that finish. Sharp edges somewhat rounded, checkering recut. Bore is fair to good, strong Metford rifling, quite dark in grooves. Thumbpiece lever release is somewhat sticky, bbl. will not take down easily. Buttstock cracked in line w/ tangs, reinforcing bolt installed through cheeks of stock. Scope tube has been reblued over some scratches & a few marks, optically still fairly clear, undoubtedly still usable. This rifle is listed in "DANIEL FRASER Gun & Rifle Manufacturer of Edinburg, Scotland" by Jonathan Kirton on page 264, giving its basic description, including ribbed bbl. takedown feature, telescope & original owner. A copy of this book is included w/ the rifle. (20-1686/MGM26). CURIO. $7,500-12,500.