This rifle was manufactured in 1879 and features a German silver blade front sight, adjustable sporting rear sight, the two-line address and King's improvement patent marking on top ahead of the rear sight, "P" and the serial number in script on the lower tang, two small spots for a saddle ring staple, blued forend cap, blued buttplate with empty stock compartment, matching number "35" on the stock and tang, "650" also on the lower tang on the left, and smooth walnut forearm and buttstock with a copper badge shaped inlay on the left side of the buttstock inscribed "SOUVENIR/A.D.W.L. LA SCOTT/PANTHER BILL/from/HON. W.F. CODY/BUFFALO BILL/1880" (year partially obscured by the lower pin). This rifle is featured on page 505 of "The William M. Locke Collection" (copy included) where it is described as "obtained from F. Theodore Dexter in March 1930 for $75." The rifle was featured on the PBS series Antiques Road Show in Tulsa where it was appraised by J. Christopher Mitchell on July 23, 2011, for $150,000-$200,000 (some information included). In 1880, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917) was still a rising star and soon would be the most famous of the Old West showmen. By that time, he had already earned fame as a scout and hunter in the American West and had been a friend of "Wild Bill" Hickok and other legendary western gunslingers. He became a folk hero in part due to Ned Buntline's writings on Cody, including "Buffalo Bill: King of the Bordermen," and soon Buffalo Bill had already begun to use his fame to promote himself through stage acts, starting in 1872 along with "Texas Jack" Omohundro in "The Scouts of the Prairie" and then the following year in "Scouts of the Plains" alongside Texas Jack and Wild Bill. The next year he started another show, the "Buffalo Bill Combination." That act continued to tour until the founding of his better known and longer lasting promotion: "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" in 1883. It was expanded a decade later to "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World," and he toured the U.S. and Europe delighting innumerable fans. He later joined his act with Pawnee Bill's Wild West show to form the short lived "Two Bills" show in 1908. By the time of his death, he was likely the most famous American on earth, and the use of Winchester by Cody and other performers helped solidify Winchester rifles' legacy as the rifles of the Wild West, and his show was frequently referenced in firearms advertisements of the period. Buffalo Bill is known to have presented a number of Winchester rifles to fans and friends. The identity of A.D.W.L. La Scott, nicknamed Panther Bill, is unknown. The nickname may have been given by Buffalo Bill to a fan in 1880 rather than have been a man known by the nickname. There certainly have been a number of men to bear the moniker of Panther Bill, including multiple Native American men, but none we have found had the surname La Scott. William Comer "Panther Bill" Peek (1822-1901) is among the better known. He earned the nickname after killing a cougar by throwing an ax, and there are stories of another "Panther Bill" earning the name after being severely wounded by a cougar and then blasting the beast with his trusty firearm "Old Betsy." Provenance: The Ivan Hart Collection; F. Theodore Dexter Antique Arms; The William M. Locke Collection; The Tommy Haas Jr. Collection; The Neil E. Bogan Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Very fine with 70% plus blue finish remaining with some fading and smooth gray patina, attractive aged patina on the frame, and minor overall wear. The wood is fine with light scratches and dings and a period applied coat of protective varnish. The rifle has a modified bolt (firing pins not visible) but is otherwise mechanically fine. The inlaid plaque is also very fine with a crisp inscription, aged patina, and some marks. Overall, a very attractive rifle that has been part of several well-respected collections, including the famous William M. Locke Collection. The proceeds from the sale of this item will go to funding scholarships and to the general fund for special projects at Highlands College, Birmingham AL. Please see book 2 page 2 for more information.