Manufactured in 1883. This rifle has a full octagon barrel and 15-shot magazine. The barrel has a "Rocky Mountain" style front sight with nickel-silver blade and a buckhorn, sporting style, rear sight. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped. The receiver has the distinctive sliding loading port cover and oval ejection port. The crescent steel buttplate has a sliding brass trap door. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped: "COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A." above six 1873-1882 patent dates with Maltese crosses at either end. The Rampant Colt trademark is roll-stamped on the left side of the receiver. The serial number "114" is stamped on the lower tang behind the trigger. "+ BURGESS PATENT+" is roll stamped on the top of the loading lever. The receiver and forearm caps have the Colt high polish commercial blue finish. The trigger and loading gate are fire blue. The barrel and magazine have a commercial quality charcoal blue finish. The lever, hammer and crescent steel butt plate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are oil-finished, straight grain, American walnut. Colt manufactured a total of 6,403 Burgess rifles and carbines between 1883 and 1885. Two thousand five hundred and fifty-six were rifles with full octagon barrels like this example. Colt discontinued production of the Burgess rifles and carbines in 1885. The limited production Colt-Burgess rifles and carbines were the only lever action firearm produced in any quantity by Colt and are among the rarer Colt firearms. Colt-Burgess rifles and carbines are very scarce in fine or better condition.

Excellent. The barrel and magazine tube retain 95% of the strong original blue finish showing only very delicate high point edge wear overall. The receiver and forearm cap retain 90% plus of the strong original Colt high polish blue finish with some very limited wear on high points and edges. The Colt trade mark on the side of the receiver is crisp. The loading gate and trigger have more than 95% of the vibrant original fire blue finish intact. The hammer, lever and crescent buttplate retain more than 90% of the strong original casehardened finish. The barrel markings are very clear. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition and retain at least 95% of the original oil finish; wear is limited to a thin and short crack on the front right side of the forearm and a few very insignificant handling marks. This is an outstanding example of a scarce Colt-Burgess lever action rifle, certainly the finest we have ever catalogued.