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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK TRANTER CARTRIDGE FIREARMS BY BLACK, GUERIN, & MICHAUD
LOT 330
Very Scarce Documented Braendlin
Vaughan & Co. Retailed
Tranter Patent “Man- Stopper” Double Action
Revolver in .577 Boxer Pictured
in “Tranter Cartridge Firearms” - Serial no. 4, 577 cal., 3 7/8 inch irregular bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in the
late 19th-century, these revolvers nicknamed “Man-Stoppers” were developed to do just that. Experiences of primarily British military
officers and civilian personnel of the empire had shown that, when confronted with some of the native populations that were less than accepting of being colonized, many of the anemic smaller caliber
revolver cartridges of the time just wouldn’t cut it. These experiences of course also included all manner of local wildlife, which in many areas of the empire placed human beings very far from the top of the food chain. Their solution
was a larger heavier bullet, leading to the development of the .577 Boxer cartridge, a shorter version of the .577 Snider and Martini-Henry cartridges popular in the military at the time which had proven their performance. The .577 Boxer packed a bullet
weighing in at roughly twice that of the legendary .45 ACP and sent it down range at approximately only 100FPS slower. These revolvers were a direct result of needing a larger revolver capable of chambering the new .577 Boxer cartridge. This example was
manufactured by Braendlin, who took up residence in Tranter’s facilities and produced some of his designs, much like Tranter had done with Adam’s patents previously. Braendlin’s trademark crossed pennants over “B” is on the upper left of the frame which also has light border
and flourishes of scroll engraving. The top of the frame is retailer marked “VAUGHAN & Co/39 STRAND LONDON” and there are standard British proofs throughout. The cylinder backplate is marked “TRANTER’S/PATENT” and “BRAENDLIN’S/IMPROVEMENT”. The face of the cylinder, cylinder pin, front of the frame, and under the cylinder backplate are all numbered “4”. It is fitted with brass bead and frame notch sights, a checkered grip, and a lanyard loop on the butt. This specific revolver is pictured and described on
p. 242-243 of “Tranter Cartridge Firearms” by Black, Guerin, and Michaud.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 50% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth brown-grey patina, and the markings and engraving crisp. The grip is very fine with a few scattered
light blemishes in the
overall crisp checkering.
Mechanically excellent. Estimate: 8,500 - 13,000
254
LOT 331
Engraved Kynoch Gun Factory Model 1868
Tranter Patent Double Action Revolver with Scarce Late Production Fluted Cylinder in Highly Desirable .500 CF -
Serial no. 43, 500 cal., 4 1/2 inch irregular bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. Manufactured c. 1885-1889, in the short-lived Aston
Kynoch factory, with desirable late production features. The most prominent and unusual of these features is the late style fluted five-shot cylinder, which is rarely seen on the Model 1868.
Many of the guns made at this factory found their way to the Transvaal (modern South Africa) during the
height of the British Empire. The top barrel flat is marked “KYNOCH GUN FACTORY ASTON” with “500” on the
upper left and British proofs throughout. The frame shows light double line border engraving, floral designs
around the side plate screw, and light engraving at the muzzle. It is with fitted blade and frame notch sights, the late style ejector rod with rocker bar cylinder pin retainer on the left side of the frame, a one piece checkered grip, and a lanyard ring on the butt.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 75% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish and 75% of the original case colors with the balance having thinned to a smooth mostly grey patina and some scattered minor handling marks. The grip is fine with some scattered light dings and scratches and otherwise crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 4,500 - 7,000