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LOT 447
Very Rare First Production Vickers-Armstrong Pedersen Carbine Serial Number 1 - Serial no. 1, 276 cal., 22 inch bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This is an exceptional example of a extremely rare John D. Pedersen designed, first production self-loading carbine as manufactured by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. circa 1930. In 1923, the U.S. Ordnance Department had hired Pedersen to design a semi-automatic rifle as a replacement for the Model 1903 and Model 1917 rifles. His concept was that semi-automatic rifles and carbines should be lighter and easier to carry, shooting a cartridge with less recoil. He used this same theory in developing the original semi-automatic Pedersen device for the Model 1903 rifles towards the end of WWI. The first Pedersen self-loading rifles were chambered in the lighter .276 cartridge which was approved for testing in 1924. In 1927, Springfield Armory manufactured twenty Pedersen rifles for initial field testing, which was to run concurrently with the .276 caliber semi-automatic rifle developed by John C. Garand. The Pedersen rifle performed well in the initial service tests, and in 1929/30, Pedersen contracted with Vickers-Armstrong (of England) to manufacture approximately 200 of the Pedersen self-loading rifles and an estimated 50 carbines for use in the final
SERIAL NUMBER 1
Historic, First Production, Serial Number 1 Vickers-Armstrong Pedersen Carbine
U.S. tests, as well as being tested by the British military. Although both passed, in 1932, the army selected the Garand design in .30-06 for limited procurement, and shortly after ended all further development of the Pedersen rifle. After the army discontinued its pursuit of the Pedersen rifle, they were able to sell a limited number of rifles to China, Portugal, and Japan, who were also attempting to develop a self-loading rifle, possibly with his delayed-blow back toggle mechanism. These rifles and carbines all have several distinctive features such as a 10 round en-bloc clips, a fine adjustable 1/2 minute rear sight, barrel with spiral cooling fins, perforated metal hand guard, and sliding bar safety in the bolt. They were all chambered in the early rimless .276 bottleneck Pederson cartridge. The left side of the receiver is roll-stamped in two lines: “PEDERSEN AUTOLOADER P.B./VICKERS- ARMSTRONGS LTD.” The right rear side of the receiver is stamped with only serial number “1”. The top of the sliding bar safety is marked “REDY” on the left side and “SAFE” on the right side. There is a faint Birmingham nitro proofmark (used until 1925) stamped on the left rear edge of the receiver. Includes an original Pedersen en-bloc magazine containing 10 original cartridges, and one box (20 rds) of original Frankfort Arsenal manufactured .276 cartridges. Additionally this carbine comes with an original leather sling. CONDITION: Excellent with 90% plus of the original blue/black metal finish overall with minor edge and high spot wear mixed with some slight thinning on top of the action from cycling. The stock is in very fine condition with its original dark brown color overall mixed with numerous scattered minor handling marks on the sides. Mechanically excellent. Provenance: The George Moller Collection. Estimate: 16,000 - 25,000
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