Page 194 - Auction84-Book3

192
LOT 3350
Excellent Special Order Winchester Model 1885 High Wall Schuetzen Rifle with Winchester B3 Scope and Factory Letter - Serial
no. 103061, 32-40 WCF cal., 30 inch heavy part octagon
bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1906 in the very desirable Schuetzen
configuration. The scarce, special order, No. 4 weight, part octagon barrel is marked with the
standard two-line address and caliber marking on the upper flat. There are Winchester factory oval proofs
on the barrel and receiver at the breech (partial on barrel due to scope installation) and the upper tang is marked with the three-line patent and trademark information, and the serial number is on the lower tang. The left
side of the lower tang is marked “985 USX”, with “985” repeated on the buttstock under the buttplate. That barrel is fitted with a globe front sight, filler in the rear dovetail,
and a tang mounted peep sight. Scope blocks have been non-factory installed on the barrel, partially obscuring the address and caliber markings, and have been fitted
with a very scarce Winchester B3 scope. The rifle is also fitted with double set triggers and a lever with finger spur. It is mounted with a finely figured, “H” pattern checkering,
Schnabel tip forearm with an ebony insert and checkered pistol grip stock with cheekpiece and a “Helm” pattern buttplate. The accompanying factory letter lists this rifle with
a no. 3, 32 inch octagon barrel in .32-40 caliber, checkered pistol grip stock, mid-range and windgauge sights, Schuetzen cheekpiece, spur lever and palm rest when received in the
warehouse on May 10, 1906 and shipped on May 12. The rifle was later returned to the factory on October 6, 1906 and received in the warehouse on October 25, 1906 with the factory letter noting the configuration: “Rifle, 32/40, Octagon barrel, 32 in., #3, Schuetzen set trigger, Schuetzen butt stock with cheek piece, Spur lever, Base for palm rest, Mid-range and wind gauge, no rear seat.” The final notations in the factory ledger read, “To Russ, Received in warehouse on May 27, 1907, Rifle, 22 Rim, Less barrel and sights, Fancy pistol grip, Cheek piece, Shipped from warehouse on May 28, 1907, Order number 100471.”
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 85% plus of the original blue finish and 60% of the original case colors with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth brown-grey patina, primarily on the buttplate, bottom of the lever, and some edges. The barrel is non-factory drilled and tapped (see above) with some tool marks visible on the side flats of the barrel at the breech. The wood is also very fine with some scattered minor dings and scratches, retaining most of the original varnish, and mostly crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The scope optics are clear. A very fine Model 1885 Schuetzen rifle in a desirable configuration!
Provenance: The Milan J. Turk Collection.
Estimate: 6,500 - 11,000