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California Percussion Halfstock Schuetzen Rifle by Browning & Heber

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,400.00 USD Estimated At:NA
California Percussion Halfstock Schuetzen Rifle by Browning & Heber
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.46 cal, 31'' octagon barrel turned for starter with a bright near excellent bore showing a little mild oxidation about an inch back from the muzzle and otherwise crisp rifling throughout. The barrel has toned to a deep plum-brown patina and the top flat shows fine matting and a pair of neatly filled holes ahead of the rear sight. The right flat is marked ''BROWNING & HEBER / SAN FRANCISCO CAL.'' nearer the breech. The unmarked plain lockplate is a medium gray patina and the breech plug with swirling bolster appears to show some remnants of dark gray oil-quenched case-hardening. The rifle is equipped with a pewter nosecap and German silver hardware including wedge escutcheons, fancy triggerguard, heavy buttplate with iron acorn heel finial and pointed lock screw escutcheon. The checkered walnut stock remains in about very fine condition showing a little older added varnish with some scattered light dings and handling marks. There is a small crack and chip forward of the lock screw and the stock is in California form with long diamond point checkering, subtle side ridges down the wrist and a rounded left-side cheekpiece that is not as pointed as we typically see. The toe of the buttplate is stamped once more with maker's name ''HEBER''. The short tube diopter tang sight and target globe front with fine bead-on-post insert are more modern replacements, the front loose in its dovetail, and the square notch rear leaf sight is somewhat rudimentary in construction. The lock is single-acting and equipped with a thin straight firing trigger and seems to function well mechanically. A simple brass-tipped hickory ramrod is present along with a more modern nicely made brass-bodied starter. This rifle is pictured and described on pages 292 and 293 of ''The American Percussion Schuetzen Rifle'' by Hamilton & Rowe, in-which they conjecture that it may have been Heber's personal rifle given the extra stamp on the buttplate toe. A fine rifle from this rather short-lived partnership between August Browning and William Heber, made between 1873-1877. (13C11108-73) {ANTIQUE} [Tom Devers Collection] (2000/3000)