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Fabulous Period Custom Marlin Ballard Pope Muzzle Loading Target Rifle

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:11,000.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Fabulous Period Custom Marlin Ballard Pope Muzzle Loading Target Rifle
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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2024 Nov 23 @ 09:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
serial #31789, 32-40, 30" No. 4 weight (Hartford Pope #178) octagon barrel. This rifle is built on an original Ballard 6 1/2 faceted action with very nicely executed game scenes on both sides surrounded in scroll and geometric border motif. The barrel is a Winchester barrel which is marked "RIFLED BY H.M. POPE HARTFORD, CONN" and bears his number and code "178" and "18/1.24". The rifle is stocked with a wonderful French walnut pistolgrip stock with extra drop, no cheekpiece and a custom nickel plated and checkered Schuetzen buttplate. The rifle features a Ballard No. 6 lever and a beautifully crafted set of period custom double set triggers. The forend is a factory Ballard forend with horn insert at tip which has been custom fit to this barrel and is equipped with a Pope palm rest. The barrel is machined for Pope scope mounts which hold a Lyman Field 438 telescopic sight, the rear dovetail is filled with an interesting round disc topped blank, a globe target front sight is present along with a Pope adjustable tang mounted peepsight. The condition of the rifle is quite nice with the barrel retaining about 95% evenly thinning original blue finish with silvering along the high edges. The action retains 85% original color case hardened finish which has softened slightly but has a wonderful appearance. All engraving and markings remain sharp and crisp. The stocks rate excellent retaining 95% original finish with one short and stable crack where stock meets action. The rifle is complete with its original false muzzle which is properly numbered to the barrel. The rifle comes with a leather luggage style shooters kit consisting of a Hartford Pope duplex powder measure, a double cavity Pope mould, brass starter numbered to the barrel, a Pope re-decapper, a Pope grease pump, wad punch, breech seater, oiler, primers, cast bullets, cases and a letter in a 1967 postmarked envelope addressed to Ron Wozny stating that this rifle #178 came from the Frank Sargent collection. The letter goes on to talk about some other guns and is signed "Schappert"; the envelope was postmarked in Des Moines, IA and shows no return address. The leather case housing the accessories was purchased in Seattle by Bob Carow who sold it to Gary Quinlan who put it together with the tools for this rifle. This rifle is fully illustrated and discussed on pages 178 and 179 of Warren Greatbatch's H.M. Pope, Hartford Volume I. In the book he states that this rifle was originally built for Professor Farr of Harvard University probably in 1898. This rifle has been part of some of the finest American Single Shot Rifle collections including those of Ron Wozny, Gary Quinlan, Warren Greatbatch and of course Dr. Robert Davis. An extremely fine and very attractive period custom Ballard-Pope muzzle loading target rifle. (1F11511-26) {ANTIQUE} [Dr. Robert Davis Collection] (15,000/25,000)