2348

RARE VERY EARLY "AS FOUND" DAVID KIRKWOOD HAND

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,250.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 4,500.00 USD
RARE VERY EARLY  AS FOUND  DAVID KIRKWOOD HAND
MADE 3 BARREL HAMMER GUN WITH CASE. Cal. 12 Ga. x 12 Ga. x 38-55. NSN. Made shortly after David Kirkwood dissolved his partnership w/ Mortimer, this gun is unnumbered so predates numbering system established ca. 1883. 28" Fine Damascus shot bbls. & steel rifle bbl. are stamped "D KIRKWOOD" "BOSTON" on rear portion of concave game rib. Rib is fitted w/ 2 folding leaf rear sight & hollow bead front. There are no Kirkwood proofs on bottoms of bbls. Birmingham provisional proofs are on shotgun bbls. Casehardened rnd. bodied action is fitted w/ front spring locks w/ nicely sculpted rebounding hammers. Fences are also nicely filed. Top tang is fitted w/ Kirkwood's special concealed rear sight "Adapted for Fine Target Shooting, Regulated for Distance & w/ Wind Gauge". This was a $15.00 option added to the base price of the 3 bbl. hammer gun of $135.00. ca 1885. Action & locks are devoid of any engraving. The only locking bolt is Kirkwood's sliding bolt which engages a square shouldered dolls head rib extension. Rifle bbl. is cocked by a checkered slide in front of trigger guard & fired by a sm. third trigger at the right side front trigger guard bow. Lightly marbled European walnut rnd. knob pistol grip buttstock measures 13 3/4" over checkered & ribbed hard rubber buttplate. Point pattern checkering is at grip. Matching splinter forend has inset shaped hard rubber tip & sugar tong type friction release. Bore diameters: left - .729, choke .023 (mod), right - .726, choke .015 (lt mod). Wall thickness: left - .035, right - .030. DAC: 1 3/4". DAH: 3 1/4". Cast approx. 1/2" off. LOP: 13 3/4". WEIGHT: 8 lbs. 8 oz. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: vintage leather trimmed black oilcloth case is lined in scarlet felt & contains BGI roll crimper, shot & powder dipper & an unmarked but high quality holder for shot shell heads. CONDITION: "as found". Bbls. retain perhaps as much as 50% original bbl. brown, most loss due to cleaning of scattered areas w/ some light pitting. Rear sight still w/ considerable temper blue. Action retains 20-30% casehardening color, mostly where protected. Lockplates retain over 80% of their original color, stronger on left plate. Firing pins & top lever retain most of their original blue as does trigger guard. Stocks retain over 80% original oil finish w/ numerous marks, both light & heavy, checkering lightly worn. Original buttplate has 1958 sticker w/ description & price of $45.00. Bores are bright & shiny w/ 1 or 2 pits in right bbl. Rifle bore is shiny w/ strong rifling throughout w/ a couple of sm. pits toward breech end. Action is tight. Bbls. are on face. Locks are crisp. Rifle lock should be brought to 1/2 cock before opening gun. Case has numerous marks & scuffs & has remnants of old steamship labels, handle partially detached, 1 strap broken. Interior is soiled, partitions detached. Accessories are good. (01-17177/MGM41). ANTIQUE. $2,500-4,500.