2101

SCARCE EARLY HIGH GRADE SPENCER SLIDE ACTION

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
SCARCE EARLY HIGH GRADE SPENCER SLIDE ACTION
SHOTGUN ONCE THE PROPERTY OF MR. JOHN OLIN, PRESIDENT OF WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS W/ ORIGINAL CATALOG AND LETTERHEAD. Cal. 12 Ga., 2 3/4". S# 642. Christopher Spencer, famous for his Spencer repeating rifle, designed & produced this fine shotgun, starting in 1882 the first successful slide action shotgun in the world. He sold the company & all associated remaining parts to Francis Bannerman in 1890. The guns produced by Spencer are of very high quality & were produced in 4 grades, ranging in price from $45 "D" to $100 "A". It appears that many of his early guns were of higher grade. This gun appears to be grade B, which retailed for $80. The later guns produced by Bannerman are often relatively plain & were sold for about $15. This particular gun has 32" fine 2 stripe Damascus bbl. choked modified. It is engraved "SPENCER ARMS CO. WINDSOR. CT. U.S.A." The mag. tube, which holds five cartridges, is mounted under bbl. & is also of Damascus. Case hardened action has interesting tilting breech block, which alternately picks up & feeds new cartridge & ejects old. There are opposed "triggers"; forward of which is actually a cocking lever, allowing gun to be made completely safe & then pushed forward to recock. Action engraved w/ about 40% coverage well cut varying size scroll. On left side of action, this scroll surrounds central vignette of a pair of quail. On the right, scroll surrounds company name & "Pat. Apr. 1882". Serial number is on bottom of cartridge lifter. Matching scroll is on trigger guard bow. Long rnd. knob pistol grip buttstock appears to be of well figured European walnut & measures 14 1/8" over checkered hard rubber buttplate. Point pattern checkering is at grip. Pump action grip is of elongated ball shape & has both closely & widely spaced checkering. WEIGHT: 8 lbs. 8 oz. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: January 1887 Spencer Arms Company catalog w/ price list. Sept 30th 1885 dated letter to Malleable Iron Fitting Co. outlining check to cover balance due & further order of 1,000 steel guard bows. Letter from Richard G. Hendrickson of "Guns-Bridge Hampton" (New York State dealer's license D-1) outlining history of this gun & stating that it was owned by Mr. John Olin, president of Winchester Repeating Arms Co. & that it was later given to his friend, Mr. Mills. His widow sold the Spencer to Mr. Hendrickson in the 1970s. CONDITION: good. Barrel & mag. tube retaining about 50-60% original brown w/ well defined pattern. Action exhibits traces of case hardening color where protected, but is mostly smooth gray & brown patina. Checkering remains sharp & clear. Stocks retain about 40% of their original varnish finish w/ a lg. number of marks & dings, a few fairly heavy. Checkering somewhat worn. Bore is very good, basically shiny w/ a considerable number of minor pits & frosting. Mechanically fine. (01-18991/MGM). ANTIQUE. $2,000-4,000.