EXCEEDINGLY RARE SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE ENGRAVED WITH GOLD TAKEDOWN WINCHESTER MODEL 94 LEVER ACTION

EXCEEDINGLY RARE SPECIAL ORDER DELUXE ENGRAVED WITH GOLD TAKEDOWN WINCHESTER MODEL 94 LEVER ACTION SHORT RIFLE. SN 139319. Cal. 25-35. Outstanding & rare deluxe Model 1894 short rifle with 18" full matted oct to rnd bbl, half magazine with Lyman ivory bead front sight, Lyman 6A folding rear sight and a Lyman combination tang sight. Mounted with extremely beautiful center crotch flame grain American walnut with Style D carved forearm & capped pistol grip stock with smooth steel buttplate. Left side of lower tang, under the wood, is stamped with assembly number "16027", "XXXX" and "R". Matching assembly number is stamped in top tang channel of buttstock along with "94". Buttplate is not numbered although there appears to be some pencil writing that is indecipherable, however there is no doubt whatsoever that this buttplate is orig to this rifle. Receiver is engraved in style 4, probably by John Ulrich. Engraving consists of the very large vignette of a hunter standing behind a tree having shot two bull elk, all in an extremely detailed forest scene. Each end of vignette is engraved with flowing foliate arabesque patterns with shaded background. Right side of receiver has the engraved vignette of a grizzly bear on a mountain precipice with matching foliate arabesque patterns fore & aft. Both sides have wavelet borders. Screw heads are also engraved. Top & bottom edges of receiver are engraved with snake & dot patterns with light foliate arabesque patterns over receiver ring, floorplate, forend cap, buttplate tang and over chamber area of bbl. Sides & edges of lever & hammer are engraved to match. Rear edge of receiver, front edge of takedown ring, end of bbl at the receiver and forend cap are inlaid with flush gold wire. Heel of buttplate is also inlaid with gold wire. Accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter identifying this rifle in caliber 25-35 with 18" 1/2-oct matted bbl, plain trigger, fancy pistol grip stock with carved style D pattern, half magazine, engraved $24.00, takedown and shotgun butt, received in the warehouse Dec. 13, 1902 and shipped the same day to Order #166248. This fabulous little rifle was formerly in the collection of renowned old time collector, Eldon Owens. PROVENANCE: Eldon Owens Collection; Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching except buttplate as noted. Bbl retains 96-98% strong orig blue with light muzzle edge wear and a couple of minor thinned areas; magazine tube retains virtually all of its orig blue; forend cap retains about 98% glossy orig blue as does the takedown ring; receiver retains 95-97% glossy orig blue with only high point and fine sharp edge wear; loading gate retains about 98% orig fire blue; lever & hammer retain most of their brilliant orig case colors, lightly faded on outer face of lever; buttplate retains about 80% strong blue showing wear at heel & toe and around edges; wood is sound with a very few, very minor handling & storage nicks & scratches and retains virtually all of its orig piano varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-44376

Starting Price: $45,000