BILL GOODMAN,  305 DONEGAL DRIVE,  BOZEMAN,  MONTANA  59715

                         TEL. (406) 587-3131        FAX (406) 219-3415

 

 

      Bill Goodman has been a collector of antique/collector firearms for well over 40 years and a full time dealer for over 28 years.  Traveling around the country constantly seeking good quality collector arms at REALISTIC PRICES, Bill sells exclusively by mail order.  He has advertised in every issue of The Gun List  (now Gun Digest the Magazine) since it's first small issues in the early 1980s (as well as The Shotgun News before that). All items are photographed. To view them just click the text of the item you want to see. Be sure to scroll down as most items have more than one photo.  All guns are sold as collector's items, not shooters.  If you wish to shoot an item listed here, it is strongly recommended that you have the item checked out by a competent gunsmith who specializes in antique firearms. All items are sold with the usual three (3) day inspection.  If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, call to say you are returning the item and you will receive an immediate refund when the item is received back in the same condition it was originally shipped. This list will be constantly updated as new items become available.  Use the above phone number to call to check availability and for further info on any item you wish to purchase. Prices do not include shipping. All federal/state laws concerning the transfer of firearms are strictly followed.  Modern firearms must be shipped to an FFL dealer (or "Curio & Relics" license holders where applicable).  Pre-1899 antiques may be shipped to non-FFL holders. All Layaway sales are final.      

 

 

MORE GUNS WERE POSTED MAY 20, 2013. WATCH FOR FREQUENT POSTINGS THROUGH MAY.

 

 

 

COLT FIRE ARMS (click text for photos)

 

  1. HISTORIC SAN FRANCISCO POLICE MARKED LIGHTNING .44-40 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, #S. F. P. 5X, MADE 1898, all these special order San Francisco Police Lightnings are numbered S.F.P 1 - 400 with no other serial numbers, some of these never got used and show up occasionally in mint condition and bring a bundle at auction, while others, like this one, saw hard service, mostly just a gray/brown with good barrel markings, fine+ to near exc. bore, good mech., has some dark discoloration or staining (cold blue?) on some of the barrel that would come off with some solvent or XXX steel wool, couple small cracks coming back from the rec. on the right side of the wrist- minor and another minor crack starting to come back from the forend tip on the right side, good screws, I wonder how many of these were lost in the Great San Francisco earth quake and fires of 1906?  $1895.

  2. AMAZING COLT FIND! THE RAREST LIGHTNING RIFLE VARIATION I’VE SEEN! This .32-20 Lightning rifle comes with a Colt factory letter showing it as a rifle with a 20” ROUND BARREL and shipped in 1897 to Bassett & Reeves, address unavailable (I’m not familiar with that name), further this FACTORY SHORT RIFLE is fitted with a typical Colt Lightning saddle ring on the receiver, the classic work: The Book of Colt Firearms by R. L. Wilson has this to say about barrels: “Barrels were manufactured round and octagon for these rifles, with octagon appearing more commonly than round… One rifle had a 20” part round, part octagon barrel and its frame was fitted with a saddle ring mount… five rifles with short barrels (length not listed)…”  I assume this is one of the five rifles with barrels shorter than standard.  Like the other 20” rifle mentioned in the book, this one also has the saddle ring mount which makes sense as the typical 20” carbine receivers have the staple/ring on the left side, This is certainly the first factory short rifle I’ve ever even heard of in a medium frame Lightning!  Exc. only slightly aged barrel and mag blue, fine thinning receiver blue, exc. Markings including the rampant colt on the left side of the receiver, exc. wood with only light handling marks and one tiny chip from the front bottom of the forend (pump),  has the “figure 8” blue wear mark associated with saddle rings, original buckhorn rear sight with Rocky Mountain blade front, looks like it had a tang sight at one time by the marks in the upper tang (no extra holes) and tang screw, tight action locks up correctly, bore will clean out exc.,  nice condition overall, absolutely authentic in every way, as rare as a Colt Lightning can be! A true Colt collector’s prize! $5600.

  3. I'VE SEEN MAYBE THREE OF THESE IN 20 YEARS! BURGESS LIGHTWEIGHT BABY SADDLE RING CARBINE!  Only 972 of these were made and I believe most were shipped out of the country (probably south of the border), weighs only 5 1/4 lbs.! The Burgess was made from 1883-1885 with a total of all models only 6403 manufactured, like most Burgess models, this one has seen use, but is surprisingly complete, serial number 5XXX, smooth lightly freckled gray/brown metal, worn but mostly readable barrel address, VG wood that has been lightly gone over, small inlayed piece of matching color wood put in the forend underside (about 1/2" by 2" rectangle)- minor, looks like only one replaced screw in the left side of receiver, original carbine ladder sight with one sight "wing" broken off, tight action, lever catch intact, looks like magazine spring and follower may be missing, surprisingly fine bore, good appearance, $3950.

  4. FLATTOP TARGET SINGLE ACTION ARMY IN DESIRABLE .45 COLT CALIBER, MADE 1894, This one is consecutively numbered to another Flattop shown in Kopec's book A STUDY OF THE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY, most of these were made in small "target" calibers with only 100 being made in .45 Colt (Only 926 having been made total). Interestingly, this one is British Proofed yet has the usual Colt Markings instead of the London markings on the barrel, Also unusual is that this is one of the later models with the very early and first used spring loaded cylinder pin release (Kopec's book explains how these were introduced in the Flattop several years before being used on standard frame single actions), while  the serial number would indicate an 1894 manufacture date, many of these were shipped several years later.  Judging by the proofs and caliber, this one very possibly saw military service in the Boer war in Africa, overall metal shows fine markings, matching numbers and is an aged gray/brown with some aged blue on the cylinder, in the flutes and on the barrel, correct eagle grips (the consecutive number one in the book also has eagle grips), very tight action, bore is a bit dark and shows  wear, unaltered front sight and rear sight, fine screws, about impossible to find especially in this big caliber, (3 photos)  $9450.

  5. EXCELLENT CONDITION SINGLE ACTION ARMY .38-40, 5 1/2" WITH FACTORY LETTER SHOWING SHIPMENT TO JANNEY, SEMPLE, HILL & COMPANY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA ON APRIL 18 1922 AS A SHIPMENT OF ONE, excellent deep blue overall with one cleaned area on the left side of the barrel by the caliber marking that could easily be "blended" in- the balance of the blue really nice with a small smudge on the bottom of the trigger guard and a little thinning on the cylinder, even the grip straps show most of the high polish blue with the most minor of edge wear and back strap thinning, screws show good fire blue, fine case color getting a little lighter on the loading gate and sides of the frame- but still all visible, vivid case color on the forward part of the frame ahead of the cylinder, good color on the top strap and recoil shield etc., exc. inside, very tight action, unaltered front sight exc. markings, matching numbers, grips are fake pearl and need replacing, (note: four photos, top photo had lots of light reflection making the barrel/ejector looked scratched and cylinder blue look thinner than it is- blue on right side of barrel and ejector is deep and exc.  $3200.

  6. SINGLE ACTION ARMY 2ND. GENERATION .357 MAG., 5 ˝” MADE 1969, shows the most minor of wear, tiny edge wear at the right side of the muzzle edge and miniscule cylinder wear, even the front of the cylinder has most of the blue intact indicating this one was shot little if at all, unaltered front sight, two piece either dark reddish walnut or rosewood grips probably not factory, bright blue and case colors overall, $1395.

  7. NEW SERVICE TARGET IN SCARCE .455 ELEY CALIBER WITH BRITISH PROOFS, MADE 1912, no doubt this one saw competition at the famed Bisley Range and may have then gone on to service in World War I, fine factory fleur-de-lis checkered walnut grips with deep dish Colt medallions, overall fine blue that is thinning and mixing gray on the barrel sides and edges, checkered back strap and front strap, exc. action, bore will clean bright exc., has some small letters/numbers stamped in butt that may be unit markings from the First World War, These English Target New Services are quite scarce as all went to Britain and few have returned, made the year the Titanic sank! (photo lights reflected off blue making it look thin- looks better than photos) $1395.

  8. TARGET NEW SERVICE SHOOTINGMASTER .38 SPECIAL, MADE 1932, this one was obviously someone's pride and joy as judging from the fine, light trigger pull and jewelling on the hammer and trigger sides, it has had an amazing action job at some point- probably when it was used in "Bullseye" matches back in the day, overall fine blue with some thinning on the right side of the barrel (easily touched up) and a small finger nail size patch of pin-prick pitting on the right side of the frame by the hammer, checkered back strap front strap and trigger, fine checkered walnut grips, tight action, exc. inside, correct target sights, some of this model are found in almost pristine condition that you'd hate to shoot, but this one, while still nice, would be fun to run some rounds through! $1395.

  9. EXTREMELY EARLY AND RARE OFFICERS MODEL BUILT ON THE NEW ARMY/NEW NAVY FRAME WITH LEFT TURNING CYLINDER, MADE 1907, these were only made from about  1904-1907 and are really a flat top target version of the above mentioned early New Navy .38 DA revolver, after about 1907 the cylinder was changed to the right turning Army Special/Official Police modern looking cylinder, has checkered back strap and checkered trigger, correct and original early style checkered walnut grips and adj. target sights, 6" barrel, .38 Special, fine blue overall with normal light edge and carry wear, exc. bright bore, fine mech., fine grips show handling/carry wear, matching assembly numbers, Colt's first side swing cylinder target revolver, $795.

  10.  VIETNAM WAR ERA COLT DETECTIVE SPECIAL FROM A SPECIAL ORDER  SHIPPED TO "UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, COMMANDING OFFICER, LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT, CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, SEPTEMBER 8, 1970" Colt factory letter verifies all, apparently this was an order for 1,000 of these on this date, according to the summer issue of THE RAMPANT COLT magazine (from Colt Collector's Association) these are briefly discussed and describe the "U.S." marking on the back strap and the "P" acceptance stamp on the left front of the trigger guard.  It concludes with, "Fewer than ten of those revolvers have been documented in private collections."  Certainly this is the first of these I've ever seen or heard of.  Whether the rest are still held by the government (doubtful) or whether they were sold to a foreign government (also doubtful) or probably the stock of these was simply destroyed (our tax dollars at work!), they are about impossible for the Colt collector or U.S. collector to obtain.  This one is in 98-99% condition overall with all correct unaltered markings etc. and includes the Colt factory letter, $1795.

  11. ONE OF THE EARLIEST 1908 .25 AUTOS I'VE OFFERED, SERIAL NUMBER 66XX, MADE 1909! All correct with early "stylized C" rampant colt grips, fine blue overall with normal light carry wear and thinning, some good case color remains on the trigger and safety, fine mech. and bore, would be difficult to find an earlier one! $575.

                            

 

MARLIN  (click text for photos

 

1) RARE MODEL 1888 .38-40 OCTAGON RIFLE MADE 1889, only 4814 of this model were manufactured 1888-1889 and surviving examples are scarce, of this number only 1776 were in .38-40 caliber, most of these that I've seen have seen very hard frontier use, this one is much better than normally encountered, fine aged barrel blue, mag tube ageing to a plum brown and has a dent/dings in one section that shouldn't hinder feeding, original buckhorn rear sight with Rocky Mountain blade front, aged receiver blue mixing/ageing with deep plum, generally fine wood with normal handling and dings to the butt stock, good wood to metal fit, surprisingly fine bore that should clean even better, fine action, $1695.``

2) ONE OF THE BETTER 1889 MODELS I'VE OFFERED; .44-40 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1893, excellent overall with deep original barrel and mag blue with barely a hint of plum starting, receiver shows fine blue overall with again just a little plum mixing, bright bore should scrub out to near exc., original sights, exc. walnut with tight wood to metal fit and showing only a few very minor handling marks, still has some nice case color on the receiver sides, very hard to find this nice especially in the most desirable .44 caliber! (looks much  better than photos show)  $2250.

3)  PISTOL GRIP, CHECKERED, DELUXE TAKEDOWN 1893 .38-55 OCTAGON RIFLE, MADE 1902, this is a solid but well used rifle, checkered pistol grip stock is an uncleaned grimy dark color that may have some extra grain underneath, shows normal handling and minor dings, two of the tiniest chips at the upper tang/receiver juncture- really small and minor, forearm shows saddle wear to the bottom and the checkering is worn off, Special Smokeless Steel marked  barrel shows fine lightly aged blue, brown mag tube, brown receiver, tight takedown, bore is dark and a little frosty with good rifling and should scrub out better, fine screws, attractive uncleaned appearance, $1495.

4) MARLIN 1894 RARITY WITH ANTIQUE SERIAL NUMBER!  This 1895 production rifle was special ordered with a 30" full octagon barrel and full magazine, extra long barrels like this are rarely seen in the small  "pistol caliber" models and are much more common (but still rare) in the larger rifle caliber models, this one is chambered in .25-20 and is equipped with a very scarce windage adjustable tang sight with original Rocky Mountain blade front sight, rear barrel sight is a two leaf that looks like it was made from a ladder sight, fine+ wood, receiver case color has turned a mottled and cloudy silver with some very light color, barrel and 28" magazine (the longest offered by Marlin) are a thin aged blue/gray, fine blue on loading gate, fine bore is a little dark with good rifling, I know I once had one of these with a 28 inch barrel years ago and I think this is the first 30" I've seen in this model, $2495.

5) SUPER RARE 32” EXTRA LONG OCTAGON BARREL MODEL 1895, .40-65 CALIBER RIFLE! This was the longest barrel offered (at a significant price increase over the standard 26” length) and is combined with the longest offered magazine tube of 28,” This is the first 1895 I’ve seen with this long barrel length and I doubt that more than a handful were ever so made, even the Marlin book by Brophy doesn’t show one, overall well used condition, but solid and not altered, deep aged barrel and mag blue with some evidence of light, long ago wiped off surface rust, dark mottled patina receiver, fine action, half cock weak and very light trigger pull- possibly used as a target rifle, original barrel sights and probably had a tang sight at one time as the filler screws are gone (no extra holes) fine uncleaned dark walnut with good wood to metal fit shows normal light handling only, exc. Markings including Special Smokeless Steel barrel marking, fine bore with good rifling a little dark with some minor scattered roughness that should scrub out better.  A big, impressive Marlin 1895 rarity! $3850.

 

 

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC RIFLES, SHOTGUNS AND PISTOLS (click text for photos) 

 

  1. STUNNING APPEARANCE BRASS FRAME BALLARD .44 CAL. SPORTER BY BALL AND WILLIAMS, MADE 1862-1865, it's thought that less than 50 of these brass framed rifles were made, 26" octagon barrel with original flip up leaf rear sight and small blade front, VG-fine bore, tight action, matching numbers on barrel, receiver and breech block, fine fancy walnut  butt stock that has had a piece of wood put back on right side of grip area (triangular chip coming back from the receiver about 4" long by 7/8" deep) nicely done, fine forend with a sliver out of the forend on the right side near the tip, forend tip missing (shouldn't be too hard to replace or have made), nice aged blue/plum receiver, correct brass crescent butt plate, bottom ejector lever intact, a stunning single shot rifle rarely seen, $2650.
  2. SUPER RARE U.S. GOVERNMENT MILITARY ISSUE SHARPS 1853 SADDLE RING CARBINE ALSO KNOWN AS THE MODEL 1857 MILITARY CARBINE AS THAT IS WHEN THEY WERE ISSUED IN VERY SMALL QUANTITIES FOR WESTERN CAVALRY USE BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR! This is one of the first of these I've seen, they saw very hard use on the frontier and later in the civil war, surviving examples are very rare, these differ from the usual 1853 carbines in that they have the shorter Civil War Carbine style saddle ring bar (as specified by the military) instead of the long bar usually associated with the 1852/53 carbines, the 1857 also has the very early style Lawrence ladder rear sight with short staff and script Lawrence marking on the base, this model also had a small "J" government inspector mark on the bottom of the breech block and a small "T" inspector mark on the left side of the barrel by the breech, this is a truly fine example with fine+ wood that shows normal use/carry wear and exc. wood to metal fit, no cracks and never sanded or messed with- minor dings only, brass patchbox and barrel band, uncleaned gray/brown metal, exc. markings, bore will clean to about exc., fine action, Flayderman's Guide- 9th edition (now several years old) lists these in antique good condition $4500 and antique fine condition at $9500.  I think this one falls easily in between and closer to the higher end, my price $4750.
  3. SHARPS 1874 45-70 FACTORY CONVERSION (NOT A MEACHAM CONVERSION), 28" HEAVY ROUND "BUSINESS" RIFLE, these conversions using left over percussion Civil War actions were usually made outside the Sharps factory by other gunsmiths at a later date utilizing non-Sharps barrels and forends, those made and marketed by the original Sharps factory before they went out of business in 1881 have Sharps barrels with Sharps markings and matching serial numbers under the forend to match the receiver, the forends are also original Sharps manufacture with the distinctive flat bottom "hump" just ahead of the receiver, all correct Sharps markings including the "Old Reliable" barrel marking, caliber .45 21/10" marking on the side of the barrel ahead of the receiver along with the Sharps Bridgeport address on top, correct sporting forend with schnable tip, correct military butt stock with ring bar removed, original Sharps front sight with correct Lawrence marked rear ladder sight, these were certainly manufactured while the buffalo hunting was active in the Northern states like Montana, this one shows wear/chipping at each side of the forend near the tip which was common from shooting from cross sticks- which the buffalo hunters did, overall metal a dark and uncleaned patina with exc. markings, upper tang has the usual crack across the screw hole where the metal is thin on each side- minor and meaningless, double set triggers work fine, bore is at least fine and needs a good scrubbing as it appears fouled with lead, tight action, a really fine example of an original Sharps frontier .45-70, has a great look and "feel," (4 photos)  $3850.
  4. VERY SCARCE ITHACA MODEL 37R DELUXE, SOLID RIB, FANCY WALNUT, CHECKERED, 12 GA. PUMP SHOTGUN, MADE 1953, these seldom appear and most shotgunners have never seen one, 30" full choke, very fancy walnut, correct unaltered Ithaca marked hard rubber butt plate, twin brass beaded rib, receiver blue fine with some thinning, exc. barrel blue, exc. wood, tight action, exc. inside, (note: what looks like a lot of brown on the receiver is mainly some gold leaf someone put on to make the engraving stand out- looks brown in the photos) $795.
  5. HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON MODEL 1906 6" OCTAGON BARREL DOUBLE ACTION .22RF REVOLVER, EARLY VARIATION MADE 1905-1930, an exceptional condition NICKEL finish example with nearly all the bright nickel intact, exc. markings, exc. trigger guard blue and fine case color on hammer, bright bore, fine original oversize wood grips show just a little edge wear, fine action, hard to find this nice, (note: lots of photo light reflection makes the nickel look scratched) $375.
  6. HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON VERY EARLY  SPORTSMAN SINGLE ACTION .22LR REVOLVER, MADE 1932-1933, has the early "S" prefix serial number and early non adj. front sight, exc. blue overall with light age freckling and a very little wear to the front strap, fully adj. target rear sight, exc. original oversize checkered grips, exc. action and bore, very high quality pre-war single action revolver in the scarce first year variation, (disregard photo light reflection especially on barrel in bottom photo) $595.
  7. WONDERFUL, NEVER CLEANED, ATTIC CONDITION RARE SIX SHOT DRAGOON SIZE ALLEN PEPPERBOX, .36 CALIBER 6" BARRELS, MADE LATE 1830's TO MID-1840s.  Has the early "Dog Leg" sharp angle walnut grips with silver ovals, engraved frame and nipple shield, early fluted ribbed barrels, overall deep brown patina with ancient uncleaned inactive surface rust/crud that is ON the metal as opposed to "IN" the metal.  I believe a good, long oil soak would remove most of it, fine grips, action works fine, these big holster size pepperboxes were very popular with the gold rush 49ers in California as well as many seeing use on the frontier and later in the Civil War.  These dragoon size ones are hard to find and this one is really untouched with a great look and feel!  $1495.

 

MODERN & SHOOTER FIREARMS  (click text for photos)

(NOTE: THE FOLLOWING CAME OUT OF A FRIEND'S COLLECTION I AM HELPING TO LIQUIDATE)

1) HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON MODEL 933, .32 S&W LONG 2 1/2" DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER, surprisingly sturdy and rugged design, exc. nickel overall with just some minor frosting/bubbling of the nickel on the yoke, very tight action, exc. inside, $150.

2) CUSTOM WINCHESTER 1892/MODEL 65 IN .357 MAG. CALIBER WITH FANCY WALNUT, This one looks like a model 65, yet the action is a model 1892 (from 1903), the barrel is a model 65 barrel originally in .25-20 that was re-bored, the butt stock and forend are of beautifully grained fancy walnut with Pachmayr recoil pad, receiver blue looks like Winchester blue and shows a little edge wear only, original barrel blue is generally excellent, all original markings with ".357 Mag" added above the original .25-20 barrel marking, exc. inside, half cock notch and hammer spring a bit weak, really attractive, would cost a bundle to duplicate today!  $895.``

 

 REMINGTON (click text for photos)

1) MODEL 25 IN RARE 18" CARBINE VERSION, .25-20 CALIBER, correct straight stock used on carbines, steel butt plate, aged barrel and mag blue thinning and mixing gray, exc. markings, rine somewhat aged receiver blue, exc. forend, butt stock has been lightly gone over and has the usual couple hairline cracks coming back from the receiver- minor, tight action, bright bore, carbines in the model are really scarce, $1100.

2) SCARCE No. 1 ROLLINGBLOCK SPORTING RIFLE IN .40-70 CALIBER (BOTTLE NECK), all of these big sporters are hard to find and of those this is one of the least common of the big calibers, correctly caliber marked on the bottom of the barrel, matching numbers on barrel, forend, butt plate and receiver (#5XXX), 28” tapered octagon barrel, very aged blue to brown/gray barrel mottled gray/brown receiver, still some good blue on hammer and breech block, generally exc. wood with light handling only, original front sight with replaced fixed rear sight (old), bright fine+ bore may clean out better, as an aside, of those few No.1 sporting rifles I do encounter, most have been altered by having lined or re-bored barrels, extra holes/dovetails in the barrels, non-matching numbered major parts etc. etc., this one is an honest and original  No.1 Sporter, $3200.

 

                               AMAZING COLLECTION OF REMINGTON KEENE RIFLES!- MORE ADDED!

3) SUPER RARE U. S. NAVY REMINGTON KEENE MUSKET! This is only the 2nd. or maybe the 3rd of these I've ever seen.  Even the Remington books rarely picture one. Only 250 of these were made special for the U. S. Navy and Marines in 1880, all got issued and used.  They are almost never encountered today and the survival rate has to me tiny.  This one has all the correct dimensions and naval markings/inspector markings, mostly gray barrel with some good blue on the receiver, fine wood shows handling and has an age crack on each side of the receiver- neither of which go any place and are minor, correct sights and swivels, needs cleaning rod only, bright fine bore that should clean near exc., rack number "10" in small numerals on butt plate and in wood, almost never offered for sale, the hardest U.S. Navy/Marine Corpse model to acquire! Canfield says, "Complete specimens in decent condition are rare, and many collectors have never seen an example... There are few U.S. military weapons of this era that are as uncommon as a genuine unaltered Remington-Keene U.S. Navy rifle."  $4850.``

4)  THE ONLY ONE OF THESE I'VE EVER SEEN! REMINGTON KEENE ARMY MUSKET!  According to Bruce Canfields excellent book, U.S. Military Bolt Action Rifles, only a few of these were produced for government trials and then  never ordered, it is assumed some were sold on the civilian market as Remington advertised them, but if so, they couldn't have sold many as this is the only one I've encountered in twenty plus years! Although not caliber marked as most are (experimental or proto-type?) I believe the caliber is .43 (same as the .44-77).  Aged dark uncleaned  metal 32 1/2" barrel, original sights and swivels, fine wood with one hairline crack from the upper tang around to the trigger guard on the left side (hard to see), cleaning rod intact,  exc. bright bore (!), has an unusual factory "tab" on the front of the loading gate that I've not seen on any other Keene model- perhaps made for government trials?  I don't expect to ever offer another of these! $4850.

5)  UNQUESTIONABLY AUTHENTIC AMERICAN INDIAN ISSUED AND USED .45-70 KEENE BOLT ACTION RIFLE WITH ALL CORRECT "U.S.I.D." (UNITED STATES INTERIOR DEPARTMENT) MARKINGS AS WELL AS THE CORRECT INSPECTOR MARKINGS (H.N.) ETC. ISSUED TO ARM THE INDIAN POLICE 1880-1881.  Thise one has had an active life of service!  At some time the magazine tube was cut back and the front barrel band which held the front sight removed, very old worn in crack on the left side of the wrist from the upper tang down to the trigger (see my Notes from the Field on these kinds of cracks at the bottom of this website) , retains the correct swivels, poor bore with no visible rifling, has five large tacks in the right side of the butt stock in the typical cross pattern, correct butt plate, correct rear sight, trigger return spring either weak, broken or missing, very deep uncleaned aged brown patina overall, left side of receiver correctly marked "U.S.I.D. 3XX" with correct tiny "H.N." (Henry Nettleton) inspector stamps on the barrel side and the receiver side, correct "arrow" stamping and "P" over "WWP" inspector markings on the receiver ring, you can't get more authentic Indian and Old West than this one, If you've always wanted a "real" Indian gun but figured most of the ones out there are fakes or phony in some way or other, this is one that is beyond question!  Wonderful history in this one! $2250 Three photos. (NOTE: Flayderman's Guide 9th Edition, now 5-6years old, lists these at Good-$2750 and Fine- $6000.)

6)  PARTICULARLY FINE REMINGTON KEENE .45-70 SPORTING RIFLE, this is the variation with the flat panels in the side of the stock at the receiver- used only on better sporters, nice aged blue overall that is thinning/mixing from age with some brown, but uncleaned, bore will scrub out exc., exc. wood a couple cracks on each side of the receiver- hard to tell as they are hairline and look like the grain of the wood- you have to look closely to see them, correct original sights, correct trap in butt for cleaning rods,  really nice appearance, these were only made in limited numbers from 1880-1883 for western trade, and most saw hard use, $2650. ``

7) VERY SCARCE 20" CARBINE VERSION KEENE .45-70, standard rifles have 24 1/2" barrels, but a few carbines with 20" barrels were offered, this one has fine aged barrel/receiver blue that is mixing a bit with some brown, mag tube ageing to plum, some scattered light patches of old rust that has been wiped- minor, exc. wood with correct swivels and has the usual cracks coming back on each side from the front of the trigger guard to the back of the upper tang- probably a horse roll-over crack (see my Notes from the Field section at the very end of this website for a discussion of this topic), tight action, correct original sights, bright exc. bore, $2850.

 

  

SAVAGE (click text for photos)

1) RARE BROWNING BROTHERS OGDEN U. MARKED HIGH CONDITION 1899B .30-30 OCTAGON BARREL SPORTER, MADE 1910, very possibly handled by the famous John M. Browning himself and certainly sold from their western store in Utah, This rifle would be in pristine condition but for some poor storage that left a some freckling on the barrel and light handling marks in the wood-mainly in the wood finish, bright high polish receiver finish nearly all intact with minor edge wear, exc. vivid case colors on lever, exc. sharp bore, matching serial numbered butt plate retains fine blue, original sights, great caliber especially in an octagon rifle with true western pedigree! $1950.

2) SPECIAL ORDER SCARCE HALF OCTAGON MODEL 1899C RIFLE WITH SHOTGUN BUTT, IN DESIRABLE .30-30 CALIBER, MADE 1902, all matching numbers on receiver,  forend, butt stock and smooth steel butt plate, exc. attractive red-brown walnut with barely a hint of the usual age cracks behind the top of the receiver, tight action, fine aged barrel blue, very thin aged blue mixing brown receiver, bore is dark but should scrub out fine, original sights, has a replaced magazine with a steel one (instead of brass) that appears stuck and will not turn, shouldn't be too difficult to fix, scarce configuration in a good caliber, $695.

3) SCARCE CALIBER 1899 ROUND BARREL RIFLE IN .25-35, WITH FACTORY LETTER SHOWING SHIPMENT TO TAMPA, FLORIDA IN 1908! Florida history is particularly interesting.  Tampa and central Florida was a pretty wild place at this time- full of gator hunters and illegal egret poachers (large white birds hunted to near extinction for their feathers that were used in Ladies' hats during this time), Florida was called the Wild West of the South by some at the time, Exc. deep barrel and receiver blue that is a little dulled from age, exc. wood without cracks, bore a little dark but with strong rifling, original sights, tight action, hard to find desirable caliber and great letter!  $1295.

 

 

SHILOH  SHARPS AND OTHER REPRODUCTIONS (click text for photos)

NOTE:  I am also a Shiloh Sharps dealer.  In fact, I am the only stocking dealer of Shiloh Sharps rifles.  I frequently have a selection of NIB stock on hand for immediate delivery AT CATALOGUE PRICE WITH NO ADDITIONAL PREMIUMS OR FEES!  For further info and lists of available rifles, see my other website,  www.shiloh-ballard.com  

1) SHILOH SHARPS, BIG TIMBER MONTANA No. 1 SPORTING RIFLE, .45-90 (.45- 2 4/10"), 30" heavy half octagon barrel, extra fancy walnut, pistol grip, cheek piece, double set triggers, checkered steel shotgun butt plate, polished barrel, pewter forend tip, full buckhorn/ladder rear sigh, like new with hang tang etc., $2650. ``

2) SHILOH SHARPS, BIG TIMBER, MONTANA .45-70 "BUSINESS MODEL", 28" heavy tapered round barrel, double set triggers, attractive and unusual dense semi-fancy walnut stock and forend, pewter forend tip, AA finish on the wood, traditional checkered steel shotgun butt plate, full buckhorn rear sight, very lightly used- about like new,  $2350.

 

 

SMITH AND WESSON (click text for photos)

1) SCARCE LADYSMITH 3RD MODEL .22RF REVOLVER MADE 1910-1921, only 12,200 of these were made making them difficult to locate today, most saw hard use and carry wear as they were so small and easy to toss into a tackle box or stick in a jacket pocket, they are also delicate mechanically and are often found in non functioning condition, this one is basically plum/brown color overall with some good blue in the more protected areas, original wood grips with S&W gold medallions show wear but fit perfectly, matching numbers, fine mech. and markings, only the forcing cone ahead of the barrel is gone- the result of firing high speed .22 ammo which this gun was never made for- most well used Ladysmiths suffer this condition or at least split/chipped forcing cones, exc. screws, unaltered front sight, good example, $650.

2) HISTORIC ARKANSAS STATE POLICE MARKED ON THE BACK STRAP PRE-MODEL 20 .38/44 HEAVY DUTY REVOLVER, 4", BLUE, MADE 1956-57, excellent overall with most of the blue wear to the back strap only which is turning brown, aside from some light edge wear & holster wear the rest of the gun shows most of the deep original blue, matching numbers including the grips which show some normal  wear- typical of police guns that were protected inside holsters except for the grips and back strap, vivid case colors on hammer and trigger, exc. inside and mech., unaltered front sight, great Southern history in this one during a turbulent time!  (Looks much better than photos show as lights make the blue look thin) $1195.

 

U.S. MILITARY AND SPRINGFIELD (click text for photos)

1) EARLY 1879 .45-70 TRAPDOOR SADDLE RING CARBINE, MADE 1882, this one has the five-pointed star after the serial number whose meaning is still unclear but was put on some rifles, carbines and cadet rifles between 1880 -1882 and may designate arms that were repaired, this was obviously an issued carbine that saw Western usage as there is honest sling ring wear behind the bar on the left side of the stock, good "Circle P" cartouche, fine bright bore, aged metal shows some pitting near the front sight (possible blood pitting) that is old and not overly deep or apparent, tight action, small crack coming back from the forend tip on the right side- minor, wood has never been sanded or refinished,  fine markings, only the trigger guard and barrel band appear from a rifle- possible old field replacement, correct "C" marked carbine rear sight, nice appearance, fine early Indian Wars cavalry carbine, $1395.

2) COLT DETECTIVE SPECIAL U.S. MARKINGS, FACTORY LETTER, (see above in Colt section)

3) SHARPS 1853 U.S. CARBINE (see above in Antique/Classic section)

4) REMINGTON KEENES: USN, ARMY & U.S.I.D. "INDIAN POLICE" .45-70 RIFLES  (see above in Remington section)

5) WINCHESTER 1897 U.S. TRENCHGUN (see below in Winchester section)

 

 WINCHESTER  RIFLES  and  SHOTGUNS (click text for photos) .

  1. AMAZING 1873 OFFERING: TRAPPER SADDLE RING CARBINE WITH ULTRA RARE 17" BARREL, FACTORY LETTER SHOWS SHIPMENT WITH THIS LENGTH IN MAY 1882!  This one came out of Mexico in the 1980s and I have a short note from the individual who found it and bought it at that time stating where it came from etc. This was a full factory nickel plated carbine- typical for shipment to Mexico- and still retains about 30%+ nickel on the receiver, lever, tangs, dust cover etc with the balance flaked to silver/brown, still some good nickel on the butt plate and barrel bands with only traces on the barrel and mag tube, during this time there were many nickel plated saddle ring carbines most of which were shipped south of our border, all are unquestionably factory nickeled by Winchester, yet were not logged into the records this way (I've owned several and know of others- all late 2nd. model or early 3rd. model carbines), no mention is made of nickel plating in the 1988 dated factory letter with this one, surprisingly exc. screws, full slightly aged nickel remains on the undented/uncleaned brass lifter, original carbine sights, BRIGHT ABOUT EXC. BORE, forearm shows heavy saddle wear on the bottom, fine butt stock has a typical horse roll-over crack coming back from the upper tang on the left side (see Notes from the Field at the bottom of this website for a discussion of stocks that are cracked in this manner) that is almost invisible from the outside as it was repaired by filling the cleaning rod hole in the butt stock with a wood dowel!  Very effective, solid and about invisible, tight action,  exc. markings. About as rare as any 1873 can be! ( four photos) $8750.
  2. 1873 2ND. MODEL .44-40 SADDLE RING CARBINE, #65XXX, MADE 1881, really great untouched appearance, overall an aged plum/brown patina with some good blue on the loading gate and in the more protected areas of the receiver, some evidence of old surface rust scattered mainly on the barrel/mag and barrel bands- minor and blends in, surprisingly near exc. bore! solid walnut forend and butt stock with honest very old worn in saddle wear to the top side edges of the forend, original dust cover intact, early leaf carbine sight, uncleaned mellow brass lifter, fine action, great early frontier 1873 carbine, $2950.
  3. 1873 ENGRAVED .44-40 SADDLE RING CARBINE, MADE 1883, WHAT A STORY THIS ONE COULD TELL! British proofed and shipped to England where the left side of the receiver is engraved in three lines "CHARLES LANCASTER," "151 NEW BOND STREET," "LONDON" surrounded by nice scroll engraving on side plates and receiver sides, receiver top and around hammer and upper tang, top of butt plate, brass follower, and lever bottom, the previous owner found this one in Buenos Aires, Argentina! It was missing the dust cover which he replaced and had engraved in a simple scroll to match, this carbine has seen a good deal of use, but little abuse, the metal is mostly a dull aged gray brown with scattered evidence of some rust mainly on the butt plate, fine wood with normal handling and wear, good blue on the loading gate, correct carbine sights (slide only on rear sight has a spot of solder on it), fine action, fine engraving shows some normal light handling wear from age, VG to fine bright bore, fine markings.  Charles Lancaster was one of the finest and best known gun makers in England, he obviously engraved it in-house when the carbine was new, he had a large following among the wealthy British sportsmen of the day to whom this Winchester would have great appeal, Not engraved by the Winchester engraves, but none the less engraved when new by a London master engraver, if you ever wanted a true engraved Winchester 1873 without spending an absolute fortune, this is a good chance, got to be amazing history in this one!  How it got from England to eventually South America would be a great story! $3850. (5 photos)
  4. SPECIAL ORDER 1873 .44-40 RIFLE WITH RARE EXTRA LONG 30" OCTAGON BARREL, MADE 1887, overall barrel and magazine show a deep aged blue to plum with some small areas of thinning, receiver blue aged dark with some thinning areas mainly on the side plates and some scattered rust spots on the forward right side- minor, original dust cover intact,  good blue on loading gate, fine wood, rear buckhorn sight needs elevator bar only, fine bore with scattered light pitting, good appearance, scarce barrel length especially in .44 caliber,  $2650
  5. THE ABSOLUTE RAREST 1876 I'VE ENCOUNTERED! THIS IS AN 1876 MUSKET THAT LETTERS "FULL NICKEL" AND SHIPPED WITH SABER BAYONET & SCABBARD IN 1883! Only 617 muskets were produced in the Model 1876 series and this is the first I've even heard of with nickel finish. In fact, the 1876 musket is so rare I've only seen a very few in the last 20 years.  According to THE WINCHESTER BOOK by Madis, "In condition, most muskets show a great deal of use.  While Winchester offered muskets for the civilian trade with many special features, orders for special barrel lengths, calibers and other extras were discouraged and rarely provided." It is thought most of these muskets were shipped abroad and survival rates are also thought to be in the 20-30% category making all of these rare indeed, but one with special nickel finish super rare.  Standard caliber .45-75, 32" barrel with unusual wiping rod mounted to the side, retains about 30-40% nickel on the receiver blending evenly with gray for a better than usual appearance, traces of nickel remain on the protected parts of the lever with good nickel on the hammer, butt plate and hammer mostly gray/brown, nickel under barrel band and some on the forward band/bayonet lug, Good to VG bore, exc. forend, butt stock shows a barely visible hairline crack coming back from the upper tang on the right side and some wood shrinkage around the tang, swivels intact, nice nickel on the original dust cover and on the brass lifter, correct musket rear sight, fine action, a truly great Winchester rarity! ( four photos ) $7850.
  6. 1885 HIGHWALL SINGLE SHOT RIFLE IN DESIRABLE .45-70 CALIBER, MADE 1896, a surprisingly difficult caliber to find in these, standard rifle with 30" #3 octagon barrel and crescent butt plate, fine aged barrel blue, mottled dark patina receiver, fine stock and forend showing good wood to metal fit and light handling only, few minor and small spots of old pitting (blood pitting?)- you have to look for it to see it, bore should clean out about exc., buckhorn rear sight with Rocky Mountain blade front sight, tight action, fine appearance, of the roughly 140,000 1885s made only 2966 were in .45-70 and they don't show up often. $2600.

  7. VERY RARE AND UNUSUAL 1886 WITH SPECIAL ORDER EXTRA LONG 32” OCTAGON BARREL AND FULL MAGAZINE (CORRECTLY HELD TO THE BARREL BY TWO MAG RETAINING BANDS) AND SINGLE SET TRIGGER, FACTORY LETTER CONFIRMS ALL AND SHOWS SHIPMENT IN FEBRUARY 1889, barrels over 30” have two magazine retaining bands and are extremely rare, according to the Winchester Handbook  by George Madis out of about 160,000 Model 1886s only 478 had barrels longer than the standard length of 26” and when you consider that most of these were 28” or maybe 30” the number of 32”, 34” and 36” barrels with two mag retaining bands must be really very small, this one has a deep very aged blue barrel and mag patina that shows evidence of some scattered old rust that has been wiped off mainly toward the muzzle end of the barrel, dark aged patina receiver with some good aged blue on the bolt, tight action with weak half cock, set rigger functions fine, VG stock and forend with normal handling wear and a small chip at the juncture of the upper tang and receiver on the right side- minor, bore is a bit dark with strong rifling and should clean out fine+ or better, buckhorn rear sight with frontier blade front, no extra holes, fine markings, a well used early 1886 with super rare features, factory letter included, $4850.

  8. ANTIQUE SERIAL NUMBER CASE COLORED RECEIVER MODEL 1890, .22 LONG CALIBER, MADE 1898, a really nice example that still shows some nice light case color on the right side of the receiver with a little less on the left side, some case color is present in the upper parts of the trigger guard, on hammer and around the hammer on top, exc. blue on the bolt, exc. blue on the barrel and mag., bore will clean about fine, exc. wood, tight action, in the 59XXX serial range, (five photos) $1695.
  9. 1892 TRAPPER SADDLE RING CARBINE, .44-40,  WITH RARE 14 INCH BARREL., MADE 1919,  WITH B.A.T.F. CLEARANCE PAPERS LISTING THIS CARBINE BY SERIAL NUMBER AND MAKING IT PERFECTLY LEGAL TO OWN, most of these 1892 Trappers had 15 inch barrels, the 14" is the most rare and desirable, mostly gray patina metal with some of the usual nicks and dings seen on trappers, good blue on the loading gate and in some of the most protected areas, original sights, exc. markings with the barrel address AHEAD OF THE BARREL BAND as only found on the shortest trapper carbines, surprisingly bright bore with just some minor sort of roughness in the middle, much better than normally seen, $4250.
  10. 1892 .38-40 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1906, fine deep original blue on barrel, magazine and receiver that is starting to age and mix with some plum- still lots of good blue, never cleaned or messed with, only the tang screw has been altered by having a thin "wing" neatly welded to the screw head to act as a thumb screw- I assume to be able to remove the screw to take the stock off to make a kind of takedown?  bright exc. bore with one or two minor spots near the center that ought to brush out, flat top buckhorn rear sight and original front sight, exc. wood, exc. screws, still shows some case color mainly on the left side of the lever, great appearance and lots of finish, (left side of receiver looks much better than bottom photo shows- lots of good blue) $1695.
  11. BEAUTIFUL CONDITION 1892 .25-20 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1925, deep high polish blue overall with just minor edge wear and the slightest of thinning on the bottom of the receiver by the serial number, even the upper tang has about all the blue, exc. walnut stock and forend, exc. bright bore, original sights, about as nice as you could hope to find without being flat new in the box! (bottom photo: edges of receiver reflected light) $2950.
  12. TRULY OUTSTANDING CONDITION 1892 44-40 SPECIAL ORDER CARBINE WITH HALF MAGAZINE AND NO PROVISION FOR SADDLE RING, MADE 1925, not quite mint, but not too far from it either, nearly all the deep, bright  blue remains on the barrel and receiver with just some minute beginnings of light spotting/flaking on the bottom and right side of receiver- hardly worth mentioning- even the upper tang & lever have about all the deep blue, and the most minor of scuffs on the barrel- too minor to describe-, special three leaf rear sight with all leaves intact, exc. walnut with very tight wood to metal fit, exc. unturned screws, mint bright bore, even the butt plate shows blue wear only to the upper and lower tips from standing in a rack with the rest deep blue, great investment Winchester, (note: terrible photos! photo lights reflected badly off the bright blue receiver making it look thin, dull,  washed out and lots of edge wear- the blue is deep and bright all over with almost no edge wear!)  $4850.

  13. ANTIQUE SERIAL NUMBER 1894 .25-35 OCTAGON RIFLE, MADE 1898, Fine deep barrel blue showing light edge wear only, mag tube shows good blue that is mixing a little brown on the bottom & toward the muzzle, dark very aged blue on receiver sides thinning on edges, top and bottom, fine blue on loading gate, buckhorn rear sight with Rocky Mountain blade front sight, fine wood showing normal light handling marks only, tight wood to metal fit, bore a bit dark with deep rifling should clean better, fine screws,  hard to find this caliber in such an early rifle, $1495.

  14. 1894 .38-55 ROUND BARREL RIFLE MADE 1902, really fine example with fine deep barrel and mag blue showing only very minor age, also fine receiver sides blue that is thinning a little, but still deep, aged blue on bolt and forend cap, exc. walnut with tight wood to metal fit, Marble tang sight with original buckhorn and front sights, exc. bore, traces of case color on hammer and lever, hard to find caliber especially this nice,  $1975. ``
  15. UNUSUAL SPECIAL ORDER 1894 SADDLE RING CARBINE, .30WCF,  WITH HALF MAGAZINE,  SHOTGUN BUTT AND THREE LEAF EXPRESS SIGHT, MADE 1912, fine deep barrel blue, receiver aged to gray/brown with some blue in protected areas and around the saddle ring, express sight has all three leaves, exc. walnut stock and forend show normal light handling only with tight wood to metal fit, correct smooth steel butt plate, exc. screws, tight action, exc. sharp bore is a little dark and could use a good clean, scarce combination of features, 100 years old and all unfooled with, $1295.
  16. ONE OF THE LAST CLASSIC 1894 SADDLE RING CARBINES, .30WCF, MADE IN THE YEAR OF THE GREAT STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929,  probably a special order carbine with saddle ring as by this time they were not supplied as standard, most of these 1920s vintage '94s have receivers flaked to silver, this one still retains good deep blue with mixing blue flaking/freckling to plum on both sides (a little more on the left side), exc. blue on the bolt and loading gate, fine deep barrel and mag blue with a couple small finger tip size spots of old rust/pitting that you have to look for to find, exc. walnut stock and forend, original correct carbine sights, exc. bright and sharp bore, tight action, $1495.
  17. 1895 .405 CALIBER RIFLE, MADE 1922, Teddy Roosevelt used one of these on his famed African safari and called it his "Lion Medicine," exc. wood with tight wood to metal fit and retains the original ebony wedge in the forend tip, fine deep barrel blue with very minor thinning, receiver shows good blue in the more protected areas and on the bolt, tight action, no extra holes, sharp bright exc. bore with light and crisp trigger pull, hard to find desirable caliber, $3295.``
  18. COLORFUL FRONTIER RAWHIDE REPAIRED WRIST ON THIS FINE CONDITION 1895 .30-40 SADDLE RING CARBINE, I was told this one came out of Colorado, typical example of a cracked stock caused by a horse roll over (see my NOTES FROM THE FIELD at the bottom of this website that deals with this subject) that was repaired in the tried and true frontier manner of wrapping wet raw hide around the wrist, sewing it tight and letting it shrink-dry to hold the wood tightly together, leather getting some stained dark areas,  receiver blue aged to an uncleaned aged plum with better aged blue on the bolt, fine barrel blue, fine wood aside from that described, original handguard intact, original carbine sights, bore a little dark but should scrub out exc., tight action, this one has a great look and feel to it- I almost kept it myself! $1495.
  19. 1897 SOLID FRAME RIOT GUN, 12 GA, MADE 1939, classic gangster era fighting shotgun popular with police, border patrol and prison guards, this one has seen use, but is solid and original, fine butt stock with a couple typical barely visible hairline cracks coming back from the receiver for an inch or so on each side- minor and hard to see, original Winchester embossed butt plate, fine forend, good aged blue overall that is thinning and mixing gray, exc. markings including the "CYL" choke stamping on the barrel side, some minor evidence of some old and scattered rust that was wiped off, exc. inside  and mech. $695.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  20. WORLD WAR I 1897 U. S. AND FLAMING BOMB MARKED TRENCH GUN, correctly marked U.S. and flaming bomb on the upper right side of receiver, correct 6-hole handguard marked "Pat Appl For" fine blue on the receiver sides mixing brown on edges, top and bottom, good mag tube blue mixing brown, gray handguard, aged blue to brown on exposed barrel ahead of receiver, fine walnut slide, butt stock has a chip/sliver out of the bottom from just behind the swivel to the butt which is very old and worn in, the butt plate replaced with what appears to be leather that fits perfectly and is worn in exactly to the rest of the stock etc, bright bore, tight action, needs only wire bale (for sling) in bayonet lug portion of handguard, #677XXX, this one was probably used in the trenches and never arsenal rebuilt or refinished!  $2950.
  21. EXCELLENT CONDITION MODEL 64 STANDARD RIFLE IN .30WCF CALIBER MADE DURING WORLD WAR II OR JUST AFTER, excellent plus overall with the most minor or wear only, not mint, but not far off either, complete with front sight hood, serial number 1415XXX, these are going to rapidly appreciate in value, (in photos the wear on the receiver is just photo light reflection) $1395.

 

 

 

    BILL GOODMAN,  305 DONEGAL DRIVE,  BOZEMAN,  MONTANA  59715           TEL.  (406) 587-3131          FAX  (406) 219-3415   

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 THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD NOTES FROM THE FIELD I'M KEEPING IT HERE.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD:  (27 April 2011) CRACKED STOCKS!  Seems like an odd thing to write about, but this is something I've not seen in print before. I've observed a lot of rifles with cracks coming straight back toward the butt plate from the upper and lower tangs. Sometimes the cracks are severe enough to warrant repairs (like cross bolts etc. through the wrist or extensive gluing) and other times the stock remains pretty solid as is.  So what caused this condition in the first place?  I've hunted with all kinds of rifles in all kinds of weather and terrain and never had a gun get damaged like all these I've seen.  And I've taken some pretty bad falls too. Once, on ice I couldn't see beneath a couple inches of fresh snow, my feet went out from under me and my rifle landed a number of yards away!  Still, no cracks like these. So I've been puzzled by this for some time.  Then it hit me, since these guns all seemed like Western big game rifles- large lever actions like 1876 and 1886 Winchesters or Marlin 1881 and 1895s as well as all sorts of saddle ring carbines-  I'll bet they were all damaged FROM HORSES! Now this is speculation, but I believe most of these cracked stocks are from horses rolling over while the rifles were in saddle scabbards- fairly common in icy winter conditions, especially in the mountains. Also, sometimes horses will walk so close to trees that they rub against them.  If a rifle is in a butt-forward position scabbard, the rifle can go on one side of the tree and the horse the other causing a stress cracked stock.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.  The wrists are fairly strong on most rifles and it takes a lot to crack one.  If anyone else has a different theory about this condition, I'd like to hear it!

          

 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD:  (24 OCTOBER 2011) "GUNS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION YEARS"  When the Great Depression began with the Stock Market Crash of 1929 America was taken by surprise.  Prior to this pivotal event, in the gun industry production was high and sales were brisk.  Almost overnight sales fell off hugely.  The Winchester Handbook by George Madis shows production numbers by years of some of the major models.  This is pretty illuminating.  Here are some examples: Model 1890 .22RF had 12,367 produced in 1928 and 696 made in 1932; Model 1892 saw 64,833 produced in 1910 and 491 in 1930; Model 53 had 2,861 produced in 1925 and 30 made in 1937; Model 1894 had 29,967 made in 1927 and only1,192 made in 1934; Model 55 had 3,064 made in 1927 and 42 made in 1936. Colt, Marlin, Savage, Remington and Smith & Wesson etc. all felt the same pressure.  With production down to a fraction of what it was, the big manufacturers had no choice but to fire employees.  Those lucky enough to be retained were the most highly skilled and experienced craftsmen.  They also had time to put extra fine fitting and finishing into each firearm.  Generally, the quality of these guns is truly exceptionally.  With production numbers of these late pre-war arms relatively small and quality without peer, their value should be assured.  Some of the scarce large frame Colt and S&W handguns- especially the target sighted versions- are almost breathtaking in their fit and finish.  This has been an under-appreciated niche in arms collecting/investing. It is my belief Great Depression era  arms are often "sleepers" on the antique market today and are bound to increase in value at a rapid pace making them excellent long term investments. (This "Notes from the Field" will be my way of communicating with you- on an opinion basis- topics pertaining to gun collecting and related subjects as I see them.  I'll update it from time to time.  Thanks for reading-  Bill Goodman)