BILL GOODMAN, 280 W. KAGY BLVD. SUITE D #152, BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59715

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

EMAIL: montanaraven@hotmail.com

 

Bill Goodman has been a collector of antique/collector firearms for well over 40 years and a full time dealer for over 30 years. Traveling around the country constantly seeking good quality collector arms at REALISTIC PRICES, Bill sells exclusively by mail order. Until recently, 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/classic 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 or email to check availability and for 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. AND PLEASE, MAKE CHECKS TO WILLIAM (OR BILL) GOODMAN AND NOT GOODMANGUNS

 

MORE GUNS WERE POSTED 4/17/26. WATCH FOR FREQUENT POSTINGS  THROUGH APRIL.

 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD:

The other day I was at the range sighting in a Winchester Model 52 target rifle, .22 Long Rifle caliber, made in 1936. It weighs 9 ½ lbs so is a bit heavier than most .22 Sporters, but certainly not as heavy as the bull barrel target models. This one is unaltered and retains the superb factory Lyman receiver sight and globe front sight. It’s made to be typically shot in 50 foot competition, so that’s how I sighted it. Tiny, one-hole groups were the norm even with cheap bulk ammo. The rifle turned up at a local show and I didn’t pay much for it. Aside from formal competition, its a fun general purpose .22 rifle. While shooting from the bench I got to thinking what a bargain it was. After all, it’s a Model 52- Winchesters top-of-the-line rifle at the time. Since there’s not much interest these days in the type of shooting this rifle was designed for, and those who do pursue small bore bullseye now use high-tech rifles made from synthetics with fully adjustable everything, demand and prices are fairly low. Then I started to ponder what other bargains are out there… Here’s a few I came up with. In the handgun area just about any Pre-War auto pistols in .32 ACP caliber along with nearly all Colt and S&W Pre-War and early Post-War .32 and .38 revolvers. The S&W .32 Hand Ejectors come to mind as do the Colt Officers Models in .22 and .38 Special. If you are looking for a shooter, in decent condition, but not minty, prices are reasonable, the ammo is cheap or easily reloaded, and the quality is simply amazing. There are also .32-20s in double action form from both manufacturers with modest price tags. In the rifle line, The target models like the one above are certainly bargains- especially the early versions with the Winchester “barrel band” rifles, like mine, being often down right cheap. In center fire rifles, the early Remington 40X single shot target models stand out also. Walnut stocked with heavy barrels and precise iron sights, these too are a joy to shoot. I have one in .308 that didn’t cost much considering the quality and its accuracy is astounding. Of course, all of the common Trapdoor Springfield rifles in .45-70 are still bargains with their impeccable 19th century Springfield Armory workmanhip inside and out. Lastly, high quality, hand fitted double barrel Damascus and some steel barrel shotguns from the late 19^th and early 20^th century can be had inexpensively. I shoot mine with black powder and easily reloadable brass shells that seem to last forever (See older NOTES FROM THE FIELD for more on this as well as Great Depression Era firearms). This is just a smattering of examples, but bargains all!

 

COLT FIRE ARMS (click text for photo) 

 

1) VERY FINE SINGLE ACTION ARMY, .38-40, 5 ½”, FACTORY LETTER, #343XXX, SHIPPED 1922.        This Colt has seen very little use and shows about all the deep blue. There is one wear spot approx. 2” long on the left side of the barrel going forward from just below the caliber designation. There is also one very small rub spot on the bottom forward portion of the trigger guard bow. Aside from that, the ejector housing retains all the blue, the cylinder shows only the lightest of edge wear, grip straps and butt show fine deep blue. Fine light case color on the frame sides with more vivid color ahead of the cylinder and on the recoil shield, and even good color on the top strap. Exc. grips, screw heads and cylinder pin show fine fire blue, front sight has not been altered, four distinct clicks and hold properly, and the bore is excellent and bright. The Colt factory letter verifies the caliber, barrel length etc. (grips not listed- typical) and indicates it was a one gun shipment to Janney, Semple, Hill & Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 18, 1922. A really sharp 104 year old Colt Single Action Army. $3250.

2) EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, BLUE AND CASE COLOR NEW LINE .38 COLT CENTER FIRE CALIBER REVOLVER WITH SUPER RARE 4″ BARREL, #9XXX, MADE 1879. Almost all of the .38 New Line revolvers were made with 2 1/4″ barrels. With only about 5,500 made in both rim fire and center fire caliber in both nickel and blue finish from 1874-1880, the model itself is not all that common. Most that I’ve encountered have been .38 Rim Fire, 2 1/4″ barrel and nickel finish. The blue/case color revolvers were made in much smaller numbers and are hard to find, especially with any finish remaining. It is thought that only a very limited number were made with 4″ barrel and any .38 New line in either Rim Fire or Center Fire; blue or nickel finish is an extreme Colt rarity. This example was made with the full frame case colored and the barrel and cylinder blued. Remarkably, it retains fine deep blue on both the cylinder and barrel with only minor dulling from age in some areas with very minor edge wear. The barrel has all the correct sharp address markings on the top, a full “COLT NEW 38” etched panel on the left side and correct tiny  1874 patent date under the cylinder pin on the barrel bottom. There is excellent fire blue on the hammer back, trigger face and loading gate. Most of the case color remains which is more vibrant on the sides of the frame and a little more darkened and aged (but still good) elsewhere. Exc. rosewood grips, exc. action and unaltered front sight. The right bottom of the frame below the cylinder is correctly stamped “38  C” for center fire. You can look for years for a 4″ .38 C.F. New line in any condition and never be successful. This one is outstanding. $2650.

3) EXTREMELY EARLY AND RARE CALIBER MARKING NEW SERVICE, 44 S&W CALIBER, 7 1/2″ BARREL, #5XXX, MADE 1900. This New Service was made in the second full year of production (only a very few were made in 1898 when the model was introduced). Standard calibers were .45 Colt (.45 Long Colt) with lesser numbers made in .44-40, .38-40 and .455 Eley for the British Market. This one is marked on the barrel side “FOR .44 S& W CTG. ” which was the early designation for the .44 Russian cartridge. Later New Services were stamped .44 RUSSIAN CTG. This example has all the early features including the last barrel patent date of 1900, circle COLT NEW SERVICE stamping on the frame etc.  The frame shows fine blue with some small amounts of brown mkxng and edge wear. The grip straps are mostly brown with some good blue on the butt and on the bottom of the trigger guard bow. Fine lightly aged blue on the cylinder and fine blue on the barrel with some blue wear/thinning on the sides. Lanyard swivel intact and good fire blue on the trigger sides. Light case color remains on thre hamnmer. Fine grips. Cylinder locks up tight when the hammer falls (as this is when the Colts lock up). Bore shows good rifling with scattered light pitting. Unaltered front sight. This is a very rare caliber marked early New Service. $2150

4) COLT NEW SERVICE ADJUSTABLE SIGHTED TARGET MODEL, .45 COLT, FACTORY LETTEER, #120XXX, SHIPPED 1917. The Colt letter verifies that this New Service Target revolver in .45 Colt caliber, blue finish etc. was shipped to J. F. Tribble (address unavailable) on February 19, 1917. The letter also states that this was a 1 gun shipment. This was the year the U.S. entered World War I and some research (ancestry.com?) might link this revolver to someone in the military, no doubt an officer who might purchase an expensive Colt  like this. This example shows some holster wear from carrying, but was well cared for. The barrel shows gray streaking part way down on both sides with the top and bottom of the barrel retaining all the bright blue. The cylinder shows edge wear, but retains good blue. The frame and top strap show about all the blue with sharp rampant colt on the left side as well as sharp barrel markings. The last patent date on the barrel is 1905. Has the classic checkered back strap, front strap and trigger with some blue thinning on the bottom of the trigger guard. The butt shows about all the deep high polish blue. The trigger sides and hammer back show bright fire blue. Sights appear original and unaltered. Fleur de Lis walnut grips with deep dish medallions are in fine condition and show only light handling wear. The action is extremely tight with no play in the cylinder when the hammer falls. Bore is minty bright. Still has most of the blue on the front face of the cylinder indicating that it was shot to a very limited degree. A great and rare 109 year old target sighted revolver, considered one of the finest revolvers ever produced by Colt. $2850.

5) SCARCE PRE-WAR .22 LR CALIBER OFFICIAL POLICE, WITH COLT FACTORY LETTER, #25XXX, SHIPPED 1941. This distinct variant of the famed Official Police line in .22 LR only was introduced in 1930. It was intended to be mainly used as a “training revolver” using cheap and no recoiling .22 LR ammo for police and military use. As such, not many were poduced. Serial numbers started in 1930 at No. 1 and by 1940 had reached only 14000. Most years only a few hundred were produced (Great Depression era). Interestingly, this one has a high serial number for a pre-War example, so I lettered it with Colt. Production stopped for these at World War II and then began again in 1947 starting with serial number 30000. The colt letter indicates that this .22 LR Official Police Revolver with 6″ barrel and blue finish (standard) was shipped on August 18, 1941 to Blish, Mize & Stillman Hardware Company, Atchison, Kansas. Further, it is listed as a single gun shipment. I believe this was probably a single gun order for the Atchison Police or very probably for Fort Leavenworth which is only 20 miles from Atchison. This company is still in business and started in 1871 to supply wagon trains heading West! (info included).  This limited production Pre-War example shows it was used, but not abused. The action is tight with a bright bore. The blue finish has turned gray on the grip straps (good blue on the butt) and trigger guard. The cylinder blue is thinning with edge wear and good blue in the flutes. Some finish wear to the sides of the barrel. Good frame blue and exc. markings. Unaltered front sight, checkering on the grips is worn evenly on both sides from handling. My bet is that with the outbreak of World War II only months away from the shipping date of this Colt, it was used throughout World War II as a military trainer- many in the military were issued Colt Official Police .38 Special revolvers. In all, a very interesting and scarce historical Colt with factory letter. $895.

6) EARLY POST-WAR OFFICERS MODEL TARGET .22 LR #56XXX, MADE 1949. These wonderful  adjustable sighted  revolvers were hand fitted and tuned making them truly superb revolvers for field or target use. Colt used the same action as these in their later Python Model that was introduced in the 1950s. This example shows a little holster wear on the forward section of the  barrel sides and some light wear to the high edges of the cylinder. The frame etc. show about all the blue. The front face of the cylinder also retains exc. blue indicating that it was shot little. Very tight action with no cylinder play or end shake. Correct “Coltwood” synthetic stocks of the period. Too expensive to produce today, these are still bargains in the revolver field. $795.

MARLIN (click text for photos)

 

1) HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT J. M. MARLIN No. 1 HUNTING RIFLE, .44 EXTRA LONG CENTER FIRE/RIM FIRE, #421. This rifle is mentioned by serial number in John Dutcher’s excellent and complete book BALLARD The Great American Single Shot. This is the definitive book on Ballard Rifles. The No.1 rifle has the patent date of 1875 indicating the first rifle in the Ballard line to have a reversible firing pin for either Rim Fire or Center Fire cartridges. Also, this was the first model to have the inside automatic extractor. Before this, all models had the external extractor knob extending down from the rear of the forearm which was pulled back when the action was open to manually extract a cartridge case. Only a couple hundred or so of this model were made from about 1875-1878. Dutcher was able to examine No. 1 Hunting Rifles between serials 278 – 421 (this rifle) and remarks that #421 would be near the end of production for this model. With so few made, these important Ballards rarely show up for sale. Survival rate is also probably fairly small considering these were last made almost 150 years ago. This example with standard 26” medium heavy round barrel has matching serial number 421 on the barrel, receiver and on both sides of the two-piece breech block. It has the original short folding ladder rear sight with the very short folding portion ladder broken off of the original swivel base with the small buckhorn leaf intact. Front sight is a Rocky Mountain blade made from a Liberty Nickel (made from 1883-1912). The barrel is an uncleaned aged brown. The receiver shows the correct J. M. Marlin markings with the 1875 patent date. Like the barrel, the receiver is a deep aged brown patina. Action is very tight with the lever snapping up securely and strong safety half cock. Reversible Rim Fire/Center Fire firing pin is intact (set for Center Fire). The forearm is fine and shows only light handling. The stock shows the usual age/stress cracks coming back from the receiver for a few inches on each side with some very minor chipping around the upper rear portion of the stock where it meets the receiver. Correct steel crescent butt plate is also numbered 421 on the inside. Surprisingly very fine bore that ought to brush out to near excellent. In all a most attractive and extremely rare/important Ballard rifle that is seldom encountered in any condition. $2450.

2) UNUSUAL SPECIAL ORDER MODEL ‘94 .32-20 WITH SUPER RARE EXTRA LONG 30” ROUND BARREL AND HALF MAGAZINE, #314XXX, MADE 1905. Standard length on this model was 24” and it is rare to find an extra long barrel, especially a barrel 6” longer than standard combined with a half magazine. I called the Cody Museum and received a “call-in sheet” on this one which verifies the model, caliber, barrel length, round barrel and half-magazine, showing it was shipped September 30, 1905. Receiver retains nice very light case colors on the sides and top mixing mottled gray. The barrel shows fine lightly aged and thinning blue with excellent markings, buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and correct Rocky Mountain blade front sight. Deep blue on the bolt and loading gate, exc. screw heads, tight action, strong safety half-cock and exc. bore that is only slightly dark with strong rifling all the way through. Exc. stock and forend. A truly rare Model ‘94 in fine condition. $2950.

3) SUPERB CASE COLORED MODEL 39A, # B6XXX, MADE 1941. A really choice example that shows about all the vivid case color on the receiver. Even the lever shows good color. Exc. deep blue on the barrel and magazine, original buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and blade/bead front sight, minty bright bore and tight action. Aside from a few very light surface handling marks/scratches on the left side of the butt stock, this one is in near new condition inside and out. It would be hard to find a better Pre-War case colored M-39A. $2450

 

A NOTE ABOUT “MODERN MARLINS: Marlin has closed its doors for good in North Haven, Connecticut and been bought out by the folks who own Remington. It looks like some models have been put back into production with the barrels marked “Utica, New York.” I did see one of the new ones with the old North Haven barrel address so I assume they had left over barrels they were using up. Quality in wood to metal fit was fair at best and trigger pulls were off the scale heavy! I don’t know if any of the octagon barrel “cowboy models” will be produced again, although their online catalogue does show a model 1894 cowboy-type with octagon barrel in .45 Colt. UPDATE: Remington has sold the Marlin line to Ruger.  Ruger is now producing some Marlin models with more to come. In my opinion, all of this with past quality control problems will make the CT manufactured Marlins even more desirable as shooters and collectibles. I know I’ll be looking for them, especially the limited production models.

1) MODEL 1894CL .32-20 “DUCKS UNLIMITED” LIMITED EDITION CLASSIC, #10045XXX, MADE 1990. These are really excellent little rifles with 22” round barrels, half magazines and Ballard-style rifling. They shoot jacketed and cast bullets equally well. Made in the old North Haven Marlin plant, this model was made in .25-20, .32-20 and .218 Bee. This example was part of a special run for the fine Ducks Unlimited organization and has the Ducks Unlimited circular gold color metal emblem inletted in the right side of the stock. This one retains the removeable hammer extension which is handy if the rifle is scoped (factory drilled and tapped on the receiver top). There are also a number of fine receiver peep sights that fit these holes also. In about new condition inside and out. These are getting very hard to find. $1495.

 

 

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

 

1) PAUL SHUTTLEWORTH STEVENS 44 ½ SCHUETZEN RIFLE, .32-40 CAL. This one appears to be an original Stevens action and butt stock with a Paul Shuttleworth installed barrel and forend. The receiver is in the white (French Gray) and is very tight with very light trigger pull. The hammer spring is heavy and strong. The butt stock has the fancy Stevens checkering and schnable pistol grip bottom with dense fancy grain walnut and fitted with a nickel plated Swiss butt plate with about all the nickel remaining. The 28” medium heavy half octagon barrel is fitted with scope blocks spaced about 7 ½” center to center. The front sight dovetail is empty. There is no rear sight dovetail. The top of the octagon receiver top is drilled and tapped with two holes with filler screws and the upper tang appears to have an extra hole (?). The forend is excellent and is equipped with a palm rest base (looks to be a CPA base). The barrel is marked “PAUL SHUTTLEWORTH” on top. Under the forend is stamped “DOUGLAS XX 15 TW .3210 GR 12.11.07 726” The number 726 is is written on the inside of the forend. Overall excellent with perfect bore. A couple small repaired chips/cracks at the upper tang receiver juncture- minor. Weighs 10 ¾ lbs. Should e a great shooting .32-40 built on the strong 44 ½ action! $2850.

2) SHARPS BORCHARDT .45-70 CUSTOM TARGET RIFLE WITH RARE SET TRIGGER, #17806. The receiver on this one retains fine Sharps markings and has an octagon receiver ring which leads me to believe it is a commercial action- the more common custom rifles built on military Borchardt actions have round receiver rings. Also, this one has the rare set trigger design unique to the Borchardt. The receiver shows full blue and the set trigger works correctly. The stock has a pistol grip with schnable bottom and is checkered. The shotgun butt plate is the hard rubber style with the SRCo logo in the middle. The forearm has matching fairly fancy checkering with schnable tip. The unmarked half octagon barrel measures approx. 32 ½” and has a recessed target crown. It is fitted with a long range Soule tang sight and a globe front sight that will take inserts. Action is tight and the bore appears perfect. Weighs just under 11 lbs.  Aside from a very few minor handling marks in the wood, this one appears little used. A truly beautiful and very high quality Sharps. $3850.

3) FINE EARLY SAVAGE 1899B OCTAGON BARREL RIFLE, .303 SAVAGE CALIBER, #67XXX, MADE 1905. A really nice example with crescent butt perch belly stock and 26” oct. barrel. The receiver shows fine blue with some gray mixing on the bottom and some dulling from age mixing with bright blue. Light traces of case color on the lever sides and inner portion. The barrel retains about all the blue with only light age. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and Savage marked blade/bead front sight. Also fitted with the correct Lyman tang sight. Stock and forend are excellent showing the lightest of handling with tight wood to metal fit and no cracking. Tight action, safety functions properly, brass rotary magazine spring is strong, exc. bore is bright and sharp. Quality .303 brass is once again readily available through the usual reloading outlet. These early Savage 1899s are getting hard to find especially with octagon barrels and fine, unaltered condition. This is a really fine 121 year old example. $1495.

4) CUSTOM WINCHESTER 1892 IN .256 WIN. MAG. CALIBER (see below in Winchester section)

5) EARLY J. M. MARLIN No. 1 HUNTER RIFLE, #421 (see above in Marlin section)

6) CUSTOM ROLLING BLOCK .45-70 SPORTING/TARTET RIFLE (see below in Shiloh Sharps/Reproduction section)

 

MODERN AND OUT OF PRODUCTION COLLECTOR FIREARMS (click text for photos)

 

1) CLASSIC BELGIAN BROWNING NOMAD .22LR AUTO PISTOL, DESIRABLE 6 ¾” BARREL, #42XXXP71, MADE 1971. All steel with adjustable sights and crisp target trigger, the Nomad was one of the most well made and accurate of the .22LR field grade auto pistols of the time. This one is in excellent condition showing about all the blue with only some dulling on the front strap and upper back strap. Tight action, Correct Browning marked magazine, exc. markings and grips. A 54 year old class act that would be too expensive to produce today. $695.

2) CUSTOM FANCY WINCHESTER MODEL 52 SPORTER (see below in Winchester section)

 

REMINGTON (click text for photos)

1) SPECIAL ORDER EARLY REMINGTON No.1 ROLLING BLOCK OCT. SPORTING RIFLE IN .44-77, #3XXX. It is fairly rare to find Sporters with special features. This one has a straight sporting stock with factory smooth steel ,shotgun butt plate instead of the usual curved heavy steel “carbine-style” butt plate. Second it has an extra long 32” octagon barrel. The standard length for these was 26” with a charge for each two inch increment over this length. Most seem to be found with 30” barrels with the long 32” not often seen. The inside of the butt plate number matches the receiver number as does the forend and bottom of the barrel number under the forearm. It is fitted with a case colored elevation adjustable mid-range vernier tang sight, a small spirit level (bubble level) in the narrow rear barrel dovetail along with a windage adjustable globe front sight. The front sight is probably a later addition as it is unmarked except for the patent date of Feb. 13, 1894. Stock and forend with correct steel schnable tip are generally excellent and show light handling with only some minor edge chipping at the forend bottom by the receiver. The receiver is mostly a mottled gray/brown. The hammer and breech block still retain some very aged blue. The barrel has even thin blue. The bore is bright and excellent with any corrosion very light and surface ahead of the chamber that is minor. Light hammer spring with weak half-cock. The barrel is correctly marked “.44 CTGE S.” on the bottom flat ahead of the forearm and the muzzle end of the barrel has the original Remington crown with the octagon edges beveled. An attractive and unusual 1870s Remington that is difficult to find in even standard configuration. $4350.

2) EXTREMELY FINE CONDITION REMINGTON No. 1 ROLLING BLOCK FACTORY 20 GA. SHOTGUN. This is the best condition one of these I’ve seen in decades. It is the type II made using the military butt stock. The receiver is the commercial variety made only for the shotgun Rolling Block with the fluted receiver ring. The receiver retains nearly all the vivid case color with only some dulling, but still good color, on the trigger guard bottom and tang. The upper tang shows all the correct Remington address and patent markings. The breech block and hammer show fine blue. The 32” barrel also retains most of the deep blue with only the smallest areas of age. Correct bead front sight, excellent forend and butt stock. The butt plate still shows some traces dark case color. Tight action with bright bore showing only the most minor or scattered corrosion. These are loads of fun to shoot with 20 ga. brass shells (readily available) and black powder. Most of these saw very hard use and it would be difficult to find a better example. $1495.

3) ONE OF THE LAST OF THE MODEL 14 PUMP RIFLES IN DESIRABLE .25 REM. CAL., WITH BRASS, #123XXX, MADE 1934. This was the last year of production of the M-14 which began in 1913. A solid example, this one shows some aged blue on the receiver mainly on the rear 2/3 and on the receiver top. The 22” barrel has some aged blue on the forward bottom section mainly with the balance gray. It is fitted with a correct Lyman receiver sight mounted in the factory holes along with a Marble blade/bead front sight. The two factory rear dovetails (one for the adjustment “wheel” and one for the buckhorn) have fillers. The stock is solid with no cracks with tight wood to metal fit and the original “upside/down” correct Remington steel butt plate. The forend is fine with one old and worn in surface flake/chip on the rear right side- minor. Action is tight, safety functions properly and the bore is bright and excellent. Exc. markings including the brass caliber cartridge base on the left side of the receiver. Comes with a Remington marked .25 Rem. Ammo box containing 19 rounds of new, unfired brass- 14 WRA headstamped and 5 Rem-UMC headstamped. Remington Model14s in this caliber are hard to find. $850.

4) 1) REMINGTON U. S. NAVY MODEL 1867 ROLLING BLOCK PISTOL (see below in Springfield/U.S. Military section)

5) CUSTOM ROLLING BLOCK .45-70 SPORTING/TARTET RIFLE (see below in Shiloh Sharps/Reproduction section)

 

 

RUGER (click text for photo),

1) RARE LIMITED PRODUCTION RUGER “BUCKEYE” BLACKHAWK REVOLVER CHAMBERED IN .38-40 WITH EXTRA 10MM AUTOMATIC CYLINDER, #611-02XXX, MADE 1990. These great shooting 6 ½” barrel revolvers were made on special contract with Buckeye Sports in Ohio. Unlike most Blackhawk revolvers, they have all steel construction (most Blackhawks have alloy grip straps). They are also stamped with the Buckeye logo on the top strap. Each cylinder is caliber marked. This example shows about all the blue with only a light cylinder line on each cylinder. It has probably seen very limited use. Exc. inside and out. Great shooters or collector revolvers, they are quite difficult to come by. $1395.

2) RARE SERIAL NUMBERS, PAIR OF 1ST YEAR PRODUCTION BLACKHAWKS, .30 CARBINE CALIBER, #80X, & 80X (3 NUMBERS APART!) MADE 1968. This caliber was introduced in 1968 with no-prefix serial numbers. Starting in 1969 all .30 Carbine caliber Blackhawks have serial numbers beginning with the prefix 50-XXX. This is an “Old Model” or “Three-Screw” early variant only made from 1968-1973 after which the “New Model” with transfer bar safety was made standard. With only five years of production, the .30 Carbine Old Model Blackhawk is one of the more difficult Old Models to find. This lower numbered early example (in photo) is in excellent condition inside and out. It shows only a very small amount of blue wear on the extreme tip of the ejector housing and a small amount on the bottom forward edge of the butt. The second one with slightly higher number is basically new inside and out (photo soon). It would be hard to find a better examples much less a first year production no-prefix serial number matchefd pair! $2600 for the pair.

 

SHILOH SHARPS, MUZZLE LOADERS AND OTHER REPRODUCTIONS. Note: I am a Shiloh Sharps dealer. Check out my other website for Shilohs: www.shiloh-ballard.com (click text for photos).

 

1) SHILOH SHARPS 1874 UPGRADED QUIGLEY MODEL, .45-70, #7XXXB. First, a few comments about the Quigley Model: The movie with Tom Selek QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER was released in 1990. Like the DIRTY HARRY Clint Eastwood movies featuring the S&W M-29 .44 Magnum revolver, The Quigley movie started a huge surge interest in Sharps rifles and huge numbers of rifle enthusiasts wanted one just like Tom Selek used. These rifles came with standard wood, patchbox, double set triggers, pewter tip, 34” heavy octagon barrel, a mid-range vernier tang sight with a globe front sight and chambered in .45-70 or .45-110, and up to three gold initials in an oval on the right side of the receiver (“M Q” for Matthew Quigley was not an option). Some upgrades were available. So, my point of all this is simple. Let’s say someone was 45 years old who saw the Quigley movie and was financially secure enough to order a rifle like the one in the movie. That person would now be 81 years old. The point is obvious. Over time there will be pre-owned rifles with gold initials on them. For a while shooters didn’t want a rifle with someone else’s initials, but that has changed. Now, the initials are simply part of the rifle’s history. Like finding an early Colt or Winchester with a factory engraved monogram. This would now raise the collector value of such a piece significantly. With all that said and out of the way, this rifle appears unfired. It has been upgraded with the following options: semi-fancy walnut with AA finish, brass escutcheons around the wood screws, bone/charcoal pack harden case colors on all the case colored parts, the front globe sight will take inserts and the vernier sight is fitted with a Hadly disc. It also comes with a leather “sight sack” to protect the tang sight. It has three gold initials in a gold oval “V P T.” If ordered like this today, the price would be something over $6000 with a 2 ½ year wait or more with probable price increases. I am offering this one at $4850.

2) JUST IN FROM SHILOH: No. 1 Sporter (pistol grip and cheek piece standard on this model), .45-90 caliber, 32″ heavy half-octagon barrel, no rear sight dovetail on the barrel, extra fancy, AA finish, steel shotgun butt plate, pewter tip, accent line on the cheek piece, brass escutcheons, polished barrel, polished and fire blued screws, bone charcoal pack harden case colors, weighs just over 11 1/2 lbs., built to be a stunningly beautiful long range rifle…………..$5559.87 (#13796) This is a total price with all shipping/insurance etc. included. NOTE: THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST RIFLES I HAD ON ORDERE ASIDE FROM ONE BATCH OF SPECIAL  NON-CATALOG RIFLES TO BE ADVERTISED SOON.

3) SELDOM SEEN MOWREY GUN WORKS, OLNEY, TEXAS ALLEN & THURBER .54 CALIBER PERCUSSION CARBINE, #5XXX. These interesting American made muzzle loaders were made from the 1970s-1980s. Some, like this one, used the heavy Allen & Thurber brass butt plate as that company used on their rifles in the 1850s. It also retains the Allen & Thurber brass frame and trigger guard. The simple action is accessible by a removeable side plate on the left side of the action. This is one of the seldom seen 22” octagon carbine models. Excellent overall condition showing only very light handling. Fixed rear sight is drift adjustable for windage. Exc. blue on the barrel, strong safety half-cock. This would be a very powerful hunting rifle with a stiff powder charge and either a hollow-base Minie bullet or round ball. $595.

4) SUPERB QUALITY BALLARD RIFLE & CARTRIDGE, CODY, WY, SPECIAL ORDER  BALLARD No. 1 ½ HUNTER’S RIFLE, .45-100 CAL., #C4XX. These excellent rifles were mainly made in the 1980s. They started out recreating the famed Ballard single shot rifles and toward the end made some 1885 Highwalls too. I was a dealer for them and can attest to the high quality of their rifles- I still have a few myself and they are works of art. This Hunter’s Rifle was made exactly like the originals (Ballards ceased to me made about 1891). Most original Hunter Models were made in .40-63 Marlin and .45-70 calibers. The Ballard Rifle & Ctg. Co. of Cody, Wyoming said they were not reproducing the Ballard, they were simply continuing them. The Hunter’s Model was offered in a number of calibers as standard. The .45 2 6/10” or .45-100 was not a standard caliber. Also, this one has the with single trigger, case colored receiver, lever and crescent butt plate, and standard grade walnut. This rifle has upgraded walnut with nice dense grain structure in the stock. It is fitted with a buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and a blade/bead front sight. It is also factory drilled and tapped for tang sight with the holes containing filler screws. Aside from a few very light handling marks on the left side of the forend, it is in about new condition. If you are looking for a powerful black powder cartridge rifle, this would fit the bill nicely! Weighs right at about 10 ¼ lbs. These fine rifles rarely come up for sale. $3850.

5) BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM REMINGTON ROLLING BLOCK .45-70 SPORTING/TARGET RIFLE. Aside from the Remington address and patent date under the tang sight, the only other marking on this fine rifle is the “45 70” caliber marking on the bottom of the barrel ahead of the forend tip- which is the traditional way Remington marked these. The checkered steel shotgun butt is paired with a checkered pistol grip with schnable-curved bottom. The forend as well as the butt stock have the Remington “side panels” on each side of the receiver. The walnut is fairly fancy in the stock with even more grain structure in the forend which has a graceful schnable tip. The 32 inch half octagon barrel with recessed target crown is polished blue and fitted with a globe front sight that will accept inserts. There is no rear sight dovetail on the barrel. The tang is fitted with a fully windage/elevation adjustable vernier sight. The receiver shows upper tang patent date indicating it is a smokeless powder No. 5 action that has been beautifully and professionally bone/charcoal pack harden case colored and professionally cut with a traditional octagon top receiver ring. The hammer and breech block are deeply blued as were the originals and the two receiver pins and retaining bar, along with the trigger and screw heads have all been polished and fire blued. All in about unused condition inside and out. Weighs right at about 10 ¼ lbs. This one would cost a bundle to have made from scratch- if you could find a gunsmith who could handle it. $3450.

6) SHARPS BORCHARDT .45-70 CUSTOM SPORTER (see above in antique/classic section)

 

SMITH AND WESSON (click text for photos)   

 

1) SELDOM SEEN MODEL 1891 SINGLE ACTION .38 S&W CAL. REVOLVER, 5” BARREL, NICKEL FINISH, #6XXX, MADE 1890s. This is one of the most difficult of the antique S&W line to find. I believe fewer were made than the books seem to imply- although the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson book by Supica and Nahas make mention of the scarcity of this model. It is thought that many might have been exported to Mexico or Latin America. Either way, this “mini-New Model No. 3” rarely shows up in listings or at shows. In size it is about 2/3 the size of the big N.M. #3 Single Action Revolver. Many of these seem to have non-matching serial numbers as the parts will interchange with the Model 1891 Single Shot model- some of which were made in .38 S&W. Also, barrels from some of the more common double action revolvers of this frame size will interchange. This example has matching serial numbers on the frame, barrel, cylinder, latch and inside the left grip. Overall, it is a mixture of nickel and flaked nickel to steel which is fairly bright and blends well. The barrel sides and part of the cylinder have flaked more than the grip straps and frame. Fine blue on the latch, still some faded and light case color on the hammer and trigger guard, screw heads appear unturned. Exc. grips and exc. markings including the “MODEL of ‘91” on the barrel top. Unaltered front sight, very tight lock-up, exc. mech. and bright excellent bore. One of the most attractive and difficult to find Smiths. $1195.

2) RARE EARLY TARGET SIGHTED MODEL OF 1902 M&P, .38 SPECIAL, #21XXX, FACTORY LETTER, SHIPPED 1902. This was the first Military & Police variation to have the locking lug under the barrel at the front of the ejector rod. It was only made from 1902-1903 from serial number 20976-33803. With only 12,827 manufactured for a little over a year, there can’t be many Target versions made to begin with and surviving examples after 123 years would be very few. The S&W factory letter states: “…#21XXX was shipped from our factory o August 8, 1902 and delivered to Mr. H. F. Zimmerman, Saugerties, NY. The records indicate that this revolver was shipped with a 6.5 inch barrel, adjustable rear sight, blue finish and checkered black hard rubber grips…” The letter further states there is some other info that cannot be deciphered. Overall very fine condition with most of the deep high polish blue remaining and only very minor light thinning of the blue on scattered parts with fine case color on the hammer and trigger. Grips fit perfectly, tight action, excellent markings including the early barrel marking “.38 S&W SPECIAL & U.S. SERVICE CTG’S.”, exc. bright bore. Matching numbers on the barrel, cylinder and frame with one grip panel mismatched, but correct. This model is a rarity in itself and especially so with adjustable target sights. $1695.

3) UNUSUAL .32 REGULATION POLICE  WITH RARE 6” BARREL AND FACTORY NICKEL FINISH, #421XXX, MADE C.1925-1926. Almost all of these fine revolvers I’ve encountered were blue finished with 3 ¼” or 4 ¼” barrels. These revolvers were made with a “step” in the back strap to fit oversize checkered walnut grips and have the serial number stamped on the front strap as the butt is covered by the grips. This example was probably used by law enforcement as it shows holster wear where the securing strap would rub on the right side over the side plate. Also, the right grip panel is worn considerably compared to the protected left side. Aside from the side plate wear, most of the nickel remains with some freckling mostly on the left side of the frame. Bottom of the grips have the correct stamped patent date and all markings are fine. Action is tight and bore is excellent and bright. Chambered for the accurate .32 S&W Long cartridge, these were known for being especially fine shooters. Really scarce in nickel finish and 6” barrel. $695. (Note: looks better than photos shows. Light reflection makes it look like there is peeled nickel on the cylinder etc.)

4) SPECIAL ORDER, POSSIBLY ONE OF ONLY TWO TARGET SIGHTED 1905 .32-20 HAND EJECTOR FIRST CHANGE WITH FACTORY LETTER, #27XXX, MADE 1906. This is one of the most rare and unusual S&Ws I’ve handled over the last 40 years. Only 11,073 1905 First Change .32-20s were made and only from 1906-1909. Very few target models were made out of this limited production. According to all the S&W sources, the target models all had 6 ½” barrels with square butts. This example was special ordered with a 5” barrel and ROUND BUTT. The factory letter that I sent for myself states: #27XXX was shipped from our Stockbridge Street factory on November 2, 1906. It was delivered to William H. Hoegee Company, 138-142 South Main Street, Los Angeles, California. The records indicate that this revolver shipped with blue finish, a 5-inch barrel with target front sights, adjustable rear sights, a six shot fluted cylinder and checkered black hard rubber stocks. It was a two unit shipment, in the same configuration. The only aspect of this that appears as a factory error in the letter is the grips which are checkered walnut (without medallions- correct for this model) and are faintly pencil numbered to match on the inside left grip. The grips fit perfectly and show no alterations to fit outside the factory. Overall, this one shows some carry wear with gray streaking on both barrel sides. The receiver shows thinning blue mixing gray on the right side plate from a holster strap. The butt shows fine blue while the grip straps and bottom of the trigger guard are gray. The cylinder shows good blue with high edge wear. Still some aged and dulled case color on the trigger and hammer. Adjustable sights correct and intact. Grips are excellent showing only light wear. Action is tight and the bore is bright. Alll matching numbers. Sharp markings. An interesting shipping location as Los Angeles at this time was a fairly small western community. The letter says two guns in the shipment like this and these may be the ONLY two like this made from 1906-1909 in the 1905 First Change series 120 years ago! $1950

4) VERY RARE ALUMINUM CYLINDER, FIRST YEAR PRE-MODEL 12 AIRWEIGHT .38 SPECIAL, MADE 1953, #C237XXX. These 14 3/8 oz. Guns were bought up by the U.S. Air Force as the special M-13 with government markings. Most of these were destroyed for being unsafe with anything but standard velocity ammo. Few were sold on the civilian market, which is what this one is. Introduced in 1953 with aluminum cylinders, this model was quickly changed in 1954 to incorporate steel cylinders that were safe with all .38 Special ammo. Early aluminum cylinder models fall within the serial range of C190000 – C31000. This example comes with a S&W factory letter giving lots of details about the model, but ends with “Unfortunately, we do not have any production figures available on the Model 12.” The letter further states, “Today, revolvers equipped with aluminum cylinders are desirable collectors’ items but should not be fired with any high velocities of ammunition which you are not certain of the pressure they generate.” This example is in remarkable condition retaining about all the blue and “black” on the cylinder, matching numbers (no numbers inside the grips, but they appear to be the correct ones in exc. condition that fit well etc.). Exc. case color on the hammer and trigger. As they were only made for one year, unaltered examples are hard to find in any condition and this one is exceptional and probably unfired. $1295.

 

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

 

1) REMINGTON U. S. NAVY MODEL 1867 ROLLING BLOCK PISTOL, #3XXX, .50 CENTER FIRE, MADE EARLY 1870s. A very scarce pistol as these were actually an alteration of the earlier Model 1865 model that was in .50 Rim Fire and had a sheath trigger (spur trigger). Only about 6500 of the Model 1865 were made. Many, but certainly not all, were altered to the 1867 model, like this one which makes the unaltered earlier Model extremely rare and this one also very scarce as so few were made in total. This is a particularly fine example that still retains some very light and cloudy case color on the receiver sides and protected areas with the balance an uncleaned mottled gray. The barrel retains fine only lightly thinning original deep blue. The forend is excellent. The grips show some handling marks and retain the correct cartouche in the left bottom side along with a couple of faint rack numbers. The hammer and breech block also retain some of the “straw” case hardening. The top rear of the barrel has the correct anchor and inspector marks “I” over “H. E.” and the right bottom of the frame has the correct “P” over “F. C. W.” stamping along with the Remington address and patent dates ending in 1866 on the bottom left side. Rifled bore is bright and excellent. This is a very fine unaltered example of an extremely scarce U. S. N. pistol that does not show up for sale often. $2250

 

WINCHESTERS (click text for photos

1) FRONTIER USED 1873 .44-40 20″ OCTAGON SHORT RIFLE, #544XXX, SHIPPED 1900. This one came out of Arizona recently and looks like it went through some hard usage during the Mexican Revolution (1910 – 1920). These short rifles were very popular on both sides of the border in the Southwest. Easily identified as a true short rifle and not a cut-down by the one inch shorter length of the forend- 8 3/8″ compared to the standard 9 3/8″. The overall metal condition on this one is a dark brown patina with some patches of rust pitting. Barrel markings are all visible. It has a carbine ladder rear sight with slide intact and small blade/bead front sight. The muzzle end of the barrel shows heavy wear on the sharp octagon edges which are now rounded at the end of the barrel- takes a lot of in and out scabbard use to produce this! Where the serial number is located on the bottom tang there is considerable pitting with only a few numbers readily visible. A previous owner used magnification and various lighting/tilting to come up with the rest of the numbers so he could get a call in sheet from the Cody Museum which verifies the caliber, oct. barrel length and a shipping date of March 1900. The forend shows heavy handling  overall and chipping along the right top portion. The butt stock may be an old replacement as the butt plate has no provision for a cleaning rod trap door- only the .32-20 had a solid butt plate. There is a “P. H.” lightly carved in the left side and a silver (nickel silver?) small inlay in the right side of the stock. The tang screw is a replacement with lower tang wood screw missing. Dust cover is intact, brass lifter is mellow and uncleaned/unpolished. Bore shows rifling all the way through but is dark and pitted. Loads of history in this ’73! $1795.

2) VERY FINE 1873 .38-40 OCTAGON RIFLE, #285XXX, MADE 1888. A really nice example that retains about all the blue on the receiver that is getting a tinge of plum from age. The dust cover is original and shows the same color as the rest of the receiver. The barrel also retains fine blue with an aged bit of plum. The mag tube matches the receiver and barrel with a touch more plum mixing. There is almost no gray to the metal. The brass lifter is correctly caliber marked and is an attractive mellow, uncleaned mustard color. Stock and forend are excellent with tight wood to metal fit and show little handling. Fine screw heads, tight action with only the lever spring weak. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and small Winchester blade front sight. Bore is a bit dark with strong rifling all the way through and only light scattered surface corrosion. This is a really attractive 138 year old 1873. $2950.

3) UNUSUAL AND RARE SPECIAL ORDER EARLY 2ND MODEL 1876, 45-60, 26” OCT., ½ MAG, SGB, #9XXX, SHIPPED 1879. I called this one in to the Cody Museum Winchester records and this one is listed as: Rifle, Octagon, 26 inches, plain trigger, ½ Magazine, Shotgun butt, Received in the warehouse on October 27, 1879 and shipped the same day (call-in sheet included). According to the Winchester Handbook by Madis, only 79 M-1876 rifles had shorter than standard barrels (for the .45-60 standard was 28”), 119 had special butt plates, and 258 had magazines shorter than standard. So, in all this is an extremely rare rifle. It retains the early “thumb print oval” dust cover mounted on a rail held by screws (2^nd Mod.), and as is typical of many special order rifles, the wood appears to be a little better than standard grade. It is also fitted with the correct graduated sporting tang sight, sporting ladder 1876 rear barrel sight with slide intact and an ivory bead half-moon front sight. The receiver shows some blue in the more protected areas and on the loading gate with the balance a mixture of gray/brown. The barrel shows good thinning blue with some areas of more gray mostly on the left side ahead and a little behind the rear sight. Interestingly, a full octagon barrel with half magazine is actually two special order features as Winchester supplied round or half-oct. barrels as standard with half-magazines unless specifically ordered with full octagon. The wood is excellent with tight wood to metal fit showing only light handling and NO refinishing or even cleaning. Correct smooth steel shotgun butt plate. Uncleaned and unpolished brass lifter caliber marked “45-60.” Tight action, strong safety half-cock, strong springs, and surprisingly excellent bore. There can’t be many like this 1876. $5400

4) A MOST INTERESTING 1876 .45-60 FACTORY 20” OCTAGON SHORT RIFLE., #52XXX. A call to the Cody museum revealed that this rifle was originally shipped as a .45-60 with 26” octagon barrel (standard was 28”) in October 1886. However, the receiver and rear of the barrel have Winchester proof marks which were stamped on all rifles starting about 1905 AND on all rifles that were returned to the factory for any kind of work after 1905. So, it appears that this rifle was returned to Winchester where it had the barrel and magazine shortened to 20.” The replaced magazine retaining band is in the correct placement and distance from the muzzle. The notch in the bottom of the barrel for the end of the magazine appears correct with the magazine tube fitting correctly in the notch just slightly behind the muzzle as it should be. Overall blue on the receiver has uncleaned surface freckling and aging to a plum brown. The barrel similar to the receiver and retains the 1876 marked long ladder sporting sight with slide intact. The front sight base is intact but lacks the blade. Butt stock and forend show fairly heavy handling, but are not abused. Butt stock wood to metal fit is tight. The forend has some minor chipping around the forend cap which has what appears to be a factory sling swivel attached. Original dust cover intact and mellow uncleaned brass lifter marked 45-60. Sharp barrel and tang markings. Fine mechanically with strong safety half-cock, lever spring a little weak. The bore is dark with scattered pitting and visible rifling. A true “factory” oddity with a great frontier appearance. $2650.

5) 1886 .45-70 EXTRA LIGHTWEIGHT RIFLE WITH NICKEL STEEL BARREL, #122XXX, MADE 1900. Fine example that shows good thinning blue on the correct 22″ barrel- mainly thinning a little ahead of the forend and a silvered spot ahead of the receiver ring. The receiver shows good blue in the rear portions of both sides and on the bolt. The bottom and front sections of the receiver are gray as this is the balance point when carrying in the hand. Flat top buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact with Lyman half-moon/ivory bead front sight. The stock and forend show no sanding or refinishing and are the classic Winchester reddish/brown color with tight wood to metal fit and showing only light handling. Original Winchester embossed hard rubber shotgun butt plate. Exc. markings including the NICKEL STEEL stamping on the barrel side, tight action with strong safety half-cock. Bright excellent sharp bore. Overall, a fine, un-messed with 126 year old 1886 in desirable .45-70 caliber. $3950.

6) HIGH CONDITION 1892 .38-40 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, #203XXX, MADE 1902. This is an interesting rifle as there is a rack number “167” neatly and professionally stamped just along the  center of the butt plate on the left side. This usually indicates a prison guard gun, police gun or railroad gun. Regains about all the blue on the barrel and magazine with only the very slightest dulling from age. The receiver also shows excellent deep blue with some thinning on the bottom and some edge wear. Screw heads are excellent and the forend cap shows some good blue.. Even the bolt and receiver ring retain fine deep blue. Fitted with the original buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar showing patent date of 1901, and small Winchester blade front sight. Also fitted with a Lyman marked tang sight with the small folding aperture insert intact and NO extra holes in the tang hiding underneath. Exc. stock and forearm showing the lightest of handling only with tight wood to metal fit. Very light, thin traces of case color on the lever and hammer, tight action, strong safety half-cock and bright, sharp exc. bore. A particularly attractive high condition 124 year old Model 1892. $2850.

7) HIGH CONDITION 1892 .32-20 OCTAGON RIFLE, #726XXX , MADE 1913. A really excellent example that retains nearly all the deep receiver blue with only a little thinning/browning on the bottom of the receiver and a touch of flaking on the bolt. Even the upper tang retains fine blue. The barrel and mag tube also retain nearly all the blue with a few very minor spots of freckling. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and small Winchester blade front sight. Exc. markings, exc. screw heads, tight action and strong safety half-cock.  Still some good case colors on the lever sides and hammer back. Bright excellent bore. Exc. stock and forend showing the most minor of surface handling only and tight wood to metal fit. Getting very hard to find in this condition. A superior 112 year old 1892. $2650

8) BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM WINCHESTER MODEL 1892 WITH NEW HALF OCTAGON BARREL IN .256 WIN. MAG. CALIBER. (The .256 Win. Mag. case is simply the .357 magnum necked to take standard .257″ bullets. Cases are easily formed.) The receiver on this rifle is in the 1005XXX range showing a production date of 1940. So, this was either one of the last Model ‘92s or a Model 53. the action retains nearly all the original Winchester blue aside from some very minor thinning on the bottom and a very little flaking on the bottom of the lever. Screws are excellent and the Winchester proof mark on the receiver ring is sharp and clear. The 24” half octagon barrel with half-magazine is unmarked and there is no rear sight dovetail. The receiver is fitted with a Marble tang sight paired with a Marble “Sheard” marked blade/long brass front sight. The barrel and forend cap retain all the deep blue. Crescent butt stock shows very tight wood to metal fit, is in excellent condition and is fitted with a steel case colored crescent butt plate. Similarly, the forend is excellent. Action is tight, safety half-cock is strong and the bore is minty bright. The “cool factor” on this one is off the charts and has the appearance of a brand new special order ‘92 made by Winchester. $2650.

9) UNUSUAL AND RARE SPECIAL ORDER 1894 22” FACTORY SHORT RIFLE WITH EXTRA LIGHTWEIGHT BARREL, TAKEDOWN, HALF MAGAZINE AND SHOTGUN BUTT, .30WCF, #716XXX, MADE 1914. This is a really seldom seen 1894 variant. Importantly, it has the 1” shorter forearm used on short rifles and measures 8 3/8” instead of the standard 9 3/8”. Also, as an extra lightweight barrel the muzzle was too small a diameter to have the front sight dovetailed, so it was put on a very short base sweated to the top of the barrel which was dovetailed to hold the front sight. This example shows excellent barrel and short magazine blue with only a couple of light scratches. Even the forend cap retains good blue. The receiver blue has flaked to a typical mottled brown with good blue mixing- more on the left side. Good blue on the bolt and loading gate. Shows good blue on the unturned receiver screws. Exc. markings, flattop buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and blade front sight. Stock and forend show tight wood to metal fit and have only light scattered surface handling marks. Retains the Winchester embossed shotgun butt plate. Tight takedown, tight action, strong safety half-cock and excellent sharp bore. A super scarce extra light short rifle takedown made 112 years ago! $3450.

10) VERY FINE CONDITION SPECIAL ORDER 1894 .38-55 PISTOL GRIP OCTAGON RIFLE, #514XXX, MADE 1911. Fine deep receiver blue on both sides showing only light wear and edge wear. Screws look unturned. Barrel and magazine also show nearly all the deep blue with only the most minor of wear. Exc. markings, flat top buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and small Winchester blade front sight. Crescent butt stock with plain pistol grip with correct Winchester embossed hard rubber grip cap. Stock and forend fine with only light handling marks. Tight action and strong safety half cock. Bore is minty bright. A truly fine and rare 115 year old semi-deluxe pistol gripped 1894 in a great caliber. $3850.

11) HIGH CONDITION SPECIAL ORDER 1894 RARE COMBINATION HALF-OCT. & FULL MAGAZINE, WITH FANCY WALNUT, .32WS, #396XXX, MADE 1908. As I always state with this barrel/magazine option, it is actually two special order features as half octagon barrels came standard with half magazines unless special ordered with a full magazine. When Winchester built special order rifles they often chose better than standard grade walnut, and this one shows it. The receiver retains deep factory blue overall including on the bolt with only some light edge wear. Fine blue on the loading gate and fine screw heads. The lever shows traces of case color in the most protected areas. The barrel and magazine retain most of the blue with only the lightest of age or wear. Exc. markings. Even the forend cap shows fine blue. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar intact and W. F. Sheard, Tacoma, Washington and 1900 Patented marked long steel blade/elongated brass bead front sight. Exc. stock and forend with some nice fiddleback grain to the stock. Tight action with strong hammer spring and secure safety half-cock. When I got this one the bore looked dark and heavily frosted. I ran oiled patches, lead-out patches, patches with J-B Bore paste and some clean patches. From beginning to end all came out caked with black crud. I believe the bore will continue to clean to excellent and may remain a bit dark only. Looks to me like it was shot with cast bullets where the bullet lube collected fouling for a long time! This is a really fine and unusual 118 year old 1894. $2850.

12) VERY UNUSUAL SPECIAL ORDER 1894 .30WCF CARBINE WITH 2/3 MAGAZINE, NO SADDLE RING AND RIFLE STYLE CRESCENT BUTT, #827XXX, MADE 1916. Importantly, on this one the walnut coloration of the butt stock and forend match. There is a great deal of variation in stock color with Winchester- from light/golden to deep reddish/brown. Trying to match a forend is quite difficult if one were trying to find a replacement stock. These crescent butt carbines are a scarce special order item and the first thing I look at is matching color as well as wood to metal fit. The wood to metal on this one is very tight. Also, the fact that it is already a special order carbine made without a saddle ring and special length 2/3 magazine tube make it more likely the stock is also a special order. With that said, this one retains fine blue on the barrel and mag tube with only some light thinning/age mainly behind the barrel band where one would normally grasp the carbine with the other hand around the wrist area. The receiver shows some blue in the rear protected areas and around the hammer with the balance flaked and aged to gray and brown. Excellent screw heads and some very light case color remains on the left side of the lever. Fitted with a Lyman tang sight with the small folding aperture intact (and no extra holes hiding under the base!), front sight is a small bead and the rear dovetail has a slot filler installed. Action is tight, hammer spring is strong, half-cock safety is also secure and the bore is very slightly dark, but excellent with sharp rifling all the way through. An interesting and unusual 110 year old special order 1894. $1895

13) NEAR NEW CONDITION PRE-WAR MODEL ’94 CARBINE, .30 WCF, #1308XXX, MADE 1941. I’ve often wondered when I’ve seen guns made about this time that are in about new, unused condition if their original owners were young men who purchased them before entering World War II, put them in storage, and never made it home. This example shows minimal use- a slight bit of blue thinning by the serial number and on the high edges of the barrel bands is about all the wear on this one, and you have to look carefully to see it. Can’t say much more about it except that it looks the way it did when it was purchased 85 years ago. $1695.

14) VERY FINE 1895 .30-40 KRAG CALIBER RIFLE, #37XXX, MADE 1902. Great condition for a 123 year old M-1895, this one shows most of the blue on the receiver and bolt with only some light thinning mainly on the right side and edge wear. The 28” barrel retains most of the blue with buckhorn rear sight and elevator bar intact with small factory blade front sight in correct boss. Exc. stock and forend. Retains the ebony wedge in the forend tip. Tight wood to metal fit, exc. screws and markings. Tight action, strong safety half-cock, and exc. bore that is only a little dark, but not pitted. Getting hard to find this nice. $2750.

 15) THREE HEAVY STEEL WINCHESTER MARKED TOOL ROOM “DIES” FOR THE MODEL 1895 MUSKET! Really interesting and unusual Winchester items that somehow survived to the present. Given their weight, it is surprising they weren’t sold for scrap at some point when 1895 Muskets were no longer produced and these tools became obsolete. First is is an oblong eight sided piece marked “95 MUSKET”  and “FRONT BAND” with a small etched measurement (?). With this is a corresponding “plunger” with stem/handle that fits perfectly in the milled center. It is marked along the stem in two lines on two sides, “MOD 95 MUSKET FRONT BAND” and “TEMPLET FOR MASTER GAGE” (yes gauge is misspelled). The polished flat bottom portion that fits into the milled section of the heavy gauge is stamped  “MOD”. Next is a rectangular piece marked “MOD. 95 MUSKET” over “FRONT BAND” over “1.875 = MOD” over some kind of very small circular etching. It comes with a perfectly machined unmarked “plug” that fits in the milled out section. Last is what I believe to be a butt plate die. It is a little difficult to read the stamping as there is some corrosion on this portion, but it can all be made read, “1895 BUTT PLATE MUSKET” over “B   U S H ..225 = MOD.” then there is a circle with a “J” and a small number within it and a small “s s”.  These are really great items for the specific 1895 collector or general Winchester enthusiast. The machining on these is amazing. The “plugs” or templets only go into the heavy gauges about 7/8 of the way before stopping and cannot be pushed all the way through. Perhaps a “go/no-go gauge arrangement. One-of-a-kind little collection that should remain together. For all three plus the two inserts/templets, $795.

16) SCARCE SEMI-DELUXE MODEL 1903 .22 AUTO RIM FIRE, #431XXX, MADE 1907. This is an interesting rifle as it has a pistol grip with the correct Winchester embossed grip cap and checkering on the pistol grip and forend. Obviously, this was someone’s working gun as the checkering on the pistol grip is a bit worn, but still good. The forend shows one small crack on the left side coming forward an inch or two from the receiver and goes nowhere- minor. The forend checkering is all there, but more worn than the pistol grip. The uncleaned receiver blue has aged to a thin plum/brown/gray mixture with some better blue in the protected areas. The barrel has the “oval P” mail order proof mark PLUS the Winchester proof indicating that this one went back to Winchester where they took a replacement barrel from stock and fitted it. Without the Winchester proof, it would indicate the barrel was ordered by an individual and fitted outside the factory. So, this is a Winchester replaced and fitted barrel. The barrel is fitted with the correct sights for this model and retains fine blue with some minor scattered freckling that you have to look carefully to see. Tight action, correctly functioning safety and bright exc. bore with maybe a minor very small spot or two that ought to brush out. Matching numbers. A used, but well maintained and scarce variant 119 year old .22! $795.

17) CLASSIC CUSTOM WINCHESTER MODEL 52 .22 LR FANCY SPORTER, #44XXX, MADE 1936. This is one of the nicest of these I’ve seen. It features a new 24” sporter weight tapered round barrel fitted with scope blocks and no provision for iron sights. It is also expertly crowned. The rear of the receiver top also has the cuts for scope ring mounting. The stock is of a very high grade fancy walnut showing fiddleback and nice color contrast. The pistol grip and forend are finely checkered and overall has been finished with a lustrous oil finish. The stock also has a graceful cheek piece off set with a traditional accent line. The butt plate is finely checkered steel with a tear drop over the comb and also has a steel pistol grip cap. The floor plate ahead of the trigger guard is of a spring loaded hinged variety in which a serrated latch is pushed forward allowing the hinged door to swing down to expose the 5-round Winchester magazine- truly a class act! All steel is finished in a semi-polished matte blue. Light crisp trigger and mechanically excellent. Overall, like new inside and out. Would be extremely expensive to make today. It would be hard to find a finer bolt action .22 LR sporter. $2450

18) VERY RARE MODEL 55 .30 WCF TAKEDOWN WITH STAINLESS STEEL  BARREL, #4XXX, MADE 1926. Winchester held on to the M-94 Carbine, but discontinued the ’94 Rifle in 1924 and replaced it with the Model 55. Eight years later the M-55 was discontinued (1932) and replaced with the Model 64 with only 20,580 Model 55s produced. From about 1926-1929 Winchester offered Stainless Steel barrels as an option, but  few  people ordered them and after this short time Stainless Steel was dropped. This example was a first year production with the Stainless Steel option. Barrels made of this steel would not take bluing, so Winchester finished them with a black “japanned” finish. This japanned finish flaked and scratched off easily and many owners simply steel-wooled the japanning off. This example still shows much of the japanning on the correct 24” barrel with the usual scratches and scuffs. The receiver blue has flaked to gray/brown with some aged blue in the more protected areas, loading gate magazine tube, and forend cap. The receiver has not been polished or steel-wooled and is fitted with a period all steel Redfield receiver sight mounted on the left side. The upper tang shows good blue with the forward factory tang sight hole filled- so it obviously had a tang sight on at some point with no extra holes drilled in the upper tang. The stock and forend show handling and a little dryness, but good wood to metal fit with no sign of any sanding or refinishing. The receiver screws appear unturned. Fitted with a Marble buckhorn rear sight with blade/bead front sight in the factory short ramp. Action is tight as is the takedown. Strong springs and secure safety half-cock. Bright bore, as one would expect from a stainless steel barrel. Exc. markings including the “STAINLESS STEEL” marking on the barrel. A fairly scarce model with limited production, but especially so with stainless steel barrel. A most unusual 100 year old Winchester. $2350.

19) SUPERB CONDITION FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION MODEL 63 20” CARBINE, #4XX, MADE 1933. One of the finest of these scarce early rifles that I’ve seen. The 20” barrels were standard until 1936 when 23” barrels became standard. As these were made during some of the worst days of the Great Depression, production numbers were small. This early example retains about all the deep blue with only a small amount of flaking/age brown on the forend cap. Even the smooth steel butt  plate shows fine blue.  All sharp markings. Fitted with a period correct (probably factory) Lyman receiver sight also retaining all the original blue with a filler blank in the rear sight dovetail. Stock and forend nearly perfect with only the most minor of handling marks. About as nice as anyone could expect to find in a three-digit serial numbered example made 93 years ago. $1950.

20) RARE PRE-WAR MODEL 64 20” CARBINE, .30 WCF, #1095XXX, MADE 1935. This model was introduced in the most difficult year of the Great Depression in 1933 with production stopping for World War II. Relatively few of these in any variation were produced during these hard times. The 20” carbine version saw very limited production and are scarce items today. This one shows fine deep barrel and magazine blue with even deep blue on the forend cap. The receiver retains a little more than half the blue on the sides with most of the flaking on the balance point where your hand would go just below the loading gate on the right side and wrapping around similarly on the left side. Exc. blue on the bolt and good blue on the receiver ring with normal edge wear overall. Butt stock and forend show tight wood to metal fit and normal handling wear with no cracks. It is fitted with period sling swivels in the butt stock and in the forend cap that may be factory installed. Correct checkered steel butt plate. Screw heads look unturned. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and ramped front sight. Action is tight and the safety half-cock holds correctly. Bore is minty bright. A seldom encountered 91 year old Model 64 Carbine. $2350.

21) NEAR NEW CONDITION MODEL 71 .348 WCF, STANDARD WITH SPECIAL ORDER SUPER GRADE/DELUXE SLING SWIVEL STUDS, #45XXX, MADE 1956. This example seems to have never really been used as it retains about all the blue with only the lightest of edge wear on the butt plate and slight wear to the forend cap. Excellent wood with the slightest of handling marks. Buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and ramped front sight that still retains the hood. Has the correct inletted rear sling swivel stud in the stock and the correct match in the forend cap- these are usually seen on deluxe models, so I assume this one was special ordered with these. Would be hard to improve on this 70 year old Model 71. $2350

 

BILL GOODMAN, 280 W. KAGY BLVD. SUITE D #152, BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59715 TEL. (406) 587-3131                  FAX (406) 219-3415   montanaraven@hotmail.com

THESE WERE SUCH GOOD NOTES FROM THE FIELD I’M KEEPING THEM HERE.

FINALLY, MY SECOND NOVEL IS OUT! First, I’d like to thank everyone who read my first novel, DESERT SUNDAYS, and kept after me to get the second one done and published! So, after the usual delays and hitches, here it is. This one is called AN OBVIOUS SLAM DUNK and if you like courtroom scenes and a story that not only makes you think, but surprises you…well, this is a page turner I know you’ll like. And before anyone asks, yes, the third novel is almost done and I hope to get that one out before too long. All three form a trilogy, but each stands alone, so it doesn’t matter which you read first. Both are available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (Kindle downloads too). If you want to save some money and have a signed copy, I have books here that I can sell cheaper than online at $13 each including shipping. Click here to see both books front and back with a synopsis of each.  Don’t bother to call to reserve a copy, just toss a check in the mail with shipping instructions.  MY THIRD NOVEL IS AT THE PUBLISHER NOW AND SHOULD BE OUT THIS SUMMER!! Thanks, Bill Goodman

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 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!

“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 an d 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.

I have found a new shooting activity that I’m sure a number of folks who check out my website will either want to try themselves or will at least find interesting reading. I’ve discovered the fun of BLACK POWDER shotshells. And no, I’m not new to black powder. I’ve been shooting muzzle loaders since I was a kid (I was too young to buy ammo, but a can of black powder and a single shot muzzle loading pistol kept me shooting!) I’ve shot black powder cartridge rifles and some handguns since the 1970s. I’ve also tried a few muzzle loading shotguns, but a while back I noticed Midway was offering reloadable brass shotshells made by Magtech in Brazil. They cost about a buck a piece and come in a box of 25. So I thought this looked interesting and bought a box. They prime with a large pistol primer (I use CCI Large Pistol Mag. Primers) and require no special tools to load. I did buy a “cowboy 12 ga. shell holder” by RCBS which makes priming easier, but one can prime using a dowel, hammer and a flat surface to seat the primer. Anyway, I loaded with various loads of black powder as well as Alliant Black MZ black powder substitute. 27.3 grains equals one dram, so a typical heavy field load of 3 1/2 drams equals about 95 grains (by volume) of black powder or substitute. I load that through a drop tube to better settle the powder, using a wood dowel I seat an over powder card wad, then a cushion wad, pour in 1 1/8 oz. of shot from an antique shot dipper I picked up somewhere along the line, top with another over powder wad and then put about three small drops of CLEAR NON-FOAMING Gorilla glue on this top wad at the edge. Last, using a Q-tip sweep it around the wad edge. It dries making a nice seal with the inside of the brass case and holds everything together (note: this is the best glue I’ve tried, but do NOT use the brown foaming Gorilla glue as it pushes the wad up when dry and is awful to correct!). Firing removes any glue residue from the case. I picked up a particularly nice Remington 1889 double barrel with exposed hammers (damascus with exc. bores) and tried out my loads on some thrown clays. I’m not a good shot with a scattergun, but when I felt I was on, the clay targets broke as nicely as if I’d been using a modern smokeless shotgun. I used this double on a pheasant hunt last fall and did just fine with it. Truthfully, it made the hunt so much more fun I don’t know if I’d go again with one of my modern guns! Recently I tried the same shells in a Winchester 1887 Lever Action 12 ga. that was made in 1888. It fed beautifully and was a blast to shoot (no pun intended). The brass cases de-prime with a simple Lee type punch and clean up with hot soapy water. No resizing is required for the next loading. Pretty simple. The 12 ga. cases are 2 1/2″ long, which is exactly what a modern 2 3/4″ case measures LOADED AND UNFIRED. Remember, many of the older guns, like the Winchester 1887, have 2 5/8″ chambers. You don’t want to shoot a 2 3/4″ shell in them as they won’t be able to open up all the way causing pressures to jump etc. I don’t think Magtech offers brass cases in 10 ga. but they do in the smaller gauges. There are a lot of older shotguns out there that can often be purchased inexpensively and make wonderful shooters. Be sure to have any gun checked out by a gunsmith if you have doubts about it. With these brass cases and ease of loading, it’s worth trying. Buffalo Arms in Idaho sells the correct size wads for these brass cases- they actually take 11 ga. wads. If you give this a try, I think you’ll be glad you did- Bill Goodman

 

An interesting thing happened a few weeks ago that got me thinking… Here in Montana we had an early snow storm while most of the trees still had their leaves. As usually happens with these storms, lots of aspen and other tree branches broke under the weight of the snow. My brother called to have me come over to his place and help him cut up some branches. I arrived ready for action with my Home Depot purchased aluminum branch clippers. He met me at his garage holding MY FATHER’S OLD BRANCH CLIPPERS. So what’s the big deal? Well, I remember those clippers as a kid in the 1960s and I’m sure he owned them long before that. This tool was made of solid steel and had (wait for it…) riveted wood slab handles. This thing really had some weight to it! It also had a kind of double hinge for extra leverage cutting of larger diameter branches. It sure put my flimsy aluminum clipper to shame! I bet this solid steel beauty was made in the 1940s or maybe even before W.W.II. For all I know, it might have belonged to my grandfather! The point of all this is that it reminded me of why we all like antique/classic firearms. They too were made of steel and wood- no synthetics or alloys. They were made to last, and they have. My modern clippers are getting loose and worn. I was thinking of replacing it for another. Not my Dad’s clipper! It is generational. Same goes for the guns of that period and earlier. Not that I’m knocking modern firearms, but there’s something hard to describe about holding a Colt New Service or S&W .44 Hand Ejector revolver or shouldering a Winchester Model 71 .348 caliber… I know you get it or you wouldn’t be on this website.

William T. Goodman, 280 W. Kagy Blvd., Suite D #152, Bozeman, MT 59715    (406) 587-3131    fax (406) 219-3415     montanaraven@hotmail.com