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.      

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FROM MARCH 11 THROUGH WEDNESDAY MARCH 19.  PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR TRY TO LEAVE ANY MESSAGES.  JUST CALL AFTER MARCH 20.  THANKS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD:  AFTER YEARS OF WANTING TO, I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!

     I've written a novel!  I've had the idea for a number of years and decided if I didn't write it now, it'd never happen.  Much of it was written very, very early in the mornings before the phone starts ringing and I start packing guns for UPS.  And a lot of it was written on planes or while hanging around airports going to-and-from gun shows.  Anyway, it's been published and is available on Amazon.com in standard print book or you can download it as an e-book.  It's called DESERT SUNDAYS and, of course, I'm listed as the author, William T. Goodman.  You can find out more about it - synopsis, about the author etc.- by going to: www.williamtgoodman.com  Yes, there are guns and knives and some hunting in the novel (how could there not be?) and I promise you IT IS ACCURATELY PORTRAYED!  Nothing worse than reading a novel where guns are used or discussed and everything is wrong- like one I read that took place in the 1940s and the bad guy used a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum revolver- except the .44 mag. caliber wasn't even invented yet... or one in which a young hunter looks through the scope on a bolt action .270 and the author writes "...he put his eye to the scope. The eyepiece felt clammy against his skin." OUCH!  Man, this author obviously never fired a high powered rifle! Anyway, you won't read anything like that from me.  Also, there is a great scene in the novel in which one of my main characters takes on a whole room of anti-gun college professors at a wine and cheese party- let's just say he shocks some sense into them. Since you are on this website, I know you'll like that part.  But seriously, it's NOT a gun/hunting/guy novel.  And I have to warn any potential readers, there is seriously graphic adult content in parts of the book.  So, check out DESERT SUNDAYS by William T. Goodman on Amazon.com.  If you buy it and like it (or don't like it), I'd like to hear your comments.  And please, pass the word around.  Novel number two is already in the works!  Thanks for your support.  Bill Goodman

 

 

 

COLT FIRE ARMS (click text for photos)

 

  1. BISLEY .38-40, 4 3/4" WITH FACTORY LETTER SHOWING SHIPMENT TO STAUFFER ESHELMAN, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA IN JUNE OF 1911, overall good blue that is ageing and mixing brown with brighter blue in the protected areas like the barrel side by the ejector and underneath, cylinder flutes, butt etc., fine markings including the correct two line barrel address, exc. grips show light wear only, tight action, bore will clean fine or better, front sight has not been altered, attractive, unfooled with and a great letter, $1995.

  2. REALLY NICE CONDITION SINGLE ACTION ARMY IN SCARCE .41 LONG COLT CALIBER WITH 5 1/2" BARREL, MADE 1902, it seems hard to find .41 cal. single actions in good condition and this one is much better than normally seen, fine blue on the cylinder with normal light ageing and carry wear with a few traces of old rust- minor, fine barrel blue that is dulling from age and shows light normal muzzle wear on the left side, blue is fine on the ejector housing with minor thinning on the outside edge, exc. blue on the butt and front strap/trigger guard, back strap thinning with bright blue in upper area, nice blue on the sides of the frame, exc. grips show edge wear only, frame mostly silvered with some very light evidence of scattered rust- minor, exc. screws, exc. markings, tight action- second hammer notch only weak, bore should brush out near or at exc., front sight has not been filed or altered, matching numbers, (lots of photo light reflection off barrel/ejector on second photo down- four photos) $3250.``

  3. HIGH CONDITION SINGLE ACTION ARMY .32WCF, 5 1/2", EARLY SMOKELESS #192XXX, MADE 1900, really hard to find early guns (this one is 114 years old) in this kind of condition plus the .32-20s seem to have gotten a lot more use than the larger calibers, this excellent example shows nearly all the barrel blue with only a touch of muzzle wear on the left side, some thinning of the blue on the outside edge of the ejector housing with the balance deep bright blue, trigger guard and grip straps show nice deep blue with only very small amount of brown mixing a little on the back strap and front strap, frame sides and trigger guard sides show exc. blue, fine blue on cylinder with normal light edge wear, fine case color on frame sides with silvering on the recoil shield and fading/thinning on the loading gate, nice color on the hammer sides, exc. grips, exc. screws still show some fine fire blue, unmarred cylinder pin, exc. sharp markings, tight action  with bright bore, this is an investment quality Single Action, $4250.

  4. VERY EARLY FIRST MODEL LIGHTNING OCTAGON RIFLE IN .38-40 CALIBER, #15XXX, MADE 1886, fine deep barrel and mag blue showing light age with some brown mixing on the mag tube, receiver aged to gray/brown with some good blue in the rear protected area, still retains the first model sliding safety in the trigger guard- these almost always missing, generally fine+ wood with tight wood to metal fit, checkering on forearm lightly worn only, original buckhorn rear sight with small blade/bead front, tight action locks up correctly when cocked- again, most do not, surprisingly bright about exc. bore with anything in it light and will probably brush out, exc. markings including a sharp rampant colt on the left receiver side, much better than usually seen for a first model open top, $2150.

  5. VERY HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT  MODEL 1900 .38 AUTOMATIC PISTOL!  This one is serial number 36 and is one of the lowest numbers known to still exist.  According to COLT’S .38 AUTOMATIC PISTOLS book by Douglas Sheldon, the following numbers are known: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 25, 33, 34, 45, 51 etc. He lists sixteen numbers below one hundred. This one makes seventeen.  A Colt factory letter shows #36 was shipped in May of 1900 (first 60 days of production) to Hibbard, Spencer Bartlett Co., Chicago, IL.  Interestingly, there were ten of these in the shipment.  So, basically, this is the grandfather of ALL U.S. made auto pistols!  With a number this low it is the equivalent of an iron frame Henry rifle, a Colt Walker or a “pinched frame” first production Colt Single Action Army.  This pistol turned up at a small Montana gun show.  I wish I knew more about it.  That’s all the good news.  The bad news is that I got this gun in a bag!  Someone took it apart and couldn’t or didn’t bother to put it back together.  I’ve done nothing with it since receiving it.  I can say it appears all the main parts are present- slide, frame, hammer, trigger, pins, grips, wedge etc. but some minor parts may be missing- I really don’t know.  The Magazine is of a later type as it doesn’t have the patent dates on the bottom but it fits correctly.  The barrel, which is numbered 36 (as is the slide) appears to have had the last inch or so broken off- that’s hard to figure.  I’m pretty sure if parts are missing, they are minor and I would think parts from the more common later Model 1902 would fit.  Overall metal on frame and slide is dark and worn with some scattered pitting mainly on the slide.  Markings are legible on the slide.  The sight safety shows the typical Colt factory alteration to the later style of dovetailed rear sight and has the little VP proof mark in the left trigger guard side showing it had been returned for this alteration.  The firing pin is still in the slide and the correct convex plug and spring are still in the frame.  Front sight has not been altered.  It shouldn’t be too hard to put this one back together.  I’m not big on restorations, but this one might be a good candidate for a first rate Doug Turnbull restoration.  The folks at Colt were pretty excited about lettering this one as it is truly an important piece of Colt (and all automatic pistol) history.  $2950.

  6.  ALMOST NEVER SEEN .32 CALIBER OFFICERS MODEL HEAVY BARREL TARGET REVOLVER, WITH CORRECT BOX AND END LABEL, MADE 1939, it is my understanding that only a small batch of these were made right before Colt stopped production of all models for World War II, this one has seen light use only, retains nearly all the blue with just a light cylinder drag line and another couple very light lines barely in the finish on the cylinder at the back of the flutes- minor, checkered back strap and trigger, target sights, exc. checkered walnut grips, retains all the blue on the hammer back etc., exc. inside, tight action, box has good hinge and is missing only the top front flap and one side flap, nice end label, one of the rarest of the prewar double action Colts, $2150.

  7. CLASSIC MODEL 1908 .25 AUTO, MADE 1925, fine blue finish that shows normal light carry/handling wear with some thinning on the left side of the slide. good case color on the trigger, correct magazine, fine checkered walnut grips with silver Colt medallions, exc. inside and mech., $395.

  8.  EARLY PRODUCTION MODEL 1908 .380 AUTO, #7XXX, MADE 1911, very good thinning blue with more wear to the edges, grip straps and bottom of trigger guard turning gray/brown, fine markings, Colt marked magazine checkered walnut grips with Colt medallion are correct to the model but later production, fine mech and bore, some fire blue remains on the trigger and safety lever, unaltered sights, lots of these around in .32 ACP hard to find in .380 caliber. $650.

  9. COLT DERRINGERS AND POCKET REVOLVERS- SEE NEW CATEGORY BELOW.

                            

 

MARLIN  (click text for photos)

 

1) RARE 1893 TAKEDOWN .38-55 CALIBER 22" HALF OCTAGON BARREL, FULL MAGAZINE SHORT RIFLE, MADE 1904, wood shows normal light handling/hunting marks but solid with exc. wood to metal fit, exc. screws, tight takedown with the usual light ding marks by the takedown lever, fine aged blue on barrel and mag., all markings sharp including the "Special Smokeless Steel" marking on the barrel, all measurements correct, the serial number is in a block of blank listings in the factory ledgers so no info is available, but everything obviously correct, buckhorn rear sight with Lyman fixed blade front, cloudy brown receiver with traces of case color in the most protected areas ad on the upper lever, tight action, bore will clean exc., very rare configuration in a great caliber, this one came out of right here in Montana, $2150.``

2)VERY RARE DELUXE M-94 .44-40 CALIBER ROUND BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1906, any ’94 deluxe is really scarce, but one in .44-40 is very rare as most of the deluxe rifles were in small calibers, exc. deep barrel and mag blue with minor thinning mainly on the bottom of the mag tube, receiver case colors are light and silvering, but still there and more vivid in the protected areas, still some good blue on the back portion of the bolt, on the RARE HEPBURN RECEIVER SIGHT, on the loading gate and even on the forend cap, bright exc. bore, tight action, still some case color on the lever fine+ wood overall with nice checkering on the forend, checkering on the wrist shows more wear, this rifle had factory sling eyes as the forend cap is flat on the bottom and drilled for the swivel stud and there is a corresponding filled hole in the butt stock- these would be easy to replace and worth the effort,  dovetail filler in rear barrel slot with small blade/bead front sight, super scarce model in any caliber but especially in .44-40,  $2750.

 

                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 doubt 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 caliber only. I believe these traditional Marlins made in limited runs in North Haven, CT are going to be tomorrow's sought after Marlins.  Already prices for them are escalating rapidly.

3) RARE "MODERN" MARLIN MODEL 336CB COWBOY 24" OCTAGON RIFLE IN .38-55 CALIBER, now discontinued an with Marlin being bought out by Remington, probably never to be made again, this was a limited run and few are found for sale now, fancy checkered with traditional diamond in the middle of the wrist and forearm, Marbles tang sight and globe front with apertures, original barrel sights included, very lightly used, $1150. SOLD

4) TWO MORE SCARCE NEW IN THE BOX  "MODERN" MARLIN 1894s: COWBOY LIMITED- ONE IN .44 SPECIAL AND MAGNUM CALIBER  AND ONE IN RARE .357 MAGNUM CALIBER, like the above rifle, 24" octagon barrels and fancy checkered with traditional diamond in the middle of the wrist and forend, nicely figured walnut, new and unfired in Marlin boxes with correct booklets, $1150 for the .44 mag  and $1195 for the .357 mag  (BOTH SOLD).

5) YET ANOTHER SCARCE "MODERN" MARLIN VARIANT: 1895 .45-70 COWBOY WITH 26" OCTAGON BARREL, this one is flat new, unfired in the original box and still even has the Marlin tag on the lever and all paperwork in the box with serial numbered end label!  $1195. SOLD

6) LIMITED PRODUCTION AND VERY RARE 1895 .45-70 24” HALF OCTAGON BARREL FULL MAGAZINE RIFLE, the barrel is stamped “1895 LTD” and these were made some years ago in one small run, I don’t believe I’ve seen another, about new condition overall, $1195. SOLD

7)  MODEL 1894 .357 MAGNUM CARBINE, PRE-SAFETY, WITH FANCIER THAN STANDARD WALNUT, a surprisingly difficult Marlin to find, this one has seen very light if any real use, the only flaws are a couple buggered screw heads and the “Marlin Bullseye” inlay has fallen out- all very minor and easy to replace, $695. SOLD

8)  MODEL 1894 .44 MAGNUM CARBINE, PRE-SAFETY WITH VERY FANCY WALNUT! One of the nicest pieces of walnut I’ve ever seen on one of these (usually the wood is plain), about new condition with a sling swivel in the “Bullseye” inlay hole and a forward swivel mounted on the mag tube (did not alter the tube), $795. SOLD

9) JUST IN: MODEL 1894S .44 MAG. OR SPECIAL, this is the carbine with the diamond checkered wrist and forend, has quick detachable swivel studs, about like new, $795. ``

 

 

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

  1. 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 $3450.

  2.  SHARPS 1874 BRIDGEPORT 30” OCTAGON BARREL SPORTING RIFLE IN .45-70 CALIBER WITH FACTORY LETTER SHOWING THIS RIFLE WAS SHIPPED JUST AS IT NOW IS TO N. CURRY AND COMPANY, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ON JULY 13, 1878, this is a standard weight rifle of just under ten pounds weight with double set triggers and open sights, dealer cost was $42, this is a true Sharps factory sporter, not a conversion, serial number is 159XXX. Many of these California shipped guns were used in the extermination of the grizzly bears and some were used along the coast to hunt seals, while others went over the Rocky Mountains for buffalo.  Aged and thinning barrel blue with exc. Sharps markings and the famed “Old Reliable” marking, barrel number under the forend matches the receiver, receiver mostly aged to a smooth gray/brown with traces of case color in the most protected areas, exc. screws, tight wood to metal fit with no chips around the receiver (as usually found), correct shotgun butt stock with matching number checkered steel butt plate, fine Bridgeport style forend that has one shallow sliver out of the forward right side- pretty typical on rifles that were used off of cross sticks or resting across a saddle, fairly bright bore with fine rifling and possibly just a little corrosion ahead or the chamber (might just be leading that will brush out), overall will clean about exc., correct Lawrence ladder rear sight with slide intact and Rocky Mountain blade front sight, set triggers function fine, one of the nicer ones especially for a western shipped rifle, seldom seen or offered these days,  $7950.

  3. CLASSIC BRITISH “LEE SPEED” .303 SPORTING RIFLE BY B.S.A. (BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS), typically purchased by British officers who were stationed in Africa and India, this one shows normal hunting wear, but no abuse or alterations, 24 inch barrel with sling eye on the bottom, three leaf express sight marked “100,” “200,” and “300,” with flip up ladder (needs slide), small blade front sight with protective “wings” on each side,  ebony forend tip, fine checkered pistol grip with grip cap and checkered forend, better than standard grade of walnut- needs a good clean as it looks like it has over a hundred years of grime on it, dark aged blue metal has never been cleaned, looks like there has been some very light surface rust on some of the receiver top- probably just from being hunted with in tropical climate and held with sweaty hands- but not really pitted or unsightly at all, border engraving on receiver, great single stage trigger pull, smooth steel butt plate with trap and silver initial oval plate in bottom of stock, matching numbered bolt, bore is fairly bright and maybe a little worn, but NOT pitted, a classy British sporter with lots of history! $1695.

  4. ODDITY UNDER-BARREL FOLDING  KNIFE OR DAGGER HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON .38 S&W CALIBER REVOLVER, also known as the "H&R Automatic Eject Revolver with Knife Attachment," or "Automatic Bayonet Revolver,"  these were made in limited numbers from 1901-1917, 4" barrel with 2 1/4" double edge spear point folding dagger that locks into place when extended, this one has an UNSHARPENED AND UNBROKEN BLADE in excellent condition with good latch retaining spring (these are often found  with the blade either missing, broken or heavily sharpened), original nickel finish flaked to an aged gray patina with good nickel scattered and in the more protected areas- nickel and metal blend nicely, fine markings and grips, double action works fine, single action a bit stiff- perhaps made to function only in double action mode- overall a fine example of one of the more bizarre (and cool!) firearms made at the turn of the last century, $1295.
  5. SUPER CONDITION HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON "TRAPPER MODEL" .22RF REVOLVER, these 6" octagon barrel double action revolvers are usually found in hard used condition but this one shows nearly all the original blue intact, exc. inside (!), exc. grips with one age crack on the right side coming down for an inch or so and going nowhere, really hard to find like this, $375. ``
  6. 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!  $1295.

  7. STEVENS LEVER ACTION MODEL 425 "HIGH POWER" RIFLE IN .35 REMINGTON CALIBER, ONLY MADE 1910 TO 1917, good example that has obviously seen use, but not abused- many of these seem to have been used really hard and not taken care of- fine overall with deep receiver blue that shows some edge wear from carry/use, thinning barrel and mag blue, original buckhorn rear sight with Winchester style front blade, wood shows normal handling with just a very little swelling at right side of the receiver junction- minor, correct checkered crescent butt plate, tight action, bore will clean exc., $1195. ``

  8. MAUSER PRE-WORLD WAR II .22LR SINGLE SHOT BOLT ACTION RIFLE, I believe this is the model 420 with 25.5" barrel and checkered pistol grip stock, sharp Mauser circular stock stamping, exc. bright bore, exc. barrel blue, exc. Oberndorf markings, bolt handle only mixing plum, exc. mech and trigger pull, correct tangent rear sight with bright fire blued slide, wood shows light handling only and has one very slight crack coming back from the bolt indent on the right side- just an age crack in the grain of the wood that goes nowhere- minor and not very apparent, a classy rifle from the Golden Age of pre-war German manufacturing, $575.

  9. GREAT OFFERING! CLASSIC CUSTOM VARMINTER BY LEONARD & HYDE, NEW YORK, .257 ROBERTS CALIBER, MAUSER 98 ACTION, 27" MEDIUM HEAVY VARMINT BARREL, 12X UNERTL SCOPE AND MOUNTS.  Here's what I found on the internet: George J. Hyde Sr. (born "Heide") was a German-born American machinist, gunsmith and gun designer best known for his submachine guns. He was born in Arpfingen, Germany on January 4, 1888. Already a skilled machinist, he emigrated to the United States in 1927. His family followed, the next year. Before 1935 George J. Hyde was a machinist and shop foreman at Griffin & Howe.[1] He quit Griffin & Howe and went on to become the co-owner of Leonard & Hyde in New York. He partnered with Samuel A. "Harry" Leonard, an expert shotgun and rifle stock maker, who had trained at James Purdy & Sons of London. Hyde also did contract gunsmithing work for Roberts and Kimball in Woburn, Massachusetts. (The latter was an early semi-custom maker of rifles chambered in .257 Roberts.) So what we've got here is the shop foreman for Griffin & Howe teaming up with an expert stock maker from Purdy in England and building rifles with influence from Ned Roberts and his "new" .257 Roberts Caliber!  It should also be known that Hyde is the inventor of the famed M-3 Grease Gun  and the unusual .45ACP Liberator pistol of World War II (among other inventions and patents).  The rifle is near mint with classic straight grained select grade English Walnut stock, cheek piece with shadow/accent line, fine checkering on forend and pistol grip, fully machine turned action and magazine follower, custom altered Mauser safety with checkered up-down tab for scope use, no dovetails for iron sights and no cut in the stock for any receiver sight- this one was made for this scope, one really outstanding touch is the butt plate treatment- there is an inletted stylized steel heel and toe plate with checkered walnut in the center- a true class act and one that would cost a fortune today, swivel studs are set into small oval ebony inlays, barrel marked "No. 1937 Leonard & Hyde, New York,"  silver initial plate in stock bottom, exc. optics in scope, finely checkered bolt handle, beautiful and graceful stock design around the action and floor plate, weighs about 11 1/4 lbs., like getting a rifle built by Griffin & Howe, stocked by Purdy, influenced and chambered by Ned Roberts and scoped by Unertl!  A custom rifle of this quality would cost a fortune today and not many gunsmiths could even do this kind of work! Superb condition overall.  $3950. (click underlined text for 3 photos )

  10. BERETTA MODEL 1934 .380 AUTO PISTOL WITH ITALIAN ARMY PROOFS MADE 1938, lots of World War II history in this one! Fine blue overall with minor thinning/ageing on the slide and edges, exc. original grips, matching numbers, tight action, exc. inside, $595.

 

 

 

 OUTSTANDING AND UNUSUAL COLLECTION OF POCKET PISTOLS, DERRINGERS & REVOLVERS- the following collection was assembled over several years and most were photographed for an upcoming article about these interesting arms and their low-powered  ammunition in The Black Powder Cartridge News magazine (yes, I wrote the article.  It is called DELAYED LETHALITY  and should be published in the next quarterly issue). Please note I refer to the book Flayderman's Guide in a number of these descriptions.  This classic book is now in its 9th edition, yet was last published in 2007.  All are antique. I have tried to price all of these attractively. As always, click text for photos.

1. COLT No. 1 ALL METAL .41 RF DERRINGER, ONLY 6500 MADE 1870-1890, a seldom seen Colt that was actually one of Colt's first non-conversion cartridge guns, made to be used as "knucks" presumably after the first and only shot was fired!  Much better than normally seen with fine bright blue mixing a little gray on the right side and bottom of the barrel, left side shows some aged blue mixing gray/brown, iron frame is an uncleaned mottled gray/brown with some nickel in protected areas, exc. mechanically with bright sharp bore, exc. screw (only one), sharp markings and checkering on back strap and sides, exc. simple factory engraving, #2XXX, (Flayderman's Guide 9th edition- now SIX YEARS OLD shows these in fine condition at $2750), rarely seen with any original finish remaining,  my price $2250.

2. COLT No. 2 .41 RF DERRINGER, ONLY 9000 MADE 1870-1890, another scarce early cartridge Colt that is rarely found with any finish remaining, this one much better than normally seen, fine aged blue mixing dull on the barrel, exc. markings and mech., uncleaned brown iron frame with nice simple factory engraving, exc. single screw,  exc. checkered walnut grips, bore will clean about exc., #5XXX, (Flayderman’s shows these in fine at $2,000),  My price $1795.

3. COLT No. 3 .41 RF DERRINGER, MADE 1870-1912, this was Colt’s most popular derringer with 48,000 being made yet good examples with original finish are hard to find as like most derringer/pocket pistols they were carried extensively and wore fast, this one is the more scarce full nickel and shows wear on the high edges of the frame sides with grip straps retaining all of the nickel, barrel also retains nearly all the nickel except for a thin wear line at the highest/sharpest edges and slightly at the muzzle, exc. screws and mech, exc. markings,  nice walnut grips show good finish and only slight handling marks, good fire blue on the hammer back, exc. mech and the bore should scrub out fine or better, again, much better than normally seen, $895.

4. VERY EARLY COLT NEW LINE .32 RF POCKET REVOLVER, ONLY 22,000 TOTAL MADE 1873-1884,  #5XXX  nickel finish with rosewood grips, retains fine bright nickel finish with just the most minor of freckling/peeling/scratches that must be closely examined to really detect clearly, some evidence of light rust that at some time in the distant past was wiped off, exc. highly finished grips, $450. (note: top gun in photo sold)

5. OUTSTANDING AND VERY RARE COLT NEW LINE 2ND. MODEL IN .41 CENTER FIRE CALIBER WITH BLUE AND CASE COLOR FINISH, #4XXX MADE 1876, only 7,000 of these were made in .41 for five years between 1874-1879 with the majority being nickel finish and rim fire chambering, this is a great one with nearly all the slightly aged blue on the barrel and cylinder, beautiful sharp acid etched “COLT NEW 41” barrel marking, exc. high finished rosewood grips, frames on these were case colored and some still remains (!) in front of cylinder on both sides and some nice color can be seen on the left side in the more protected areas around the cylinder and side plate with less on the right side, but still good color in the loading flute, exc. markings, exc. mech and bore, fine fire blue on the hammer back, super rare and the best I’ve seen! $1695.

6. EXCEEDINGLY RARE C. H. BALLARD IRON FRAME (!) .41 RF DERRINGER, ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MADE 1870 AND MOST WITH THE BRASS FRAME, all of these are scarce and this is the first I’ve seen with iron frame, overall mostly gray/brown patina with some pin prick pitting scattered on mostly the underside of the barrel- minor, nice walnut grips, correct only marking for iron frame models “BALLARD’S” on the barrel top, hammer spring weak but holds hammer at full cock fine,  tips down to load, (Flayderman’s shows these in good/fine condition at $700/$2000), this one is priced at $1295.

7. EARLY BROWN MANUFACTURING “SOUTHERNER” .41 RF SCARCE IRON FRAME DERRINGER, #4XXX WITH 1867 PATENT DATE,  MADE 1869, a really fine example with what I believe is a full silver plate finish (looks too dull to be nickel and many were silvered), barrel finish thinning somewhat and aged to an attractive silver/gray, frame retains good silver with some thinning/ageing on the edges and grip straps all of which blends beautifully, sharp markings including the classis “SOUTHERNER” marking on the barrel top, exc. mech, exc. highly finished rosewood grips, bore will clean exc., rare variation and really sharp example of one of the earliest and most popular cartridge derringers usually found in hard used/hard carried condition, $1295.

8. LARGE CONNECTICUT ARMS HAMMOND PATENT “BULLDOG” .44RF SINGLE SHOT PISTOL, IN VERY RARE NICKEL FINISH, MADE 1866-1880s, only about 8,000 of these big caliber guns were made and nearly all were blued, Flayderman's Guide says "a few known with original nickel finish..." I’ve encountered only a very few in nickel over the years and this is one of the best, fine nickel with wear to brown around the high parts of the breech block left side and bottom and around the right side of the trigger, and around the muzzle of the barrel- looks like this one might have been carried in a holster, still good nickel on most of the grip straps and barrel and left side of frame, exc. hard rubber “gutta percha” grips, exc. mech, bore will clean fine or better, a relatively big early cartridge derringer/pocket pistol in a rare finish in nice condition, (Flayderman’s shows these in exc. with standard blue finish at $1500) I have this one priced at $1495.

9. THE SMALLEST REVOLVER EVER MADE IN THE U.S.! SUPER RARE “GEM” POCKET REVOLVER, MADE BY THE BACON FIREARMS COMPANY LATE 1870s TO EARLY 1880s IN “LIMITED QUANTITIES” (according to Flayderman’s Guide), this is only the second or third of these fancy little guns I’ve seen in twenty years and this is a great example of this 5 shot .22 RF with 1 ¼” barrel and overall length of just 3 7/8.” Nickel plated with special extra thinly gold washed/plated cylinder and fully engraved with the only marking “GEM” on the top strap over the cylinder, nearly all the nickel remains with only the tiniest spot of freckling on the extreme bottom edge of the bird's head butt, only traces of the gold wash remain on the cylinder face, in the chambers and in the engraving with the balance silver/gray and blending with the rest of the metal, special fancy scrimshawed ivory grips are mellow from age, but exc. and not chipped, exc. mech., truly an outstanding rarity with extra fancy finish!  Most advanced collectors have never seen one! A rare beauty!  $2250. (SOLD)

10. SAFETY HAMMER DOUBLE ACTION .44 CENTER FIRE BY HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON, MADE C.1880s – 1890s, these under-appreciated yet widely popular inexpensive handguns saw lots of use in the east and west, this one is in relatively scarce blue finish, 2 ½” octagon barrel, top strap marked “SAFETY HAMMER” and “DOUBLE ACTION” overall aged blue mixing plum, exc. hard rubber fancy grips, mech works fine, big caliber in a small package and quite rare in this big bore chambering! $275. ``

11. EXCELLENT REID 7 SHOT .22 CALIBER “MY FRIEND” KNUCKLEDUSTER, MADE 1868-1882, complete with matching number cylinder pin (these often replaced or with the tips that contain the serial number broken off because they have a REVERSE thread for removing and people, being creatures of habit, try to remove the pin by turning it counter-clockwise… with pliers… until the end breaks off!), fine nickel frame with brass showing through only along the edges from normal carry wear, very thin/aged blue cylinder (some were nickel plated, some blued), tight mechanically, exc. markings including the very tiny “MY FRIEND” and patent markings on the edge of the top strap, you gotta love this kind of stuff!  $1895.

12.  TINY REMINGTON SAW HANDLE No. 1 SIZE “VEST POCKET” .22 RF DERRINGER IN SCARCE AND DESIRABLE BLUE FINISH, #8XXX, MADE 1865-1888, exc. blue on the sides and top of the frame with edge wear only, barrel blue ahead of the trigger thing and mixing an uncleaned gray, grip straps aged to gray/brown, still some nice fire blue on the hammer sides and back, exc. mech., exc. high finished grips, exc. screws, exc. Remington markings on the receiver top, again, these tiny vest pocket arms were often carried lots and show considerable wear with the blue ones wearing faster than nickel examples, finding one with original blue is difficult and this is a particularly fine example.  $1195.

13. VERY EARLY LOW NUMBER 1XX, FACTORY ENGRAVED AND IVORY STOCKED BIG REMINGTON No. 3 SIZE SAW HANDLE .41 RF DERRINGER, ONLY 14,000 MADE 1865-1888, overall blue finish aged and thinned to an attractive uncleaned gray/brown patina with good aged blue on the hammer and breech block, fine Remington markings on the receiver top, fine scroll engraving on the receiver sides, bottom of grip straps (butt) and a little below back strap hump, tight mech., some light dings just behind the back strap top hump only, exc. un-chipped ivory grips are mellow with age, must have belonged to a successful gambler, politician or expensive/desirable lady of the evening! $2350. SOLD

14. FRANK WESSON MEDIUM FRAME SUPERPOSED .32 RF 2ND. TYPE OVER/UNDER SWIVEL BARREL DERRINGER, ONLY 3,000 MADE 1868-1880, mellow uncleaned brass frame with small “H D” barely scratched into the left side below the hammer (could be easily rubbed out or just left as is- minor), mostly gray/brown patina barrels, exc. mech., tight barrel lock up, exc. rosewood grips, fine markings with patent date,  these have lots of appeal, nice example, $1195.

15) FOLDING KNIFE REVOLVER BY H&R (see above in Antique/Classic section)

MOSSBERG "BROWNIE" 4-BARREL .22LR POCKET PISTOL (see above in Antique/classic section)

 

 

 REMINGTON (click text for photos)

1)VERY UNUSUAL ROLLINGBLOCK TWO BAND MILITARY MUSKET IN DESIRABLE .50-70 CALIBER WITH FULL FACTORY NICKEL FINISH, this is the third one of these I’ve seen in about 20 years and all I’ve seen were in hard-used condition, this is the best condition one, There are no foreign proofs or markings and also no U.S. markings indicating that this was a commercial model sold in the United States as this cartridge wasn’t available any place else- except maybe Mexico, I have a copy of a the 1877 Remington catalogue that shows a similar rifle called “United States Model caliber .50” yet is shows a photo of a three band musket with 32 ½” barrel while this one has two bands and a 30 ½” barrel, nickel plating was very common on the “Baby Carbine” in .44-40 caliber and it’s my opinion this was just a civilian version that shooters wanted in nickel finish as black powder fouling cleaned off easier than blue, this was especially popular in the early southwest and Mexico, fine attractive aged nickel on the barrel and receiver with some flaking/browning on the bottom of the receiver and trigger guard, hammer and high edges of the butt plate, minor peeling/browning at the muzzle, original sights (small slide missing from rear sight- should be easy to replace), needs cleaning rod only,  fine wood with a small sliver out of the left side of the forend by the receiver, fine bore will clean near excellent, a rare American frontier variation in a great caliber! $1295.

2) PARTICULARLY FINE CONDITION HEPBURN SPORTING RIFLE IN .40 X 2½” (.40-70 STRAIGHT) CALIBER, WITH 28” HALF OCTAGON BARREL, a nice original example with matching numbers on the barrel, receiver and butt plate, exc. deep barrel blue showing a few very light dings ahead of the rear sight- minor, blue shows very light age only, exc. markings on barrel and receiver, original buckhorn rear sight with half-moon and ivory bead front sight, receiver shows light case color with more vivid color in protected areas, exc. wood with sharp factory checkering on the pistol grip, ebony inlay in forend schnable tip, exc. screws, exc. blue on the hammer and breech block, tight action, bright exc. bore, one of the nicer sporters I’ve seen in a while, $2850.

3) SCARCE CORRECT 18 ½” CARBINE VERSION MODEL 14 PUMP RIFLE IN 32 REMINGTON CALIBER, MADE C.1918, easy to tell carbine versions as they don’t have pistol grip stocks and have 18 ½” barrels with milled-in ramp front sights, this one also retains the desirable “wheel” adjustable rear sight (these often missing and replaced with elevator bar type buckhorn sights) and the correct Marbles tang sight made just for this model, wood shows normal handling with correct Remington marked butt plate, small crack just behind trigger guard- minor, fine forearm with probably one replaced retaining screw, fine aged barrel blue, receiver shows about half the aged blue with the balance turning silvery, tight action and takedown, exc. bore, ammo/brass can still be had, seldom encountered model and has great sights! $1295.

4) RARELY SEEN MODEL 25 FACTORY THREADED FOR SILENCER,  WITH KNURLED THREAD PROTECTING CAP INTACT, .25-20 PUMP ACTION RIFLE, I've seen a small number of guns by various major makers (Winchester, Marlin etc.) with this special order feature, in fact, Teddy Roosevelt had a lever action rifle threaded in the same manner, fine deep receiver blue, ageing barrel and mag blue, exc. markings, fine, solid wood with no cracks and correct Remington marked crescent butt plate, small buckhorn rear sight with blade/bead front, sling swivel stud added to stock and front barrel band, exc. mech., exc. bore, $995. (three photos)

 

RUGER (click text for photos)

1) EARLY FLATTOP BLACKHAWK, THIS ONE IN .357 MAGNUM, #34XXX, MADE 1961 this one appears to have been shot very little as it still retains almost all the blue on the face of the cylinder- after a box of magnums have been shot through one of these the blue starts to get blasted off- exc. overall with just the very lightest of minor edge wear from carry, tight action and exc. bright bore, $895.

2) SUPER REDHAWK IN .454 CASULL/45 COLT,  7 1/2" BARREL, IN BOX WITH SCOPE RINGS ETC., TEST FIRED ONLY, $795. ``

3) 1976 "MADE IN THE 200TH YEAR OF AMERICAN LIBERTY" MARKED MINI-14 .223 SEMI-AUTO RIFLE WITH CORRECT AND DESIRABLE EARLY WOOD HANDGUARD, near new condition overall- note: this one turned up in a little Arizona gun show and when I picked it up from the table and pulled opened the bolt to inspect inside, I found the original five round magazine WAS FULLY LOADED!!! More people are killed with "unloaded" guns than loaded ones!  Let this be a lesson, check all guns where ever they are and make sure they are unloaded before handling.  I'm just glad I was the first person to handle this gun at the show.  Someone else might not have been so careful.  As I drilled into my two sons when they were little (they are both in their 20s now), "How many mistakes are you allowed with firearms?"  the answer was always "NONE!"  One mistake could be one injured or killed person.  Price of this now unloaded mini-14  $875.

 

SAVAGE FIREARMS (click text for photos)

 

1) ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST UNUSUAL 1899s I’VE SEEN! THIS IS A MODEL 1899-A 22” SHORT RIFLE, TAKEDOWN, IN .38-55 CALIBER, MADE 1907, the Savage 99 book by Murray is not exact and has errors in it, I think this rifle proves another small mistake as he states the takedown in the 1899-A was introduced in 1899 but the takedown was not offered until 1917- well this one has a matching number on the takedown forend and it was made in 1907!  This is the first of these I’ve ever seen in .38-55 which is rare in any model, aged barrel blue, mostly gray/brown receiver with good blue on upper lever section, fine wood with tight wood to metal fit and only the beginnings of the usual cracks coming back from the upper tang (all Savage 1899s seem to have these), correct tang sight with blade front sight and later folding barrel sight, tight action and excellent sharp bore! Correct Savage marked steel shotgun butt plate with both wood and butt plate matching numbered to the forearm and receiver, $1895.

2) MODEL 1917 .380 AUTO PISTOL, scarce item as only as only about 14,000 of these were made between 1920 and 1928, this is an early production example probably made first year, overall a solid gun that has seen use and carry, overall aged blue mixing plum/brown, never cleaned or steel-wooled, grips show wear but complete, correct magazine, exc. markings, tight action, exc. bore, $495.

 

 

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-A) HARRINGTON AND RICHARDSON .45-70 TRAPDOOR 1871-1971 OFFICERS MODEL CENTENNIAL RIFLE, a near exact copy of the rare and valuable original Springfield 1875 Officers Model rifle that was built by Springfield and sold to officers stationed in the West, checkered wrist and forend, correct tang sight, engraved butt plate, lock plate, hammer, breech block, trigger guard, barrel band, pewter forend cap etc., beautifully blued and case colored, about new in the original box, made in the USA in the 1970s, as I always say when I get these in, these are a bargain on today's market! $950.

1-B SAME AS ABOVE, ABOUT NEW, BUT NO BOX, $895.

2) SHILOH SHARPS, MADE IN BIG TIMBER, MONTANA, .45-70 CALIBER LONG RANGE EXPRESS, 34" heavy octagon barrel, fancy walnut with AA finish, semi-buckhorn rear sight, pistol grip, shotgun butt, cheek piece, pewter forend tip, long range vernier tang sight with both windage and elevation adjustments, globe front sight that will take apertures (little spring clip on top missing- should be easy to replace), double set triggers, very lightly used and almost like new, in original Shiloh cardboard box and wood shipping crate, $2795 (includes shipping). ``

3) HUGE AND MASSIVE C. SHARPS, MADE IN BIG TIMBER, MONTANA, MODEL 1874 34" BULL BARREL OCTAGON BRIDGEPORT SPORTER IN .45-100 (.45 x 2.6") CALIBER, WEIGHS NEARLY 18 LBS!, this one measures 1.285" at the muzzle, fancy walnut stock and forend, globe front sight with interchangeable apertures (included) and spirit level, extra-long range Soule tang sight with Hadley eye disc, checkered steel shotgun butt plate, double set triggers, with RCBS loading dies and just under 100 rounds of Starline .45 2.6" brass (50 rounds new), Like new! Shipping included at $3450

4) BROWNING 1885 .45-70 "BPCR" SILHOUETTE RIFLE, basically new in original box, 30" heavy half oct. barrel, nicely figured walnut with cheek piece and checkered steel shotgun butt plate, case colored receiver,  checkered pistol grip and forend, long range Soule tang sight with spirit level globe front sight with interchangeable apertures (included), original sight box with two extra eye discs, owners manual etc., these have won matches right out of the box! $1895.

5) SHILOH SHARPS MADE IN BIG TIMBER, MONTANA No. 3 SPORTING RIFLE IN .45-70, with 28” standard weight octagon barrel, really nice obviously hand selected dense semi-fancy dark walnut stock and forend, pewter forend tip, double set triggers, full buckhorn Lawrence ladder rear sight with blade front, slightly curved case colored military butt plate, polished screws, weighs just under 10 lbs and would make a great hunting rifle, in fact I was tempted to keep this one myself as there is something really appealing about this rifle- hard to explain- it just looks and feels right- some are like that.  Nearly new condition, $2450.

 

 

SMITH AND WESSON (click text for photos)

1) FIRST MODEL SCHOFIELD, UNALTERED, U.S. MARKED, ALL MATCHING NUMBERS, #1XXX, MADE  1875, only 3,000 of these first models were manufactured and issued to the cavalry (it is known that several were used at Custer’s Little Bighorn battle in 1876), many if not most were later sold as surplus and had their barrels cut to 4 to 5,” finding an unaltered first model is difficult, this one has all matching numbers including the frame, barrel, latch, cylinder and grips, all markings and inspector initials are fine, sharp U.S. on butt (this often ground off), overall an aged brown patina with light blue in protected areas, fine mech and extractor, half cock only not catching- minor, bore will clean exc., grips show some wear/handling but fit well, are not chipped, and are numbered to the gun, great example, really hard to find all matching and complete,  $4850.

2) FABULOUS SMITH AND WESSON FIND WITH SUPER FACTORY LETTER!! RARE .38-40 CALIBER DOUBLE ACTION FRONTIER, #1XX, ONLY 276 OF THIS DISTINCT MODEL WERE MADE AND NUMBERED 1 - 276, this one has a 6 1/2" barrel (longest offered) and the factory letter verifies all aspects of this revolver and shows it was shipped on October 27, 1904 to J. A. ANDERSON CO., FORT WORTH, TEXAS, aside from some M-1926 .44 Hand Ejectors that went to Texas, this is one of the only early S&Ws that went anywhere but to a major dealer/distributor in the northeast- usually New York, much less to Texas which was pretty much still a frontier in 1904!  No doubt, the person who ordered this .38-40 was probably a cowboy who wanted to pair it up with his .38-40 Winchester or Marlin rifle/carbine, overall aged blue to brown with some good blue in the more protected areas- like ahead of the cylinder and on/around trigger guard, never been steel-wooled or cleaned, the patina on this revolver is very attractive and took 110 years to achieve, exc. markings including the "38 WINCHESTER CTG" marking on the barrel, matching numbers, exc. hard rubber grips (stated in the letter) show light handling wear only,  tight action, exc. bore, you could look for years and not find one of these in any condition and certainly a letter with shipment to Texas is a big plus!  $4950.

4) .44 DOUBLE ACTION WITH 6 ½” BARREL, this is the standard 1 7/16” cylinder chambered for the .44 Russian cartridge, overall a dark, uncleaned brown, really “attic condition” and looks like it provided long service on the frontier, action works fine both single action and double action, fine markings, right grip is a wood replacement, left grip is heavily worn rubber, bore will clean out fine or better, $695.

5) GREAT FACTORY LETTER WITH THIS 1891 SINGLE SHOT .22LR TARGET PISTOL WITH BLUE FINISH AND SCARCE 8" BARREL, the S&W factory letter shows this revolver as being shipped to Andre, Schaub & Pioso Co., New York City and Paris, France on March 11, 1901. This company was also an agent for the French government in procuring American arms during World War I, it can be assumed this one went overseas, matching numbers, correct hard rubber stocks (mentioned in the letter), fine deep blue overall with some flaking on the side plate on the left side and some dulling/ageing of the blue on the barrel bottom and front strap etc., exc. mech and bore, nice case color on the hammer, only 862 of these were made in .22LR and of those most had the ten inch barrel and many were nickel finish, very rare S&W with even rarer barrel length and intriguing factory letter! $1395.

6) FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION, RARE FIVE SCREW PRE-29 .44 MAGNUM WITH 4” BARREL, #S 156XXX, MADE 1956, this one has been used a little, but still retains fine deep blue with some normal holster wear at the muzzle, on some of the cylinder sharp edges etc. grips are missing, tight action, exc. inside, target trigger and hammer, white outline rear with red ramp front sight, exc. screws, matching numbers, rare gun with rare barrel length, $1895.

 

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

1) 1884 .45-70 TRAPDOOR SADDLE RING CAVALRY CARBINE, classic Indian Wars carbine, this one has a serial number on the receiver indicating a manufacture date of 1879, yet has the later 1884 marked breech block, 1884 correct carbine marked Buffington rear sight with correct 1884 sight protector barrel band all indicating that this carbine was sent back to the arsenal for typical updates during its time of issue and use, exc. wood, exc. markings, fine deep slightly aged barrel blue, fine+ bore is fairly bright and might scrub out even better, tight action, nice inky-blue/black case hardening finish on the hammer and lock plate, still retains good blue on the barrel band and trigger guard, saddle ring and bar intact, trap in butt plate still retains the three piece cleaning rod, really attractive example, $1495.``

2) ONE OF THE FINEST 1899 KRAG CARBINES I’VE OFFERED, this one has a sharp and crisp 1901 stock cartouche, correct M-1901 fully adjustable carbine rear sight with correct humped handguard, generally exc. wood overall with just minor handling marks and a light ding or two, fine lightly aged barrel blue, mottled gray receiver, correct headless cocking piece, tight action, exc. bore, exc. wood, very hard to find this nice, $1795.

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

4) S&W SCHOFIELD 1ST MODEL U.S. REVOLVER  (see above in Smith & Wesson section)

 

 

 WINCHESTER  RIFLES  and  SHOTGUNS (click text for photos) .

  1. SPECIAL ORDER 1873 .32-20 OCTAGON RIFLE WITH SHOTGUN BUTT, MADE 1889, overall fine appearance, aged dark receiver and barrel with exc. markings, original dust cover, mellow brass lifter, fine screws (mag. screw a replacement), original sights, exc. butt stock with correct smooth steel shotgun butt plate and tight wood to metal fit, fine forearm with thin age crack beginning  to come back from the forend cap on the right side for a couple inches- minor, has some evidence of light surface rust that was wiped off (not buffed or steel wooled) mainly on the mag tube bottom and a little around the lever- you have to look for this to find it and it really blends in and isn't a problem, bore is a bit dark with strong rifling and ought to scrub out fine+ or better, tight action, attractive special order early 1873 rifle! $1795.
  2. 1873 .38-40 OCTAGON BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1892, fine example nice barrel blue showing a little dulling from age only, mag tube blue ageing to plum, receiver has fine blue in all the protected areas with the balance aged to an attractive plum, fine+ wood, fine blue on the loading gate, original dust cover intact, original sights, exc. screws, uncleaned mellow brass lifter with engraved "38 CAL" on bottom, bright bore with fine rifling shows light surface marks only that might brush out, overall a really attractive 1873 with lots of appeal and a never-messed-with appearance, $2650.

  3.  1885 HIGHWALL .38-55, 30” OCTAGON RIFLE, MADE 1889,  early standard rifle with No. 3 barrel, fine aged barrel blue, mostly gray/brown receiver, generally fine+ to exc. wood, tight wood to metal fit, tight action, fine bore with good rifling needs a good scouring out, buckhorn rear sight with Rocky Mountain blade front, exc. screws, retains the ebony wedge inlay in the forend tip, fine appearance, $2150.

  4. 1885 LOWALL "SPORTERIZED"  U.S. & FLAMING BOMB MARKED WINDER MUSKET IN .22 SHORT, original Winchester barrel was cut to about 21 inches, short ramp style front sight dovetailed into the barrel, no rear dovetail, correct Lyman receiver sight obviously needs to be tightened as there is a fine piece of wire holding the windage knob part tight to the rest of the sight, cut and rounded forend, butt stock cut short (probably for a kid to use) and is crude and cracked lengthwise, not a beauty queen, but the action has no extra holes and is tight, rec. and barrel still show some aged blue, shootable bore, worth putting a little time into if you were looking for a project, the value is in the action,  $495.

  5. RARE AND DESIRABLE 1886 .45-70 SADDLE RING CARBINE, FACTORY INFORMATION LISTS THIS CARBINE AS BEING SHIPPED IN 1904, interestingly, this one is marked “Carlos Rasetti” over “526 Rivadavia, Buenos Aires” (Argentina), apparently they were pretty big arms dealers for the South American market, exc. walnut forearm and butt stock showing normal handling with a very small chips at the upper tang juncture- minor, exc. screws, overall gray/brown metal with scattered areas of light surface pitting- all of which blends well and is fairly minor, fine markings, tight action, ring intact, correct carbine sights and butt plate, and EXCELLENT BRIGHT BORE!  $4950.

  6. 1886 .45-70 22” EXTRA LIGHTWEIGHT RIFLE, MADE 1900, solid frame with half magazine and shotgun butt, nickel steel marked barrel, exc. wood with fine wood to metal fit shows normal light handling only, hard rubber butt plate is fine with tiny probably repaired crack at the extreme toe- have to look carefully to see it, original sights, exc. barrel and mag blue showing a little minor dulling from age, exc. bore, receiver shows good blue in the protected rear portion and on the loading gate and bolt with the balance aged to gray/brown, tight action, nice example and hard to find in .45-70, $3250.``

  7. 1886 .40-82 CALIBER OCTAGON RIFLE, MADE 1889, this one came out of right here in Montana, VG aged barrel and mag blue that shows age and is mixing with brown but never cleaned or scrubbed, original sights, bright blue on bolt, mostly silvered receiver, fine+ wood, VG bore has scattered roughness, tight action, good appearance, $2700.

  8. VERY EARLY 1887 12 GA. LEVER ACTION SHOTGUN, #90XX, MADE 1887, 32” barrel, fine-exc. wood with tight wood to metal fit and only the lightest of handling marks, correct checkered steel butt plate, right side of receiver still retains some very light and faded case colors as does the upper part of the breech block and inside the trigger guard, left receiver side mostly cloudy gray with exc. Winchester monogram marking, fine blue on mag tube mixing brown, plum and brown barrel with minor evidence of  very scattered rust, tight action, bore has some of the usual shallow surface pitting that nearly all of these have, overall much better than normally seen. $1295.

  9. FINE CONDITION 1892 SADDLE RING CARBINE IN .38-40 CALIBER, MADE 1905, exc. walnut stock and forend with tight wood to metal fit, receiver blue aged to plum/brown on the sides with some brighter blue in the more protected areas and turning silver on receiver ring, edges and bottom, correct carbine sights, fine blue on mag tube, fine barrel blue starting to age and thin but good color, nice screws, bore should scrub out about exc., $2150.

  10. THE RAREST 1892 VARIATION I'VE SEEN! FACTORY 32" OCTAGON BARREL WITH DOUBLE SET TRIGGERS AND CORRECT TWO MAGAZINE RETAINING BANDS! MADE 1907, longer than the standard 24" barrels were only offered until 1908 and according to the Winchester Handbook by Madis only 744 rifles had longer  than standard barrels- in my experience 26" seems to be the most common and even these are of course rare, this is the only 32" I've ever seen, barrels in all models over 30" (32"-36") were made with two magazine retaining bands, close coupled double set triggers are also rare, caliber .25-20, standard buckhorn rear sight with Beech folding globe front sight, mottled uncleaned gray/brown barrel and mag, mag tube has a few dents just ahead of the forend cap,  fine markings, receiver mostly gray with some replaced screws and one minor screw missing on the top left side of the receiver, set triggers function fine, fine wood, dark bore should clean out good to VG, tight action, Winchester couldn't have made more than a small handful of this barrel length! $4950.

  11. 1892 .44-40 SADDLE RING CARBINE, FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION, very hard to find .44-40 SRCs in the antique pre-1899 range much less a first year gun, this one is a smooth, uncleaned brown patina overall with fine markings and original sights, has one small crest of some kind stamped on the top of the receiver ring that I'm not familiar with and NO foreign proofs, some blue remains on the bolt and loading gate, fine wood overall with some very small chips/gaps in the butt stock around the upper tang- minor, tight action, fine fairly bright bore with good rifling that should brush out even better, $1895. ``

  12. EXCELLENT CONDITION LATE PRODUCTION 1892 OCTAGON RIFLE IN .25-20, #996XXX, MADE 1929, ONE OF THE LAST OF THE 1892 RIFLES!  Correct very late barrel markings including the “MODEL 92” stamping, retains nearly all the barrel and mag blue with only the lightest of handling marks, receiver retains most of the late 1920s style of blue that looks more dull black- these late guns almost always have the receivers flaked to silver, this one shows only very minor thinning/freckling, exc. wood shows only light handling, tang sight with blade/bead front sight, filler in rear dovetail- doesn’t look like it ever had a rear sight, bright minty bore, late rifles like this especially in octagon are quite scarce, $2450

  13. FINE CONDITION 1892 .38-40 ROUND BARREL RIFLE, MADE 1905,  fine deep barrel and mag blue with minor spot or two of brown, fine blue on the receiver sides that is starting to thin, but still shows well, fine blue on bolt, exc. bore needs a clean, original sights, exc. dark walnut with one chip that was put back in with the original wood on the lower right corner above trigger, nice condition overall, (note: the bright "wet" spot on the forend in the top photo is just oil) $1895.

  14. FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION 1892 .32-20 OCTAGON RIFLE, SERIAL NUMBER 8700, MADE 1892, mostly gray barrel and mag with some thin blue remaining, gray/brown receiver with some blue on the left rear side, exc. wood, original sights, action a little stiff but fine, bore dark with fine rifling and a shallow ring about 3-4 inches from the muzzle, $1295.

  15. WINCHESTER'S FIRST PUMP SHOTGUN!  MODEL 1893 12 GA, 30" BARREL, #8XXX, MADE 1895, very hard model to find and those that do turn up usually show very heavy use and often abuse, this one is unaltered, overall the blue on the receiver, barrel and mag tube has just naturally aged to a very attractive plum patina, fine wood with one minor small age crack in the bottom of the forend that only goes for about an inch or so, VG bore with some minor light pitting toward the middle, half cock on hammer weak, tight action, correct original smooth steel butt plate, one of the better looking examples I've seen, $795.
  16. SPECIAL ORDER SEMI-DELUXE 1894 .30WCF RIFLE, MADE 1909, half octagon barrel, half magazine, plain pistol grip with correct Winchester embossed grip cap, checkered steel shotgun butt, original buckhorn rear sight and Winchester front sight, exc. screws, exc. barrel blue, receiver sides and bottom mostly silvered, nice blue on the bolt and loading gate, fine+ wood with light handling only and a couple age cracks in the right side of the stock that don't go all the way through and are minor, tight wood to metal fit, tight action, bore a little dark with fine rifling- should clean up nicely, $1795.

  17. FINE CONDITION 1894 .38-55 OCTAGON RIFLE, MADE 1908, fine+ deep barrel and mag blue showing just some very  minor age to the barrel blue, original sights, fine deep receiver blue with gray edge wear, fine+ wood with tight wood to metal fit, bore will scrub out exc., $2150.

  18. CLASSIC 1894 SADDLE RING CARBINE, .30WCF, MADE 1922, fine deep barrel and mag blue showing slight age only, receiver mostly flaked to gray/brown (typical of 1920s vintage 1894s) with exc. blue on bolt, loading gate and around the saddle ring, fine wood shows normal handling marks/dings, exc. screws, original sights- rear ladder sight needs slide only, fine blue on lever and assembly, exc bore, $1195.

  19. ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL AND RARE CONFIGURATION 1894s I'VE HAD! The Winchester letter on this one states: Rifle, .38-55 caliber, 1/2 octagon barrel, barrel length 24 inches, Extra Light, Plain Pistol Grip, Checkered, sights: Lyman front and leaf rear, shotgun butt- rubber, shipped August 28, 1903! I don't recall ever seeing a 24" half octagon extra light rifle especially with full magazine in .38-55! Keep in mind standard length barrel was 26" and 24" is super rare especially in half octagon.  Everything is correct on the rifle except it has a checkered steel butt plate which I believe is correct and original because I removed it and both it and the wood are stamped with the same assembly number- I think the rubber butt plate was a mistake in the records, The extra light barrel is interesting in that the muzzle is too thin for a dovetailed front sight and instead has a short ramp for the sight, the muzzle is also so thin it is actually smaller diameter than the magazine tube! Overall fine+ wood with fairly sharp checkering, correct Winchester embossed pistol grip cap, fine aged barrel blue, mag tube blue mixing brown, mostly gray receiver with blue in the protected areas and loading gate, nice screws, tight action, exc. bore, really unusual 1894 Short Rifle in a great caliber, $3650.``

  20. DESIRABLE .405 WCF CALIBER MODEL 1895, MADE 1920, fine example with exc. bore and (much needed) shotgun butt with Winchester embossed hard rubber butt plate, exc. wood and butt plate, tight wood to metal fit, shows light handling only, generally exc. barrel blue, receiver blue is good on the magazine sides and lower parts of the receiver with the balance turning an uncleaned gray, fine blue on bolt, exc. screws, tight action, original sights, no extra holes, these are really getting hard to find, $3950.

  21. EARLY HIGH CONDITION 1895 STANDARD RIFLE IN .30 US (.30-40 KRAG), SERIAL NUMBER 20XXX, MADE 1899, fine+ deep receiver and mag blue that shows just some age and edge wear, exc. bright blue on the bolt, exc. barrel blue, original sights, exc. screws, exc. wood with tight wood to metal fit, exc. sharp bore, one of the better ones I’ve had in a long time and especially fine for such an early example! $2350.  

  22. ONE OF THE RAREST BOLT ACTION SPORTING RIFLES MADE BY WINCHESTER! MODEL 1895 LEE STRAIGHT PULL .236 U.S.N. CALIBER, only a bit over 1700 of these sporters were made starting about 1897 and those few I’ve encountered have mostly shown hard use and alterations, this one has no extra holes or modifications (except for the sling swivels that may  or may not be factory), shows normal use and carry wear overall, wood has the usual hunting wear one would expect plus a crack at the wrist on the right side only from the upper to lower tang- looks like an old repair with no wood missing- probably a horse roll-over crack (see Notes From the Field at the bottom of this website for a discussion of this topic) as this rifle came out of right here in Montana, good aged barrel blue, tight action and fine+- exc. bore, correct steel butt plate and Winchester embossed pistol grip cap, one can go years and not encounter one of these! (antique)  $1295.``                                                                                                                                                                

  23. SCARCE MODEL 12 VARIATION: TRAP GUN WITH STRAIGHT CHECKERED BUTT STOCK AND FANCY WALNUT, RAISED SOLID MATTED RIB, 12 GA., MADE 1926, 30” full choke, standard forend, exc. inside and mech., correct Winchester embossed hard rubber butt plate, fine barrel blue showing normal light wear, receiver getting mostly silver/gray, these don’t turn up often, $795.

  24.  MODEL 64 STANDARD RIFLE IN .30WCF CALIBER, WORLD WAR II PRODUCTION, exc. barrel blue, mag tube turning/mixing plum, receiver and forend cap blue fine but showing some age, fine walnut stocks show normal handling, correct checkered steel butt plate, exc. bright bore, tight action,  these are going up rapidly in value, $875.
  25. MODEL 64 DELUXE RIFLE, .30WCF, MADE 1949, exc. blue overall with normal light carry/handling wear, edge wear on the receiver bottom and around serial number area, exc. barrel and mag blue with lightest of wear only, original sights with front sight hood intact, exc. checkered stock and forend with correct pistol grip cap, exc. blue on forend cap, original checkered steel shotgun butt plate, these are going up in value fast, $1795.

 

 

    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 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 f elt 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 inves.