Milestone’s Nov. 2 Firearms Auction: Stellar Selection of Winchester Rifles & Colts

European highlights: 1850s English cane gun; rare 1733 French dragoon flintlock pistol of type used in French & Indian War, first standardized pistol for French army and navy.

Near-mint unissued Whitney Model 1861 US Navy rifle, barrel dated 1863, .69 caliber, large eagle-and-flag motif on lock. Bayonet made by Collins & Co. (Hartford, Conn.). Estimate: $6,000-$8,000
Near-mint unissued Whitney Model 1861 US Navy rifle, barrel dated 1863, .69 caliber, large eagle-and-flag motif on lock. Bayonet made by Collins & Co. (Hartford, Conn.). Estimate: $6,000-$8,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – -(AmmoLand.com)- Milestone’s Nov. 2 2019 Fall Premier Firearms Auction contains 800+ lots of excellent-quality modern-era handguns guns and long arms, as well as antique guns and rifles, with many from the Civil War era. It is a live gallery auction with all forms of remote bidding available, including absentee and live via the Internet.

Co-owner Miles King noted that the multi-consignor sale includes the “best selection of Winchesters” Milestone has ever offered, as well as many desirable Colts, big-caliber lots and boxed pieces. “Each and every gun was assessed and cataloged by our new firearms specialist Dave Bushing, who is extremely knowledgeable and well respected within the collectible gun hobby. We were thrilled that he agreed to join us as our firearms consultant.”

Auction headliners may be found in all five of the sale’s main categories. Overall top highlights include: a boxed and engraved Smith &Wesson K-38 Masterpiece revolver, Winchester Deluxe Special Order Model 1894 rifle, Winchester Model 1866 “Yellow Boy” rifle, Winchester Deluxe Model 1873 rifle, Marlin Special Order Model 1893 rifle, Colt Burgess lever-action rifle, an unissued Whitney Model 1861 U.S. Navy rifle, and a German Model G43 semi-automatic rifle.

Modern handguns of special note include several popular Colt Pythons, single-actions and other models – many in their original boxes – several cased Colt Model 1911 commemorative pistols, numerous Smith & Wesson large caliber pistols (many boxed), a nice selection of Heckler & Koch pistols, and many sought-after Walther, Ruger, Browning, Beretta, Sig Sauer and Dan Wesson productions.

Simeon North (Middletown, Conn.) Model 1808 flintlock naval pistol, one of only 3,000 made, 10-inch barrel in .64 smoothbore. Iron lock stamped ‘U. States’ with early eagle image. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000
Simeon North (Middletown, Conn.) Model 1808 flintlock naval pistol, one of only 3,000 made, 10-inch barrel in .64 smoothbore. Iron lock stamped ‘U. States’ with early eagle image. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000

Leading the modern rifles and shotguns are a pre-ban Israeli Galil rifle, Smith & Wesson M&P rifle, boxed Springfield M1A rifle, CZ Model 527 rifle, Remingtons, Winchesters, Brownings, Rugers, and many more. Brands represented in the shotgun section include Parker, Remington, Stevens, Benelli, Winchester, and Ithaca.

There are many attractive choices among the early firearms, including a pair of 18th-century silver mounted French pistols, several pairs of early 19th-century French pistols, English and German flintlock pistols, and a gold mounted Spanish Miquelet pistol. A rare and large 1733 French dragoon flintlock pistol with a 12-inch barrel in a .70 bore represents the first standardized pistol used by the French army and navy and is of the type that was used in the French and Indian War, 1754-1763. Its estimate is $8,000-$12,000. Another prize in this category is a Simeon North (Middletown, Conn.) Model 1808 flintlock naval pistol, one of only 3,000 made. With a 10-inch barrel in .64 smoothbore, its iron lock is stamped “U. States” and has an early eagle image. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000

Collectors of Civil War and other antique handguns will have their choice of several pepperbox pistols and Model 1849 Colt pocket pistols; a Model 1862 Colt Police pistol, several Lefaucheux large-caliber revolvers, many Sharps 4-barrel derringers, Allen & Wheelock revolvers, Cooper percussion pistols, Smith & Wesson revolvers, a Colt Bisley revolver and many more.

Scarce Colt Burgess lever-action rifle, .44-40 cartridge, 24-inch octagon barrel introduced in 1883, small production run. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000
Scarce Colt Burgess lever-action rifle, .44-40 cartridge, 24-inch octagon barrel introduced in 1883, small production run. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000

Always-popular Civil War and 19th-century long arms are led by a Confederate Conversion Model 1816 musket with a Boyle & Gamble bayonet, Japanese matchlock rifles, both a pocket rifle and two-trigger rifle by Frank Wesson, and a near-mint unissued Whitney Model 1861 US Navy rifle. This .69 caliber gun is dated “1863” on its barrel and has a large eagle-and-flag motif on its lock. The bayonet was made by Collins & Co., of Hartford, Connecticut. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000.

Not surprisingly, two other stars in the early American long arms category bear the Winchester brand. A Rare Special Order heavy-barrel Model 1886 rifle, caliber 40-82 WCF, shipped in 1888 and is expected to reach $4,000-$6,000. A Deluxe Special Order Model 1894 rifle, .30-.35 caliber with a 26-inch half-octagon barrel, has a serial number that was applied in 1907. Its auction estimate is $3,000-$5,000.

A fascinating collector’s item, a circa-1850s E.M. Reilly (London) .32 caliber air-powered cane gun was designed to shoot lead balls. It comes in its original felt-lined, partitioned oak case with the dealer’s trade label affixed inside the lid. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000.

A beautiful display piece that’s sure to capture the attention of Winchester collectors is the huge 1924 Winchester cardboard triptych ad that measures 37½ x 55 inches (sight). Bright, clean and graphic, it is estimated at $2,000-$3,500.

Milestone’s owners, Chris Sammet and Miles King, look forward to welcoming guests to their Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 auction at the company’s new location: 38198 Willoughby Parkway, Willoughby, Ohio 44094. Start time: 10 a.m. Eastern. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Milestone Auctions’ bidding platform or through LiveAuctioneers.

For additional information, call 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com