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Tell me about those Highwalls Bert
AJB
Member Posts: 7 ✭
Bert,
I am envious evertime I see those three highwalls on your posts. Can you tell me a bit about them?
Tony
I am envious evertime I see those three highwalls on your posts. Can you tell me a bit about them?
Tony
Comments
The top rifle is a 50-95 Express, 30-inch No. 3 round barrel, plain trigger, Flat-top Sporting rear sight, Rocky Mountain blade front sight, and factory sling eyes. It was shipped to James Rosier in Australia in November of 1887 (with four other identical rifles), and bought by a Rancher's consortium to outfit a hired group of hunters. The hunters sole job was to exterminate the native aborigines that were slaughtering & eating the rancher's livestock herds. I bought the rifle at auction (out of Australia in May of 2006).
The middle rifle is a 405 WCF, 30-inch No. 3 1/2 round Nickel Steel (smokeless powder) barrel, plain trigger, Winchester 3-leaf Express rear sight, Marbles Duplex front sight, and I added the Lyman No. 103 Micrometer wind-gauge tang sight. It is a factory shotgun butt (steel). I bought it at the Las Vegas Antique Arms show in January 2001. It kicks harder than a Mule[B)]
The bottom rifles is a Special Sporting Rifle, 3X H-pattern checkered stocks in 40-90 Ballard, with a 30-inch No. 3 full octagon barrel, a single set trigger, and a 1st variation type 2 Lyman tang sight (that letters). I bought it from the 3rd owner (who had bought it from a general hardware store in North Dakota in the late 1920s). The rifle itself was received in the warehouse in January 1887. The elderly gentleman I bought it from searched for many years to find ammo for it and never did fire it. The bore looks almost new [:)]
These three rifles are just a small part of a much larger collection of Model 1885 rifles I have acquired in the past 35+ years.
Tony,
The top rifle is a 50-95 Express, 30-inch No. 3 round barrel, plain trigger, Flat-top Sporting rear sight, Rocky Mountain blade front sight, and factory sling eyes. It was shipped to James Rosier in Australia in November of 1887 (with four other identical rifles), and bought by a Rancher's consortium to outfit a hired group of hunters. The hunters sole job was to exterminate the native aborigines that were slaughtering & eating the rancher's livestock herds. I bought the rifle at auction (out of Australia in May of 2006).
The middle rifle is a 405 WCF, 30-inch No. 3 1/2 round Nickel Steel (smokeless powder) barrel, plain trigger, Winchester 3-leaf Express rear sight, Marbles Duplex front sight, and I added the Lyman No. 103 Micrometer wind-gauge tang sight. It is a factory shotgun butt (steel). I bought it at the Las Vegas Antique Arms show in January 2001. It kicks harder than a Mule[B)]
The bottom rifles is a Special Sporting Rifle, 3X H-pattern checkered stocks in 40-90 Ballard, with a 30-inch No. 3 full octagon barrel, a single set trigger, and a 1st variation type 2 Lyman tang sight (that letters). I bought it from the 3rd owner (who had bought it from a general hardware store in North Dakota in the late 1920s). The rifle itself was received in the warehouse in January 1887. The elderly gentleman I bought it from searched for many years to find ammo for it and never did fire it. The bore looks almost new [:)]
These three rifles are just a small part of a much larger collection of Model 1885 rifles I have acquired in the past 35+ years.
Totally awesome, Bert. I love the way you can narrate. I am sure every one of those 1885's has a story. You should write another book with them...if you have not started it already.
You say that the Australian rifle is one of four identical rifles in the same shipment. My guess is that it is an exceedingly rare configuration as a flat side, round barrel, 50-95, with sling eyes. How many such guns were made?
Tony
Bert,
You say that the Australian rifle is one of four identical rifles in the same shipment. My guess is that it is an exceedingly rare configuration as a flat side, round barrel, 50-95, with sling eyes. How many such guns were made?
Tony
Thus far I have researched the records and found (8) of them shipped (sold) to James Rosier. Over the past 20+ years I have encountered (5) of the (8) rifles. Currently, Leroy Merz has one of them listed for sale on his website (I looked at the rifle in person at the WACA show in Cody, WY last summer). The rifle he has for sale is one of the (4) in the same order as my rifle.
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/2113
Bert, is this the same Rosier?
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/articles/2113
Yes it is. One of the interesting facts about the Winchester firearms he imported, is the fact that he marked (stamped) them with a very small "J.R." and a serial/inventory number on the barrel right next to the frame ring.