Milestone presents fine sporting, Civil War & Old West firearms, June 10-11

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Over the weekend of June 10-11, Milestone Auctions will open its doors to an arsenal of antique, vintage and other fine weapons chosen expressly for the summer edition of its Premier Collectible Firearms sale. The 1,421-lot auction event, featuring the types and brands of military, civilian and sporting arms hobbyists yearn for, welcomes absentee and Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.

Featured: Winchester 1866 Yellow Boy rifle, Winchester 1st Model 1876 ‘Centennial’ rifle, SC Robinson 1862 Confederate Sharps carbine, Burnside 1865-66 ‘Indian Wars’ Spencer carbine

A top prize in the sale’s opening session is a very fine Winchester Model 1866 Yellow Boy .44-caliber rimfire rifle (shown at top of page), which was designed by Oliver Winchester as the continuation to the famed Henry rifle. The auction example, manufactured in 1886, features a gunmetal brass receiver with a full-length octagon barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel has a two-line Winchester address, a German silver sporting blade front sight and an elevation-adjustable rear sight. With a desirable aged mustard patina, this beautiful Yellow Boy earns both its nickname and its pre-sale estimate of $15,000-$25,000.

Another exceptional Winchester production is a 1st Model 1876 .45/.75-caliber rifle that was manufactured in 1878 and known as the “Centennial Rifle” due to its year of introduction. This model rose to prominence as a result of its use by such high-profile Old West figures as gunslinger Tom Horn, who worked as a US scout, interpreter, range detective and early Pinkerton agent. The auction rifle is in exceptionally fine condition with a barrel and magazine that retain 97% of their blue finish. Its model number, 1876, is marked on the rear sight. Estimate: $10,000-$18,500

Many historically important firearms are entered in the two-day June event. Among them is an outstanding “Indian Wars” Spencer carbine manufactured in 1865-1866 and chambered in a Springfield .50-caliber carbine cartridge. The top of the frame is marked MODEL / 1865 / PAT’D MARCH 6, 1860 / MANUF’D AT PROV., R.I. / BY BURNSIDE RIFLE CO., and it bears all appropriate sub-inspector stamps as well as British proof marks on the breech of the barrel and top of the frame. Estimate: $8,000-$10,000

A rare .52-caliber Sharps carbine produced for the Confederacy in 1862 by S.C. Robinson in Richmond, Virginia, would make a coveted addition to any Civil War collection. This particular model is one of only 5,000 of its type that were produced in total. It carries the serial number 2684 on its barrel and the numbers 2684 and 12388 on the tang and lock, respectively. Strong interest is expected for this lot, which is estimated at $7,500-$12,500.

American royalty would be the right way to describe baseball legend, WWII hero pilot and avid sportsman Ted Williams (1918-2002). Milestone is honored to present to collectors the Baseball Hall of Famer’s personal 1933 Winchester Model 21 12-gauge shotgun, which was kept in a safe at his home until after his passing. The barrels are numbered 2612, while other parts are numbered 2320. The metal retains 98% of reapplied blue finish, and the stocks are excellent with sharp checkering. This very rifle was auctioned in 2012 at a Fenway Park sale which featured Williams’ collection of hunting and fishing gear. It retains its 2012 Hunt Auctions tag and will be offered on June 10th with an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

Another excellent sporting rifle is a classic R.G. Owen 7mm Mauser custom-built in 1951 using commercial FN Supreme Mauser action. It is marked R. G. OWEN, with Serial No. 5000. The trigger guard and magazine floor plate are profusely engraved with a foliate and scroll theme and gold inlay of a large bear in a mountain-scene vignette. Its butt plate features an engraved bust of a large antlered deer. A fine example overall, it is estimated at $4,000-$5,500.

Those who admire the precision and fine workmanship of British-made arms would immediately recognize the special qualities of a Holland & Holland .500 BPE (500 3in Black Powder Express) caliber double rifle manufactured 1883. The barrels are marked HOLLAND & HOLLAND 98 BOND STREET LONDON and WINNERS OF ALL THE FIELD RIFLE TRIALS LONDON 1883, a testament to the company’s reputation. The rifle is housed in a canvas-over-wood luggage case with a full Holland & Holland label and marked SURG MAJOR STEWART (of the 14th Light Dragoons). The gun is accompanied by many accessories as well as a Holland & Holland factory letter and original 1886 sales invoice. Estimate: $7,500-$12,500

Also from Great Britain, a pair of circa-1830 smoothbore octagon-barreled belt pistols were manufactured by Lane (Brighton, England) in a very large .65 caliber. The guns display bright, fine Damascened barrels and have one-piece piano-varnished walnut stocks with a single-barrel wedge and silver escutcheons. The impressive pistols are presented in a partitioned walnut travel case together with a flask and mold. Estimate: $4,500-$6,500

A US Model 1903 Springfield .30-06-caliber rifle is especially noteworthy for its original condition. Milestone’s experts describe it as having an early high-hump handguard, wide-groove single-bolt stock, and a bold as new “JSA” cartouche impressed in the block (a style used by Springfield Armory inspector Joseph Adams circa 1915-1916). The barrel is dated 1-16 SA with a pictorial bomb mark. “It is almost impossible to find these guns in any condition that haven’t been altered by the arsenal for various wars,” Miles King said. Estimate: $4,000-$5,500

A special highlight of the June 10-11 auction is a selection of antique advertising related to firearms and many other products. Highlights include a rare and colorfully pictorial circa-1909 Winchester pyramid-form hanging sign advertising cartridges and shot shells, $5,000-$8,000; a classic 1907 framed Winchester hunting dogs lithograph, $1,000-$2,000; a 1920s Carborundum Razor barber die-cut, $300-$500; and a 1920s Nicholson Files tri-fold die-cut, $500-$750.

Interest in the Premier Collectible Firearms auction series grows with each successive edition, said Milestone co-owner Miles King. “Gun collectors are very particular about accuracy, which our experts focus on intently when writing catalog descriptions. We also include as many photographic views as possible so relevant parts of each firearm can be visually assessed. Here at Milestone we think like collectors because we are collectors. We’re well aware of what remote participants want to know and see before placing a bid, and we make sure to provide it. This sort of transparency adds an important layer of confidence to the bidder experience.”

Milestone’s Saturday/Sunday June 10-11, 2023 Premier Collectible Firearms Auction will start at 10 a.m. ET on both days. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers. For additional information on any item in the auction, call 440-527-8060 or email info@milestoneauctions.com. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com