SPECTACULAR PAIR OF H&H MODEL DELUXE SELF OPENING SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE TRIGGER HEAVY PROOF GAME GUNS MADE FOR R.A.F. WING COMMANDER WOJCIECH KOLACZKOWSKI WITH ORIGINAL CASE & ACCESSORIES

SPECTACULAR PAIR OF H&H MODEL DELUXE SELF OPENING SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE TRIGGER HEAVY PROOF GAME GUNS MADE FOR R.A.F. WING COMMANDER WOJCIECH KOLACZKOWSKI WITH ORIGINAL CASE & ACCESSORIES

24-6560 & 25-246
Cal. 12 Ga. 2-3/4″ (BOTH).
1. S# 33664 & 2. S# 33665 (1948).

Wojciech Kolaczkowski was born in 1908 in Moszenki, Poland to a wealthy noble family. He excelled at skiing, horse riding, shooting, etc., representing Poland at clay pigeon shooting. He joined the Polish Airforce in 1929 and became commander of the 303rd squadron of the Polish Airforce in England. He was also commander of the #2 Polish wing and then took command of the #1 Polish wing in 1943. He won the distinguish Flying Cross in June of 1943. In 1944 he became Deputy Attache to the Polish Embassy in London until the end of the war. After WWII he emigrated to America where he was sales manager for Jaguar and British Leyland in NYC. He had these guns made in 1948. They have 28″ chopper lump barrels with raised matted ribs. Rear portions are gold inlaid with the numbers “1” & “2” which also appear on top levers and forend tips denoting a true pair. The exception being the theme of the engraving; dogs & birds on Gun #1; birds only on Gun #2. Maker’s name and address are engraved on tops of barrels. 2-1/2″ of well cut acanthus scroll tapers from breech ends downward to fronts of actions. Barrel flats are stamped with London nitro proofs for 1-1/4 oz. of shot & “2-3/4” chamber length. S#’s are on bottoms of barrels. Bottom ribs are engraved “Made in England” & “Modele De Luxe”. Barrels are fitted with H&H patent self-opening assist springs. Coin finished hand detachable sidelock actions are stocked to the fences and feature automatic safetys (“SAFE” inlaid in gold), hidden third fasteners, bushed strikers, gold band tumbler end cocking indicators, gold plated cocking levers and double triggers (fronts articulated).

Actions and lockplates are special order engraved with shaded scroll highlights surrounding game and dog scenes; most likely executed by the revered Harry Kell whose relatively large eyed birds and superb shaded scroll are essentially a signature. Gun #1 depicts a setter retrieving a grouse on bottom of action while possibly the same setter retrieves a pheasant on left lockplate. Right lockplate has a scene of a pointing pointer. Gun #2 shows a nye of three pheasant on bottom (two on ground with one taking wing). Left lockplate has a group of four snipe in grass along brook side. Right lockplate shows three feeding pheasant. Both guns are engraved “Holland & Holland” on each side along with “Made in England” on hinge pin covers and “Modele De Luxe” on top levers. Fences are beautifully relief carved with scrolling acanthus; another Kell feature. Trigger guards with single right hand beads are engraved with standing partridge on gun #2 and setter retrieving on gun #1. S#’s are on short tangs. Straight grip stocks are made of very well matched European walnut with spectacular fiddle back grain and very fine marbling. They measure 14-3/8″ over tan pig skin covered pads and also feature classic point pattern checkering on diamond hands and well shaped drop points. The individual gold initials “WK” are inlet on toeline where they are surmounted by the crown of a baron. Matching splinter ejector forends have Anson releases.

MEASUREMENTS: Gun #1. BBLS: Bore Diameter: L .729. R .729. Restriction: L .031 (full). R .033 (full). Wall thickness: L .030. R .032. STOCK: DAH: 2-1/8″. DAC: 1-7/16″. CAST: about 1/2″ off. LOP: 14-3/8″ WEIGHT: 7 lb. 9 oz. Gun #2. BBLS: Bore Diameter: L .730. R .729. Restriction: L .028 (IMod). R .032 (Full). Wall thickness: L .032. R .032. STOCK: DAH: 2-3/16″. DAC: 1-7/16″. CAST: about 1/2″ off. LOP: 14-3/8″. WEIGHT: 7 lb. 8 oz.

UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: guns are housed in their original oak and leather two gun case with leather trimmed canvas outer cover. Top of case has later inset leather rectangle gold embossed “J.S.T.”. Outer cover has later stitched on leather label embossed “Made for RAF Wing Cmd.” “W. Kolaczkowski in 1948” “currently owned by” “Dr. John Thalgott”. Interior is lined in burgundy cloth. Top has gold embossed H&H black Morocco leather label flanked by gun cleaning instruction label at left and charge card for this pair of guns at right. Accessories include: one pair of older H&H marked snap caps along with a newer pair. An older H&H marked pewter oil bottle along with a newer one, a empty bone striker bottle, two piece cleaning rod. Also included are two uncheckered walnut buttplates interchangeable with recoil pads. A covered compartment holds another bone striker bottle holding four screws for attachment of wooden buttplates. Another compartment holds a bottle of “303 Cleaning and Rust Preventer”.

STATUS: CURIO