Spring 2025 Premier Firearms & Militaria Auction
May 8th, 9th, 10th, & 11th, 2025
This auction will feature an outstanding collection of items spanning multiple categories including Modern, Military, Sporting, & Antique firearms & militaria! Below is just a small grouping of select highlights from the massive offering to be featured in this upcoming sale!
EXCEPTIONAL MARTIAL HENRY RIFLE
01-26014
Cal 44
S# 3901
This is a standard 4th variation Henry rifle made in 1863. 4th variation serial range about 3000-5000, with early DC cavalry guns all found in range 3001-3999 where this gun falls, estimated 800 guns. “CGC” (Charles G. Chapman) inspection on barrel and sub-inspector “cc” on frame and “c&r” on barrel below “CGC”, and small “c&r” on right side of butt plate near top. The stock has the best “;CGC” final inspection cartouche you will ever find. This rifle is only noted early martial example with highly varnished stock and appears original instead of prescribed oil finish, cartouche is stamped over varnish and wood was never oiled based on light color. The buttplate screws are not numbered but perfectly timed which is another peculiarity of this exceptional gun. This is among the very finest martial Henry rifles extant.
Standard configuration for all early 1863 contract martials, rounded butt plate with 7/8″ wide trap door, .9″ hole bored in butt stock to accept 4 piece wooden cleaning rod, lever latch on lower receiver tang, large magazine follower with 5/8″ wide finger tab, small .095″ diameter trigger retaining pin, square back front sight blade, slanted profile to stock comb, straight profile to lower edge of stock. The “Henry bump” is prominent on left side of stock large font all serif 3.25″ barrel address which began about S# 3500, sight dovetail milled in barrel only, six groove rifling, 900 yard rear sight with no slide stop screw.
Serial number stamped on following parts: barrel behind rear sight dovetail, left side of lower receiver tang, top receiver tang channel in butt stock, inside bottom edge of butt plate.
This rifle was issued to the 1st DC cavalry as one of 861 rifles in 1863 and later issued to Theodore Sander, Co. K, 3rd US Veteran Reserves in 1865. Sander has a most interesting history being a 19 year old immigrant from Germany joining 165th Ohio right off the boat, he served 6 months and signed up with Veteran Reserves May 2, 1865 and served his full year when he was then given this rifle as part of his bounty. He went back to Germany and joined a Jaeger regiment in the Franco Prussian War and was killed in battle few years later.
UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: letter from master gunsmith Dan Cullity stating his opinion of 100% originality and superior condition of this martial Henry. Service records and biography research of Theodore Sander.
STATUS: ANTIQUE