Product Details
W. W. GREENER
A RARE, POSSIBLY UNIQUE, 16-BORE / .450 / .400 (2 3/8IN.) BLACK POWDER EXPRESS 'ROYAL GRADE' 1873 PATENT TOPLEVER HAMMER COMBINATION GUN / RIFLE, serial no. 50281,
28in. reproved Whitworth-steel barrels, raised matt rib engraved at the breech end with a portrait of a lion and with a banner gold-inlaid in gothic script 'W. W. GREENER. 68 HAYMARKET, LONDON.', open sights with spirit level, five matted folding leaf sights with white metal inlaid sight lines and marked for 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards and folding iron sights marked up to 1400 yards, folding bead / moon fore-sight, Greener patent 'Treble Wedge Fast' treble-grip action, patent no. 3084 of 19th September 1873, with elongated bar and side-bolsters, toplever gold-inlaid with a crown, carved percussion fences, rebounding sidelocks with finely carved hammers, the action, lockplates and furniture engraved with fine acanthus scrollwork, surrounding numerous vignettes of game, including tiger, deer, leopard and buffalo, the triggerguard with a zebra, retaining slight traces of original colour-hardening, 14 3/8in. boldly-figured semi-pistolgrip stock with belemnoid horn drop point inserts and ornate chequering borders, sling eyes and horn buttplate, the right side with an ornate patch box, bordered with ropework engraving and with central scene of a lion attacking buffalo, fore-end with Deeley & Edge patent release catch and ornate horn finial, weight 9lb. 2oz., in its brass-cornered oak and leather case with some accessories
Provenance: The makers have kindly supplied the following information:
This rifle / shotgun was started on the 4th August 1901 and finished on the 6th December of the same year. It was ordered by a Mr Lanham / Lagomasimo and is a 'Treble Wedge Fast model' with 28in. Whitworth steel barrels. It is a 'Royal' grade gun, the scroll engraving is by Stokes and the game scenes by Perry. The total cost of the engraving was £3-8s-0d - eighteen shillings more than the engraving on an Imperial model.
'This gun is extremely rare and probably unique, since the company has no records of other rifle/shotguns of this grade having been made by W.W. Greener. Most rifle/shotguns were of medium of inexpensive grades since they were intended for harsh environments'
Literature: This fine rifle is featured in Graham Greener's book 'The Greener Collections' pages 77-78
Other Notes: Please note a Shotgun Certificate is required to possess this combination gun / rifle under UK Firearms law
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Estimate £4,000-6,000
S2