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Frontier Firearms from the Lifetime Collection of Larry Ness
|
- Sale 1987
Live
| Cincinnati
Jun 8 | 10:00 AM EDT
Live
| Cincinnati
Sale 1987
| Cincinnati
| Cincinnati
Estimate$8,000 – $12,000
.50 caliber. 36" double-keyed hook breech octagonal barrel. SN: NSN. Browned finish, iron furniture, German silver escutcheons, walnut half-stock with pewter nose cap. Unmarked single screw percussion lock with double set triggers, barrel marked "H.E. DIMICK/ST LOUIS". Heavy barrel measures 1" across the flats at the muzzle with an exaggerated snail shaped bolster and a long wasp-waisted two-screw tang. Plain iron oval patchbox, scroll shaped triggerguard with finger extension, crescent iron buttplate and plain toe plate. Buckhorn rear sight, dovetailed German silver Rocky Mountain front sight blade. Ramrod an old wood replacement. A wonderful and essentially untouched example of a prototypical Plains Rifle by one of the most notable of the St. Louis makers.
Horace E. Dimick (1809-1874) was probably the most prolific of the famed St. Louis makers of Plains Rifles. A direct competitor with the famous Hawken shop, Dimick produced his variation of their famous plains rifle, as well as smaller caliber sporting and hunting rifles, target rifles and even delivered a lot of roughly 1,000 rifles that were used to arm Birge's Western Sharpshooters (14th Missouri Volunteer Infantry) which was later redesignated as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Those Dimick rifles did yeoman's service during the first 12-18 months of the Civil War in the Western Theater, in particular at battles like Fort Donelson and Shiloh. Dimick also imported large numbers of guns from England and Belgium and offered these guns with his retailer mark on them along with American produced guns like Metropolitan Navy percussion revolvers. Next to the Hawkens, Dimick is probably the most famous of the St. Louis Gun makers.
The Collection of Larry Ness
Good. Iron with a mostly smooth, grayish-brown patina with some scattered minor surface oxidation and some scattered light pitting. Furniture with a smooth rich brown patina. Lock needs mechanical attention as the double set triggers do not function correctly. Bore is fair, very dark, dirty and pitted with weak rifling. Stock with scattered bumps, dings and mars.
The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue description or a condition report shall not amount to a full accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Freeman's staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the Department prior to bidding.
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Tim Carey
Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Arms, Armor and Militaria
