I am still shaking my head over what happened yesterday. This is just one example. An auction estimate of $4000 to $7000 and it brings $24,000! Bad economy? Where?
Estimated Price:
$4,000 - $7,000
Realized Price:
$24,000
SN 1823. Cal. 38-45 Bullard. Beautiful deluxe rifle with 26" oct to rnd bbl, half magazine, with standard dovetail front sight and a Bullard flat top rear sight with Lyman combination tang sight. Top left side of receiver is marked with the company name, address & patent number with "MODEL 1886" on top right side. Receiver, lever, hammer & forend cap are color case hardened. Mounted with very highly figured, shell grain American walnut with 3-panel checkered forearm and serpentine grip buttstock with hard rubber buttplate that is embossed "BULLARD / REPT'G. ARMS CO" and has a raised embossed turkey gobbler inside a frame of branches. Top tang channel of buttstock is stamped with matching SN. The 38-45 Bullard cartridge was proprietary and also invented by the inventor of the rifle. It was very similar to the 38-55 Winchester cartridge and offered little advantage over its contemporaries. According to the book Bullard Arms, Jamieson, few rifles were chambered in this caliber. Bullard rifles are considered today as the smoothest operating and finest lever action rifles ever produced. They utilized a rack & pinion system to operate the bolt which was extremely smooth and strong. A patent was granted to James Bullard in 1881 with production not beginning until about 1883. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms there were only 10,000-12,000 of these fine rifles produced by the time they ceased production in 1890. Mr. Bullard, a consummate inventor, was known to have a short attention to business attitude once a product was perfected, then on to something more interesting. He had numerous patents in all sorts of machinery, steam production, steam engines, oil burners and firearms. The Bullard rifle was produced in both large frame & small frame versions along with a musket model and a carbine. Although the design of these rifles was far superior to either the Winchester or Marlin or any other lever action available at that time or since, the stiff competition from Winchester & Marlin with their advanced manufacturing & distribution systems ultimately forced the demise of the Bullard rifle with only these few, noted above, ever having been manufactured. Few are found today with high orig finish. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: According to Scott Jamieson, noted Bullard scholar, the correct product number of these rare small frames was only 500, not 12,000 as stated in the catalog. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig blue with light sharp edge wear, a couple of small nicks & a couple of small chemical spots on the bbl; receiver, breech block & forend cap retain virtually all of their brilliant orig case colors, lightly faded on the belly at the carry point; hammer retains lightly faded case colors; lever retains bright case colors on sides and sheltered areas with outer faces fading to silver; wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches, some minor crazing and very light diamond point wear on checkering and overall retains about all of its fine orig varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44533 JR466
Estimated Price: $4,000 - $7,000
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/rare-special-order-deluxe-bullard-model-1886-leve-3-p-cc73caf425
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Estimated Price:
$4,000 - $7,000
Realized Price:
$24,000
SN 1823. Cal. 38-45 Bullard. Beautiful deluxe rifle with 26" oct to rnd bbl, half magazine, with standard dovetail front sight and a Bullard flat top rear sight with Lyman combination tang sight. Top left side of receiver is marked with the company name, address & patent number with "MODEL 1886" on top right side. Receiver, lever, hammer & forend cap are color case hardened. Mounted with very highly figured, shell grain American walnut with 3-panel checkered forearm and serpentine grip buttstock with hard rubber buttplate that is embossed "BULLARD / REPT'G. ARMS CO" and has a raised embossed turkey gobbler inside a frame of branches. Top tang channel of buttstock is stamped with matching SN. The 38-45 Bullard cartridge was proprietary and also invented by the inventor of the rifle. It was very similar to the 38-55 Winchester cartridge and offered little advantage over its contemporaries. According to the book Bullard Arms, Jamieson, few rifles were chambered in this caliber. Bullard rifles are considered today as the smoothest operating and finest lever action rifles ever produced. They utilized a rack & pinion system to operate the bolt which was extremely smooth and strong. A patent was granted to James Bullard in 1881 with production not beginning until about 1883. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms there were only 10,000-12,000 of these fine rifles produced by the time they ceased production in 1890. Mr. Bullard, a consummate inventor, was known to have a short attention to business attitude once a product was perfected, then on to something more interesting. He had numerous patents in all sorts of machinery, steam production, steam engines, oil burners and firearms. The Bullard rifle was produced in both large frame & small frame versions along with a musket model and a carbine. Although the design of these rifles was far superior to either the Winchester or Marlin or any other lever action available at that time or since, the stiff competition from Winchester & Marlin with their advanced manufacturing & distribution systems ultimately forced the demise of the Bullard rifle with only these few, noted above, ever having been manufactured. Few are found today with high orig finish. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: According to Scott Jamieson, noted Bullard scholar, the correct product number of these rare small frames was only 500, not 12,000 as stated in the catalog. PROVENANCE: Wes Adams Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. Bbl & magazine tube retain 98-99% strong orig blue with light sharp edge wear, a couple of small nicks & a couple of small chemical spots on the bbl; receiver, breech block & forend cap retain virtually all of their brilliant orig case colors, lightly faded on the belly at the carry point; hammer retains lightly faded case colors; lever retains bright case colors on sides and sheltered areas with outer faces fading to silver; wood is sound with a few light nicks & scratches, some minor crazing and very light diamond point wear on checkering and overall retains about all of its fine orig varnish finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-44533 JR466
Estimated Price: $4,000 - $7,000
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