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Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266 |
Holts has had an Alex Henry hammerless .360 BPE double rifle for sale at three auctions. The first 2 auctions it was estimated at 4000 to 6000 pounds. It did not sell. This auction (March 20) the same rifle was estimated at 6000 to 8000 pounds. It sold yesterday at that auction for 11,000 pounds and with the 22.5% commission the auction price was over $20,000 USD.
That is a high price for that rifle in excellent shape. However,
this rifle had a bulge in the left damascus barrel about 4 inches in from the muzzle and the rifling has been broken through. Am I missing something here? That price seems extremely high for a rifle that has a bulged barrel!
Last edited by LD1; 03/21/14 11:32 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,003 Likes: 405
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 7,003 Likes: 405 |
Are you sure it was not the little .360 sidelock? They had a .360 bpe Henry with barrel problems too. Bulged left tube I believe. I have an identical rifle to the .360, better condition, no bulge. Auctions are interesting and strange the way they play out at times.
Steve
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266 |
Steve,
It is a hammerless back action lock that sold at Holts yesterday. It was Lot 908. It was built for the Maharajah of Dholpur. Can a bulge like that be repaired on a Damascus barrel? Holts said that it was not very visible from the outside of the barrel exterior, but that the rifling has "broken through" on the inside. The original barrel length is 26".
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 496
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 496 |
maybe the provenance of the gun had something to do with the high price.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266 |
I still wouldn't bid that much because of the bulged barrel.
I don't know how you could fix the bulge. The barrels are 26" now and if you cut the bulged area off you would have a rifle with 22" barrels. That would not be the right thing to do on a .360 BPE. I suppose that you could have someone sleeve it to a smaller caliber, but that would be an additional expense. I wouldn't pay more than $6000 for it, but that is just me.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 626
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 626 |
Over the years I have seen a number of anomalies at Holts and other auction houses as well. I wouldn't spend too much time pondering it.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,065
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,065 |
maybe the provenance of the gun had something to do with the high price. But LD1 said the gun did not sell the first two times it was auctioned. And in this auction it sold for well over the high estimate of the previous two auctions. I thought the prices in the recent Julia's auction were extraordinarily high. My shooting student Joe Wood pointed out a Lefever FE 12 in good condition that went for about $10K: http://jamesdjulia.com/?s=lefever&po...;meta_value=358Many many old doubles went for much more than I thought they would in Julia's auction.
Last edited by AmarilloMike; 03/21/14 10:34 AM.
I am glad to be here.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,283 Likes: 213
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,283 Likes: 213 |
Oddly, I don't see any mention of a bulge in the left barrel of Lot 908 in the Holt auction. I would think this was priority information. Amarillo, is it possible they just came up with the provenance in the last auction ?
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,065
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,065 |
Sure. I didn't think of that.
I am glad to be here.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 266 |
Here is the Holts listing for Lot 908: Notice the section talking about traces of a ring bulge. I have an E-mail from Holts concerning the bulge. I would never bid on anything without asking a few questions.
FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF H.H. THE MAHARAJ OF DHOLPUR
ALEX.r HENRY
A FINE .360 BLACK POWDER EXPRESS HENRY PATENT BACK-ACTION SIDELOCK NON-EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE, serial no. 6546,
26in. fine black powder only damascus barrels with raised matt rib, central section engraved 'ALEX.R HENRY. EDINBURGH AND LONDON. MAKER TO THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE OF WALES AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH', open sights with ivorine insert and folding leaf sight with silver inlay, bead foresight with flip-up moonsight, Henry patent rifling, traces of ring bulge in left tube, Henry patent action, carved fluted serpentine fences with feathered and cross-hatch engraving and marked 'HENRYS PATENT', 'No. 222', automatic safety with blue enamelled 'SAFE' detail, curved back-action locks with cocking-indicators and gold-inlaid 'COCKED' detail, fine acanthus scroll engraving with cross hatch and feathered borders, retaining some original colour-hardening and finish, 13 7/8in. highly-figured tiger stripe pistolgrip stock with two piece pistolgrip, engraved steel pistolgrip-cap (with trap), cheekpiece, sling swivels, replacement silver shield shaped escutcheon engraved with the Dholpur crest including 3/4in. rubber recoil pad (distressed), fore-end with grip-catch release lever
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