Morphy's Feb. 17-19 Field & Range Firearms Auction Offers 1,800+ Expertly Vetted Guns, From Early American Rifles to Rare Automatic Weapons of War

Very rare and sought-after dealer's-sample Cranston Arms Johnson Automatics Model 1941 machine gun carries $25,000-$45,000 estimate

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Morphy Auctions

Feb 05, 2020, 08:43 ET

DENVER, Pa., Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Top-notch guns from premier collections comprise the high-powered lineup slated for Morphy's February 17-19 Field & Range Firearms Auction. The selection includes both antique and modern rifles, shotguns and handguns; and the types of elusive ammunition and accessories most desired by today's collectors.

Colt 1860 fluted .44 caliber Army percussion revolver with detachable shoulder stock. Gustave Young-style engraving. Cased with accessories. Estimate $17,000-$25,000

Very rare and highly sought-after pre-1986 dealer's-sample Cranston Arms Johnson Automatics Model 1941 machine gun, .30-06 Springfield, retains one magazine. Estimate $25,000-$45,000

Two witnesses to America's turbulent Civil War era lead the Antique Handguns category, the first being a Colt 1860 fluted .44 caliber Army percussion revolver with matching serial numbers and a Hartford (Conn.) address on the barrel. The gun has a detachable shoulder stock and comes in a Colt case with many accessories, such as a bullet mold and powder flask (both Colt-marked) and an Eley-marked 250-count cap tin. Estimate: $17,000-$25,000

The second mid-19th-century handgun of note is a cased Colt 1849 pocket percussion revolver manufactured in 1860. It displays classic Gustave Young-style engraving with Germanic scrolls and a punch-dot background. Like the aforementioned Colt, it has matching serial numbers, is marked with a Colt address, and is presented in a fitted case with accessories. Estimate: $7,500-$10,000

Lot 2232 is an early 20th-century handgun of historical importance, as it is the last of Colt's .45-caliber Bisley Sheriff's Model single-action revolvers. Its story is documented in The Book of Colt Firearms by R.L. Wilson. As the author recounts, the gun was originally shipped as a .38-.40 caliber with a 4¾-inch barrel. However, it returned to the factory in the mid-1920s and was rebuilt as a .45-caliber Sheriff's Model with a 3-inch barrel as a special-commission job for early firearms collector J.C. Harvey. "The gun is in stunning condition, functions like new, and has a near-mint to mint bore. It's one of the great rarities of Colt collecting," said Dan Morphy, president of Morphy Auctions. Estimate: $8,000-$10,000

An impressive array of Brownings is led by a special-order Vrancken-engraved .410-gauge Browning Superposed shotgun manufactured in 1974. Special-ordered with non-standard features, including two sets of barrels, it shows very little evidence of having been fired. Estimate: $8,000-$13,000

A rare, cased Browning Superposed Grade 4, .20-gauge two-barrel shotgun with American straight-grained walnut buttstock was manufactured in 1959. The coin-finished action, masterfully engraved by Felix Funken, is adorned with images of foxes, quail and sporting dogs. Estimate: $7,500-$10,000

Among the 192 antique rifles offered is a factory special-order engraved Winchester First Model 1873 rifle with extra-length barrel. Bearing Serial No. 6092, its 1875 ship date is documented by Winchester with a Buffalo Bill Historical Center letter dated March 14, 2000. The gun was expertly restored to factory-new condition by Turnbull Restorations in 2004. "This is an unbelievably rare rifle and would easily be the centerpiece of any Winchester collection," Dan Morphy observed. Estimate $8,500-$12,500

Morphy's is renowned for achieving industry-leading prices on rare and collectible automatic weapons of war. Two exceptional pre-1986 dealer's-sample machine guns will be offered at the February 17-19 auction, including a highly sought-after Cranston Arms Johnson Automatics Model 1941, a type used by the US Marines during World War II. The .30-06 Springfield-caliber gun, with one magazine, could finish in the $25,000-$45,000 range. An Austen (Australian Sten) MK I 9mm Para machine gun, made by W.T. Carmichael & Sons Ltd., also comes equipped with one (Sten) magazine. Estimate $10,000-$20,000

All forms of bidding will be available, including live online through Morphy Live. Questions: call 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. Online: www.morphyauctions.com.

Media Contact:
Sarah Stoltzfus
877-968-8880, ext. 710
[email protected]

SOURCE Morphy Auctions