*EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD INLAID W.J. JEFFERY BEST SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE MOUNTED WITH CREST OF RAJA OF MIRAJ JUNIOR STATE AND WITH ORIGINAL CASE.

SN 28733. Cal. .500 Nitro Express. 26″ Chopper lump bbls are fitted with one piece rib, central portion cut away forming quarter rib, which is mounted with one standing, four folding leaf express rear sight with platinum lines, marked for 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards. Leaves fold back in typical Jeffery style. Stippled front ramp holds longitudinally dovetailed sourdough gold bead with flip-up night bead. Steel slip-on sight protector is installed. Bbl flats are stamped with Birmingham nitro proofs for 80 grains of cordite and 570 grain bullet. Bottoms of bbls are stamped with SNs. Makers number “2567”, most probably Leonard, is on rear portion of bottom rib, which is also fitted with soldered-on sling eye. Robust sidelock action has hand detachable Brazier locks (lock pin widely slotted for easy takedown using coin, secondary screws have been blanked out. This feature is obviously original to the gun, as engraving is continuous over plugs and onto takedown screw). Action also features non-automatic safety (SAFE inlaid in gold), dolls head rib extension with sliding third bite, bushed strikers, and double triggers. Action is nicely filed with serpentine outline to fences, and fine beads and fillets around lockplates. Action is engraved with exceptionally well cut medium shaded scroll surrounding rather naive vignettes of game animals suitable for this caliber, main subjects of which have been gold inlaid in high relief; a trio of gold elephant are in verdant foreground with mountains in background, on left lockplate. A gold Bengal tiger bounds after a scampering gold Sambar stag, on right lockplate. Bottom of action depicts a number of engraved stags and hinds in peaceful open countryside. A gold leopard with platinum leaf at rear crouches on trigger guard bow. He is ready to pounce on engraved standing gazelle. SN is gold inlaid on trigger guard tang which extends to steel trap grip cap, which is also scroll engraved. Cap is engraved with scallop shell. Beautifully marbled and lightly figured European walnut capped pistol grip buttstock measures 14-3/4″ over red Old English pad, and features right hand shadow line cheekpiece, drop points, point pattern checkering with mullered borders at grip, and a sling eye matching that on bottom of bbl, on toe line, which also has an obviously original gold oval engraved in English and Sanskrit (?) “CHIEF OF MIRAJ JUNIOR” in ribands surrounding device with two crossed flags and halberd. (Wikipedia search reveals that this is most likely the crest of Meherban Shrimant Raja Sir Madhavrao II Harihar Babasaheb Patwardhan, Fifth rajah of Miraj Junior, 1899/1950.) Matching splinter ejector forend with Anson release has inset gold diamond at center engraved “L” flanked by scroll. Drop at heel: approx 2-1/4″, drop at comb: approx 1-11/16″. Weight: 15 lbs 1 oz. LOP: 14-3/4″. (As with most Jeffery rifles, the weight of this particular example sits well between the hands, and it handles exceptionally well.) What appears to be orig oak and leather case with brass corners and round central brass medallion, is lined in purple velvet. A gold embossed black Jeffery label is in lid. Case contains 2-pc brass and ebony cleaning rod with brushes, striker key with spare bushing, automatic safety wire (both in plastic bags), Hawksley marked round glass oil bottle, brass plated cleaning funnel, and a pair of snap caps. Also included are 3 5-rnd boxes Kynoch soft and 3 5-rnd boxes Kynoch solid Elmer Keith’s .500 x 3″ ammunition for this rifle. PROVENANCE: The Elmer Keith Estate Collection. Ross Seyfried & Elmer used to reload ammunition for this rifle, and Elmer made Ross test fire them in a very small wood room under the stairs in his home in Salmon, ID. Before shooting, he asked Ross to tell his wife Lorraine, “Tell mom we’re going to shoot so she doesn’t drop the pot”. Accompanied by four targets: 1) Shot by Iver Henriksen with 570 grain factory ammunition. He was having difficulty with accuracy and regulation; 2) May 24, 1976 shot by Ross Seyfried with reloads tested in Elmer’s wood room; and 3 & 4) illustrating more of the same process as #1 & #2. Also included is an envelope containing two letters written in August, 1981: a handwritten letter from R.T. Blundell who appears to be a friend of Elmer’s explaining a letter he received from Holland & Holland confirming that the rifle was made in 1925 and sold for 100 pounds sterling also stating that was all of the information contained in the Jeffery records for this rifle. Wikipedia info on Miraj Junior State. CONDITION: Excellent, as refinished. Bbls retain approx 90% of an old rust blue over some light pitting and scratches. Action is finished in French gray, engraving slightly worn, especially on bottom. Stocks retain nearly all of an old oil refinish, sharp edges somewhat rounded, checkering cleaned up. Bores are excellent with strong rifling throughout, lightly frosted in grooves, toward breech ends. Action is tight. Bbls are on face. Ejectors are in time. Case leather is still mostly light in color, with some water staining and light rubs and scratches. Straps and handle are good. Interior cloth is fine, with some rubs and compressions, and soiling from contact with action and bbls. Bbl channel has areas of cloth rubbed through with wood exposed. Label is excellent. Accessories are fine. All Jeffery sidelock rifles are extremely scarce. Large caliber examples are especially so. A gold inlaid example is almost unheard of. 4-48024 MGM140 (50,000-80,000) – Lot 1039

Click here to view provenance

Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1039	$51,750.00	EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD INLAID W.J. JEFFERY BEST SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE MOUNTED WITH CREST OF RAJA OF MIRAJ JUNIOR STATE AND WITH ORIGINAL CASE. SN 28733. Cal. .500 Nitro Express. 26″ Chopper lump bbls are fitted with one piece rib, central portion cut away forming quarter rib, which is mounted with one standing, four folding leaf express rear sight with platinum lines, marked for 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards. Leaves fold back in typical Jeffery style. Stippled front ramp holds longitudinally dovetailed sourdough gold bead with flip-up night bead. Steel slip-on sight protector is installed. Bbl flats are stamped with Birmingham nitro proofs for 80 grains of cordite and 570 grain bullet. Bottoms of bbls are stamped with SNs. Makers number “2567”, most probably Leonard, is on rear portion of bottom rib, which is also fitted with soldered-on sling eye. Robust sidelock action has hand detachable Brazier locks (lock pin widely slotted for easy takedown using coin, secondary screws have been blanked out. This feature is obviously original to the gun, as engraving is continuous over plugs and onto takedown screw). Action also features non-automatic safety (SAFE inlaid in gold), dolls head rib extension with sliding third bite, bushed strikers, and double triggers. Action is nicely filed with serpentine outline to fences, and fine beads and fillets around lockplates. Action is engraved with exceptionally well cut medium shaded scroll surrounding rather naive vignettes of game animals suitable for this caliber, main subjects of which have been gold inlaid in high relief; a trio of gold elephant are in verdant foreground with mountains in background, on left lockplate. A gold Bengal tiger bounds after a scampering gold Sambar stag, on right lockplate. Bottom of action depicts a number of engraved stags and hinds in peaceful open countryside. A gold leopard with platinum leaf at rear crouches on trigger guard bow. He is ready to pounce on engraved standing gazelle. SN is gold inlaid on trigger guard tang which extends to steel trap grip cap, which is also scroll engraved. Cap is engraved with scallop shell. Beautifully marbled and lightly figured European walnut capped pistol grip buttstock measures 14-3/4″ over red Old English pad, and features right hand shadow line cheekpiece, drop points, point pattern checkering with mullered borders at grip, and a sling eye matching that on bottom of bbl, on toe line, which also has an obviously original gold oval engraved in English and Sanskrit (?) “CHIEF OF MIRAJ JUNIOR” in ribands surrounding device with two crossed flags and halberd. (Wikipedia search reveals that this is most likely the crest of Meherban Shrimant Raja Sir Madhavrao II Harihar Babasaheb Patwardhan, Fifth rajah of Miraj Junior, 1899/1950.) Matching splinter ejector forend with Anson release has inset gold diamond at center engraved “L” flanked by scroll. Drop at heel: approx 2-1/4″, drop at comb: approx 1-11/16″. Weight: 15 lbs 1 oz. LOP: 14-3/4″. (As with most Jeffery rifles, the weight of this particular example sits well between the hands, and it handles exceptionally well.) What appears to be orig oak and leather case with brass corners and round central brass medallion, is lined in purple velvet. A gold embossed black Jeffery label is in lid. Case contains 2-pc brass and ebony cleaning rod with brushes, striker key with spare bushing, automatic safety wire (both in plastic bags), Hawksley marked round glass oil bottle, brass plated cleaning funnel, and a pair of snap caps. Also included are 3 5-rnd boxes Kynoch soft and 3 5-rnd boxes Kynoch solid Elmer Keith’s .500 x 3″ ammunition for this rifle. PROVENANCE: The Elmer Keith Estate Collection. Ross Seyfried & Elmer used to reload ammunition for this rifle, and Elmer made Ross test fire them in a very small wood room under the stairs in his home in Salmon, ID. Before shooting, he asked Ross to tell his wife Lorraine, “Tell mom we’re going to shoot so she doesn’t drop the pot”. Accompanied by four targets: 1) Shot by Iver Henriksen with 570 grain factory ammunition. He was having difficulty with accuracy and regulation; 2) May 24, 1976 shot by Ross Seyfried with reloads tested in Elmer’s wood room; and 3 & 4) illustrating more of the same process as #1 & #2. Also included is an envelope containing two letters written in August, 1981: a handwritten letter from R.T. Blundell who appears to be a friend of Elmer’s explaining a letter he received from Holland & Holland confirming that the rifle was made in 1925 and sold for 100 pounds sterling also stating that was all of the information contained in the Jeffery records for this rifle. Wikipedia info on Miraj Junior State. CONDITION: Excellent, as refinished. Bbls retain approx 90% of an old rust blue over some light pitting and scratches. Action is finished in French gray, engraving slightly worn, especially on bottom. Stocks retain nearly all of an old oil refinish, sharp edges somewhat rounded, checkering cleaned up. Bores are excellent with strong rifling throughout, lightly frosted in grooves, toward breech ends. Action is tight. Bbls are on face. Ejectors are in time. Case leather is still mostly light in color, with some water staining and light rubs and scratches. Straps and handle are good. Interior cloth is fine, with some rubs and compressions, and soiling from contact with action and bbls. Bbl channel has areas of cloth rubbed through with wood exposed. Label is excellent. Accessories are fine. All Jeffery sidelock rifles are extremely scarce. Large caliber examples are especially so. A gold inlaid example is almost unheard of. 4-48024 MGM140 (50,000-80,000) – Lot 1039 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note:* All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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*EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD INLAID W.J. JEFFERY BEST SIDELOCK EJECTOR DOUBLE RIFLE MOUNTED WITH CREST OF RAJA OF MIRAJ JUNIOR STATE AND WITH ORIGINAL CASE.