Bonhams next Sporting Guns, Rifles and Vintage Firearms Auction is due to take place on 10th November 2022; here are the hot lots.
Bonhams’ November auction has over one-hundred and ninety lots. There are shotguns, rifles, a .450/455 Webley revolver that comes in a leather case with speed-loader, snap caps and .22 cylinder and barrel conversion kit, and everything in-between.
Here are the hot lots from the latest Bonhams Sporting Guns, Rifles and Vintage Firearms Auction:
Lot 238 – .22lr Holland & Holland Royal Rook Rifle
Rook Rifles were first developed by Holland & Holland in 1883 as a breach-loading equivalent of the muzzle-loading pea rifle. They were designed to be light, accurate and powerful.
This toplever rifle has been converted from a rook calibre to .22lr which ensures that it is still shootable today with ammunition you can easily buy in your local gun shop (it has a Birmingham nitro proof). The maker’s name can be found in a scrolling banner surrounded by best foliate-scrollwork on the sides of the action-body. Traces of hardening-colour do remain on this rifle. It has an automatic safety, figured stock with pistolgrip, peep-sight, engraved and colour-hardened pistolgrip-cap, cheek-piece and steel butt-plate, horn-tipped forend, the octagonal barrel is engraved ‘Holland & Holland, 98 New Bond St., London, Winners of all the Field Rifle Trials‘. There is a bead foresight and open sights fixed for 50 yards and folding for 100 and 150 yards so you wish to really push your shooting prowess. It also has a leather case with Holland & Holland trade-label.
Estimate: £1,800 – £2,500.
Lot 251 – .275 Rigby Rifle
Completed in May 1941 by John Rigby & Co for a C. Tomlinson, this .275 Rigby rifle has a well-figured fiddleback stock with semi-pistolgrip, rubber recoil pad and sling-eyes. The Mauser action-body is blued, has a thumb detent and bolt-head flag safety. Should you wish to use it in the hills with a scope it comes with a 4x Swazovski or should you wish to tackle a stalk the way they used to it also has a ramp-mounted bead-foresight, with fixed rear-sight for 100 yards and folding for 300 & 400 yards.
Estimate £2,000 – £3,000.
Lot 299 – Peter Chapman Sidelock Shotgun Engraved by Coggan
Peter Chapman set up on his own in the early 1970’s after working for James Purdey & Sons for 25 years. Chapman set out to make best guns to the standards of those that were completed between WW1 and WW2; approximately 160 guns were made under his own name.
This gun has been engraved by Coggan who is often regarded as one of the country’s leading engravers. The action-body has been engraved with best foliate-scroll and the maker’s name is in gold in a scrolling-banner. The lock plates have been engraved with a duck in flight on the left, and a spurring stoat and pheasant on the right, both are signed and have gold-inlaid cocking-indicators. The underside has been engraved with a woodcock in a roundel with makers name in gold. There are chiselled oak-leaf fences, and the trigger-guard has a griffin engraved upon it. The well-figured 14⅝ inch stock has a Prince-of-Wales grip, horn pistol grip-cap and leather-covered recoil-pad. The 28 inch barrels have a game rib with ‘P. Chapman, London, England‘ inlaid in gold, and have been choked to approximately ¼ and ½. The gun comes in its brass-mounted leather guncase with canvas case.
Estimate £18,000 – £25,000.
Lot 310 – Pair of Alison Hunt Engraved Purdey Shotguns
Completed in 1989, this fine pair of 20-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by James Purdey & Sons (no. 29171/2) have been engraved by Alison Hunt, the daughter of the renowned engraver Ken Hunt.
The toplevers, ribs and forends are numbered ‘1’ and ‘2’ in gold. The gun has been engraved with best bouquet and foliate-scroll, and oak-leaf fences. There are gold-inlaid cocking-indicators and articulated front triggers (these hinged front triggers move a short distance to prevent injury from to your trigger finger when pulling the rear trigger). The 28 inch chopper-lump barrels have approximately and ½ and ⅝ chokes, 2¾ inch chambers and are engraved with ‘J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London, England‘ on the game-ribs.
This pair of guns come in their leather case with canvas cover.
Estimate: £60,000 – £80,000.
Lot 352 – Pair of Beretta S3 EELL Shotguns Engraved by Giovanelli
This pair of consecutive numbered (C11047B and C11048B) Beretta over-and-under ejector EELL shotguns have been engraved by Giovanelli. Cesare Giovanelli started engraving over sixty years ago at his kitchen bench. He has progressed a long way in that time – his company now consists of forty-five people over various departments, the core of which is a group of twenty top Italian engravers.
The locks are finely engraved with scenes of grouse in typical scenery surrounded by foliate-scrollwork, the makers name can be found in a scrolling banner, whilst the trigger-plates are signed ‘Bottega C. Giovanelli’.
This gun has everything that you would expect from a Beretta including hold-open toplevers, and selective single-triggers with automatic-safety slides. The 14½ inch long stocks are highly-figured, but unfortunately No.2 has a crack through the lower left horn.
The 28 inch barrels have 2¾ inch chambers and are choked approximately ⅜ & ⅝ chokes. The guns weigh 7lb. 9oz..
Estimate: £12,000 – £16,000.
Lot 353 – Pair of Holland & Holland ‘The Sporting Model’ Shotguns
This pair of over-and-under side plated 12-bore ‘The Sporting Model’ shotguns by Holland & Holland have their toplevers, forends and barrels numbered ‘1’ and ‘2’ in gold, hold-open toplevers, bolstered action-bodies, and manual safeties. The single triggers are selective and the trigger-plates are detachable.
The 13¾ inch stocks are well-figured with semi-pistolgrips and Kick-Eez recoil-pads. The barrels are 28 inches long, have 2¾ chambers and all choked approximately Cylinder. Gun No. 1 weighs 7lb. 8oz. whilst No. 2 weighs-in a whisker lighter at 7lb. 7oz..
Estimate: £25,000 – £35,000.
