^Lot 2359 TRULY SUPERB EARLY WESTLEY RICHARDS ANSON AND

DEELEY DOUBLE SHOTGUN WITH ORIGINAL CASE & ACCESS. Cal. 12 Ga. 2-5/8". S# 13774 (1882). The 30" fine three stripe damascus barrels are engraved "Westley Richards 170 New Bond St. London. HIGHEST QUALITY" on concave game rib set with two white beads. Bottoms of barrels are stamped with Birmingham black powder proofs along with "12B" and "14M" on left barrel with "12B" and "13M" on right, both followed by "NOT FOR BALL". Breech ends of barrels are stamped .815 on left and .813 on right. S# is on face of extractor. Case hardened Anson and Deeley boxlock action (patent use number 6165 on watertable) features automatic safety ("SAFE" in gold), Westley Richards patent sliding top fastener which engages dolls head rib extension and double triggers. Action is engraved with near full coverage very nicely cut shaded scroll within geometric borders. "WESTLEY RICHARDS" is on scrolled ribbon on each side. Top lever pivot is engraved "WESTLEY RICHARDS PATENT". Top lever and floor plate are blued and engraved with matching scroll. Blued trigger guard, engraved with running dog chasing birds on bow has S# on tang. Round knob pistol grip buttstock made of dramatically marbled and somewhat stump figured European walnut measures 14-1/4" over dark red pigskin leather covered pad. Side panels are checkered and end in small drop points. Point pattern checkering is at grip. Ball of grip is capped with vacant silver circle. Matching splinter forend with horn tip has Deeley release. MEASUREMENTS: BBLS: Bore Diameter: L .739. R .739. Restriction: L .034 (full). R .011 (mod). Wall thickness: L .032. R .033. STOCK: DAH: 2-1/2"+. DAC: 1-11/16". CAST: about 1/2" off. LOP: 14-1/4". WEIGHT: 7 lb. 5 oz. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: gun is housed in its original (S# on dot under label) oak and leather case lined in green cloth. Westley Richards label in lid is flanked by Anson and Deeley hammerless gun label on right and instructions for cleaning on left. Case contains two walnut handled turn screws, ebony and brass two piece cleaning rod with short ball handle, a bone handled cleaning brush, ebony handled powder and shot dippers by Dixon, a Dixon cartridge loading tube made of brass and boxwood with base, two later snap caps, along with three piece choke cleaner set by BGI in cardboard box. CONDITION: exceptional. One of the finest examples extant. Barrels retaining essentially all original brown with some scattered handling marks. Action retains over 95% original case hardening color; thinned a bit around bottom. Top lever thumb piece shows some silvering. Floorplate retains nearly all of its original blue. Trigger guard shows some silvering on edges of bow and thinning a bit on tang. Stocks retain nearly all of their original finish with some scattered marks. Checkering shows some very light wear. It appears that some oil has been used to freshen stock finish, probably at time that newer recoil pad was fitted. Bores are bright and shiny throughout and without any noted problems. Action is tight. Case leather has considerably darkened and has some marks and scrapes. Replaced straps are good; handle is missing. Interior cloth is very fine with some light soiling. Labels show staining from spilled oil and are foxed and wrinkled. Accessories are very fine. PROVENANCE: From the Private Collection of Berrien Moore III. (01-28460/MGM). ANTIQUE. $4,000-8,000.