^Lot 2385 FINE SLE PIGEON GUN BY NOWOTNY OF PRAGUE.

Cal. 12 Ga. 3". S# 15496 (1915). This beautifully made gun has 28-3/8" dovetailed steel barrels with narrow raised matted rib holding two white beads. Tops of barrels are engraved "NOWOTNY J." on right and "PRAGA." on left. Barrel flats are stamped with 1915 Prague nitro proofs and Nowotny crowned initials. Bottoms of barrels are stamped with steel type and S#. Robust coin finished sidelock action features non-automatic safety, pivoting third fastener engaging dolls head rib extension, bushed strikers, side clips and double triggers (front articulated). Action is nicely filed and fences are decorated with three sweeping relief ribbons with small scroll engraving as background. Action and lockplates are engraved with fine Viennese scroll surrounding floral bouquets with "NOWOTNY. J." on ribbon through central bouquet of left lockplate and "PRAGA" on right. Trigger guard with matching scroll has S# on tang. Nicely marbled dense European walnut straight grip buttstock measures 14-3/8" over skeleton steel buttplate. Nicely cut borderless point pattern checkering is on diamond hand. Matching splinter ejector forend with Anson release is checkered with rear side panels having longitudinal grooves. MEASUREMENTS: BBLS: Bore Diameter: L .721. R .721. Restriction: L .040 (full). R .025 (mod). Wall thickness: L .032. R .029. STOCK: DAH: 1-5/8". DAC: 1-3/8"+. CAST: about 1/4" off. LOP: 14-3/8". WEIGHT: 7 lb. 6 oz. CONDITION: very fine as mostly refinished. Barrels with nearly all of a fine re-black. Action lightly cleaned leaving traces of original French gray finish, mostly seen on lockplates. Trigger guard re-blued and has subsquent wear. Stocks with fine oil refinish; checkering nicely re-cut. Bores are bright and shiny without noted problems. Forcing cones have been lengthened. A great gun by this celebrated maker. PROVENANCE: From the Private Collection of Berrien Moore III. (25-6020/MGM). CURIO. $3,000-6,000.