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December 16, 2020
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A 30 caliber 1895 flatside was sold at auction today; there were only 2 bidders. It looks as if someone had once tried to touch up the wood finish but gave up after the fore stock, which probably kept down the selling price. Peculiar is the barrel, which appears to be 32″. I read this was not a catalog option, so how did one get such a barrel–write a “pretty please” letter to the factory? (Also peculiar is the auctioneer writing it up as a standard 28″.)
April 15, 2005
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The auction listing states it is a 28-inch barrel, which was the standard length for that caliber.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
December 16, 2020
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Yes, it states that, but it doesn’t look it. The proportion of barrel length to length of the fore stock, butt stock, or receiver is different than on the 28″ standard. It scales to 32 or 34 inches. Perhaps it’s just distortion from a wide angle lens, but the proportions look the same in both side views.
December 16, 2020
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Sorry, folks. My goof. It’s a problem of perspective. I assumed the side view given was a side view, but it’s actually somewhat quartering. Wanting to show what I mean, this morning I scaled their photo to have the same size receiver as one shown on Collectors Firearms and placed them next to each other. Displayed this way the barrel is thicker and the butt stock shorter: It’s not a side view.
I’ll go hide under a rock now…
