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February 11, 2018
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Since the other topic is somewhat hidden, I’ll just post this here as well.
The owner of Winchester #644 contacted me. The rifle is safe and sound, but not even anywhere close to being in the United States. I am looking foreword to seeing some of Doc Pardee’s notes, and more photos of the rifle at a later date.
With permission of the owner, I am posting this photo. However, I decided myself to blot out the other full SN’s of the other two shown. The owner is an avid collector and I am sure some true hard core collectors on here know who he is…
So it would appear that the Pardee Museum in Oakland auctioned off the estate firearms back in the very early 1980’s. 644 and 1 of 1,000 19,243 have been in private hands since then. When I contacted the museum a while back, they sent me the following documents;
Doc’s Rifles, the descriptions of each are as follows;
Rifle #644
- blued 26″ octagon barrel
- brass front blade
- blued iron frame
- sling ring below butt stock
- cleaning rods in butt stock
- butt plate and maybe lever, nickel plated
- series of grooves on wrist of stock, paint? on left of stock, abrasions nicks and scratches on stock pieces, vertical scratches on both side plates
- finish and nickel plating worn.
Rifle #19,243
- part round part octagon barrel w/hooded front sight and tang peep
- frame, lever, forearm cap, butt plate, color case hardened
- loading gate and barrel blued
- engraved foliated scrolls on muzzle and breech
- left frame engraved, Presented to Dr. E.H. Pardee by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. New Haven, Conn. 1876 “One Of One Thousand”
- cleaning rod in stock
- dents and slight scratching on forearm, rust on hammer, traces of rust…well used, rifling very worn
Here is a partial photo of 644 with what looks to be a nickel plated lever
Dr. Pardee wrote to Winchester, and his testimonial published in Winchester’s 1875 catalog as well as Forest & Stream’s August 21, 1875 magazine.
It affords me much pleasure to communicate to you the result of thirty consecutive shots at the distance of 110 yards. The firing was done without wiping, which proves the Winchester to be steady in her performance, and gives assurance to the sportsman that if he only performs his part in the manipulation of the piece, he need not fear the California jaguar, or grizzly bear.
It is believed that this target was shot with #644.
In 1976, Dr. Pardee was presented #19,243 1 of 1,000 by Oliver F Winchester…believed to be kept in a black wood case.
More on these later when I get the information, and permission to share certain parts.
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