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I expect he made an exception in this particular case because the guns were mostly of Continental make and had problems, so he probably figured that interest would be modest.

I had not been planning to bid on any of them, but the quality of wood on that Cogwell & Harrison kind of grew on me, and the price seemed derisive, so I decided to gamble on it being able to be repaired.

I was drinking a bit that night and when some opposition bidding clocked in late in the game, my aggressive instincts were aroused and I chased the gun rather higher than I'd intended. You know how auctions are, especially accompanied by Remy Martin.

I thought I had foolishly succumbed to auction fever, but when it arrived, I thought the gun was not all that bad. Who knows? Maybe I was lucky.

I don't think it is a bad thing to point out rather unusual auctions like those 4 guns. Because they were Continental guns and not especially likely to be very valuable, I think it was not inappropriate to point them out.

I did not bid on any of them but did learn a bit from them.

David, I don't think that Remy hurt you too bad. That is a nice piece of wood and an interesting gun overall.

I like guns that can be researched. I found that Christie's sold a lot of the late Emil Rosner's gun collection in 2002. I found a copy of the catalogue on Ebay for $12. An article on Cogswell & Harrison Avant Tout hammer guns by Geoffrey Boothroyd is listed in the C&G book's bibliography from the Shooting Times issue of 31 January 1991. I managed to locate a copy I could order of that, too.

Cogswell & Harrison guns seem, from what I see, in later periods to occupy a position of lower esteem (and pricing) than the usual big names. Also, vintage Cogswell & Harrison hammer guns seem to be scarce. Judging by the one I bought, their quality was absolutely top end back then.

Let's just hope it can be repaired.

The Cogswell & Harrison Avant Tout Ejector hammer gun's previous sales, I found sitting right there on-line:

2002: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/...75-details.aspx

AN UNUSUAL 12-BORE 'THE AVANT TOUT' HAMMER EJECTOR GUN BY COGSWELL & HARRISON, NO. 14742
The action incorporating an unusual ejecting mechanism set behind the forend-loop, toplever, percussion fences, rebounding backlocks, best foliate-scroll engraving, highly-figured stock (cracked at the head) with horn butt-plate, the barrels with game-rib
Weight 6lb. 8�oz., 13 7/8in. pull, 30in. barrels, proof exemption.

---------------------------

Sold to the Gun Broker dealer, August 29, 2020:

https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms/Black-...mation/55932594

The really interesting detail, it seems to me, is that this gun, serial number 14742, is the only 'AVANT TOUT' HAMMER EJECTOR GUN BY COGSWELL & HARRISON I can find. None are listed for sale. This gun is the very one pictured in the Cooley & Newton COGSWELL & HARRISON book.

My guess is that these are downright rare. Not that many were made and few survive. But having examined this particular gun, I'm persuaded that, back then, in the 1880s, C&G was producing top-grade London Best Guns competitive with those of the best London makers. It seems clear that the firm's status in later periods was not quite so high.