Millita/Lincon Jefferies?

[Jimlad]

Hi All,

A little help needed please, I have been asked to value to rifles by a new member to our shooting club, he was under the impression that he had a Lincon Jefferies?
I have not come across either of these rifles before so if someone of greater knowledge can confirm my thoughts on what they are, how rare are they, and possibly put a value on each of them.

The first I think is a BSA No 4 Club .177 in excellent condition with a beautiful stock good patina, complete with original parts and in good firing order. Serial No C1754 some of the photos did not come out ok, this rifle has a push button underlever.

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture011-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture012-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture013-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture010-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture010-1.jpg

The second is a little bit more of an enigma, I think it is The Heavyweight Millita air rifle
On page 163 of Dennis Hilliers book.
The rifle is 42 inches long with a 19 inch barrel in .177cal it has an octagonal section on the barrel which has ‘H The Lincon Air Rifle’ stamped on the top flat, it has a release catch which has to be operated before cocking the rifle. There are traces of nickel around the action, the rifle is in good working order with good patina, no serious rust pitting and no serious cracks to the stock, the only difference to the photo in Hilliers book is that this rifle has a full pistol stock, with the standing man and the address of Lincon Jeffieries at 121 Steelhouse Lane Birmingham clearly legible stamped on the stock.

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture014-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture008.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture007.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture005-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture004-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture003-1.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture002-2.jpg
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture001-1.jpg

Any help greatly appreciated

Jim

[Josie & John]

Hi Jim,

Two nice and interesting rifles there. The No4 looks to be in nice fettle. Is the etching present as that can have a substantial effect on value?

The "Millita" style looks like a heavyweight Millita as you say and will be same model made by Langenham but in all likelihood sold as "The Lincoln" by George Lincoln Jeffries, who imported the model independently of Martin Pulvermann, who owned the rights to the Millita name. I have also seen French airguns that were to all intents and purposes Millitas but sold under another name. The top of the barrel flat should be stamped with "LINCOLN" rather than Millita as yours is. The stock looks very interesting - never seen one quite like it, with that style of chequering. The pistol hand profile looks very similar to the early Lincoln/BSA underlever, so you can see Mr LJ must have had an idea of how he wanted the stock to look before the underlever was released on the public. As to value, around the £170 mark.

Kind regards,
John

[Jimlad]

Hi John

Thanks for the reply, The barrel flat has the words 'H The LINCON Air Rifle' stamped on it, clearly readable, same as the picture on Hilliers book page 162, most of the parts have the full serial number on them, there is no etching visable on the BSA.

Jim

[Josie & John]

Hi Jim,

The Lincoln sounds to be all present and correct. Not a Lincoln underlever but still a Lincoln.

The No4 has to be worth around the £180 mark with that peep. Possibly a little more on a good day as it is not that common.

Kind regards,
John

[Lakey]

Very interesting gun that second one, Certainly a rebadged Millita, however that stock is very interesting. I wonder if LJ got Langenhan to manufacture it to his spec, as most Millita rifles I have seen have had straight hand (roach bellied) type stocks or maybe the rifle actions were imported in the white over to Steelhouse lane, and had LJ stocks fitted there??
The stock stamping looks very similar to early H The Lincoln underlevers, so maybe they were genuine english LJ stocks retro fitted to actions. The fit of the trigger guard tang would suggest skilled fitting, and although the chequering is different, the stocks look very similar to later underlever stocks

Of course, the other explanation is that LJ copied the Langenham stock design, renaming it his 'Patent Stock' and fitted it to later rifles of his design? Certainly an Englishman wouldnt do that , would he............?

Anyone got any idea's


Lakey

[Josie & John]

Very interesting gun that second one, Certainly a rebadged Millita, however that stock is very interesting. I wonder if LJ got Langenhan to manufacture it to his spec, as most Millita rifles I have seen have had straight hand (roach bellied) type stocks or maybe the rifle actions were imported in the white over to Steelhouse lane, and had LJ stocks fitted there??
The stock stamping looks very similar to early H The Lincoln underlevers, so maybe they were genuine english LJ stocks retro fitted to actions. The fit of the trigger guard tang would suggest skilled fitting, and although the chequering is different, the stocks look very similar to later underlever stocks

Of course, the other explanation is that LJ copied the Langenham stock design, renaming it his 'Patent Stock' and fitted it to later rifles of his design? Certainly an Englishman wouldnt do that , would he............?

Anyone got any idea's


Lakey

Hi Lakey,
Langenhan made airguns that were then exported around the world. Many were "customised" by importers, for example Edwin Anson and Lincoln Jeffries. I reckon the stock is one made by GLJ himself as it has that familiar early thin pistol hand with an almost forward curve to it, that was a feature of early Lincoln underlevers and the earliest of BSAs. Anson also replaced the standard stocks on his "Millitas", which he named the Anson (unsurprisingly!) and one I have has some exceptional chequering. The "standard" Langenhan pistol hand stock was of a different profile as you say, which again suggests, GLJ had a hand in making this one.

Kind regards,
John

[silva]

I think the Lincoln Jeffries might well be worth more to the right person. Especially with that beautiful stock that clearly shows the lineage of the underlevers. Thats one of the most interesting ones I've seen and in good order. They are often knackered when found.
£170.00 would sell it straight away, but I think a well heeled keen Lincoln Jeffries collecter would probably cough up a bit more.
You also encounter rook rifles with that design of stock. I'm sure it says somewhere in Knibbs book that some of the early LJ underlevers were fitted with stocks out of the workshop, which might suggest he had them manufactured himself for the militia's.