Product Details
DONALD J. CUSTERSON
A FINE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED SINCLAIR- ENGRAVED TAKEDOWN FALLING-BLOCK SPORTING RIFLE WITH A SUITE OF INTERCHANGEABLE BARRELS IN 7mm (REM. MAG.), .338 (WIN. MAG.) AND .416 (REM. MAG.), serial no. 002,
the barrels each 25in. blued nitro, signed 'DONALD J. CUSTERSON. CAMBRIDGE. ENGLAND.' and fitted with Apel quickly detachable mounts with individual telescopic sights;
the 7mm (Rem. Mag.) with a Zeiss Diavari V 5-15x42 telescopic sight;
the .338 (Win. Mag.) with a Swarovski 3-9x36A telescopic sight;
the .416 (Rem. Mag.) with a Swarovski 1,25-4x24 telescopic sight and with a flip-up bead fore-sight and attachable rear open sight with gold-inlaid centre-line, each barrel with their respective blued locking catch with gold-inlaid calibre designation,
bright action with a manual safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, carved with best quality foliate scrollwork on a matt background with a banner engraved with the makers name, surrounding fine vignettes of a Bongo antelope on the left and a pair of Roan antelope on the right, signed 'WPS', 14in. exhibition-grade pistolgrip stock including 3/4in. leather-covered recoil pad, blued foliate engraved skeletal steel pistolgrip-cap, blued sling eyes, in its makers fitted oak and leather case with canvas outer, with provision for all sets of barrels and telescopic sights
Provenance: The maker has kindly supplied us with the following information:
"This rifle was commissioned as a .338 Win. Mag. falling block for African game. A take-down version was required for ease of transport and so a much modified version of a Whittome action was used. As the .338 Win. Mag. shares the same belted base to its cartridge case as a wide range of calibres up to .458, it was suggested that extra barrel assemblies could be added. Thus two more barrels in 7mm and .416 were ordered with the intention that each barrel would have its own telescopic sight suited to the calibre."
The barrel blanks were made by Arthur Smith and all the rest of the rifle was made, stocked and finished by Don Custerson and is one of the few guns and rifles to carry his own name.
Other Notes: Don Custerson gained an MA degree in engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, and applied his knowledge for fifteen years with a high-tech engineering company. His life-long interest in guns and shooting became a full-time business in 1989 when he became a sought-after outworker for some of the London gunmakers carrying out stocking work and general repairs. This then grew into building shotguns and rifles for Frederick Beesley amongst others.
Custerson became a registered gunmaker within the Gun Trade Association and was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers in 1996. He has made a number of large calibre rifles for Giles Whittome, including designing and building a unique 2-bore falling block rifle commissioned by the Royal Armouries at Leeds.
For the past few years he has also worked with Holloway and Naughton and is responsible for the design, development and manufacture of their English made 'Britannia' sidelock over and under shotgun.
Estimate £15,000-20,000
THE ABOVE LOT WILL REQUIRE THE BUYER TO PRODUCE A RELEVANT BRITISH FIREARMS CERTIFICATE OR REGISTERED FIREARMS DEALER LICENCE BEFORE IT MAY BE RELEASED.