Anderson Guncraft 1874 .45-70 Gatling Camel Gun FULL-SIZE Repro., Bruce Feed Adapter & Tripod 1990

SOLD FOR: $27,276.00
LSB#:
 190220TA02

Make: Anderson Guncraft

Model: 1874 “Camel Gun”

Serial Number: 14

Year of Manufacture: April, 1990

Caliber: .45-70 Government

Action Type: Crank-handle operated multi-barrel rotary repeating gun.

Markings: The top of the casing has a bronze plaque marked “GATLING’S / BATTERY / GUN / PAT. NOV 4. 1862 / MAY 9. 1865 / FEB 28. 1871 / APR 9. 1872 AS / MADE BY COLT’S / PT. FIRE ARMS / MFG CO / HARTFORD, CONN. / U.S.A.” and the top of the casing is marked “Cal. .45” behind the plaque. The right shoulder of the casing is marked “MODEL / 1874”. The right frame strut, over the trunion, is marked “No 014”. There is a flat on the bottom of the casing marked “MFG. BY / ANDERSON GUNCRAFT / LEWISBURG OHIO USA / MODEL 1874 CAL. .45-70”, “APRIL 1990” and “SERIAL NO. 014”. Each barrel and bolt are numbered from 1-10 with the barrel plate also marked from 1-10 at the location of each barrel. The bolts, barrels, and their position in the barrel plate are all number-matching.

Barrel Length: 18”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a folding brass blade mounted to the front of the right frame strut, the rear sight is a “V”-notch mounted at the right-rear of the casing. The rear sight is threaded and can be rotated for elevation adjustment.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The gun is mounted on a tripod with bronze mount. The mount pivots on its base, allowing for windage adjustment and there is an elevator screw at the rear which is turned with a bronze plate for elevation adjustment. At the left end of the crank-shaft is a pair of tracks, one straight and one cammed. Under this is a guide-rod which can sit in the straight track which will allow the gun to be fired at the same point repeatedly, or it can sit in the cammed track to oscillate the gun as the crank-shaft is turned. The tripod’s wood legs have a few scattered light nicks and scuffs, the bronze portions show scattered light tarnish and handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. The mount functions correctly including oscillator. Overall, the mount is in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Bronze

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bores are bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bores.

Overall Condition: This gun retains about 95% of its metal finish. The metal surfaces show infrequent scattered light tarnish and surface oxidation. There are a few scattered light marks and faint operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear and crisp. Overall, this gun rates in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this gun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This gun comes with the tripod mount as described and a Bruce Feed Adapter which has two feeding tracks which hold 10-rounds each, the feeding track must be moved manually to switch from one to the other. The Bruce Feed Adapter shows very light operational wear and some light tarnish in its bronze “foot”, in about Fine condition.

Our Assessment: Richard Gatling was a prolific inventor with contributions in the fields of agriculture, screw-propellors and his most famous invention, the Gatling Gun. Interestingly, his intent with the Gatling Gun was to reduce deaths from war by allowing a smaller number of troops to produce a greater volume of fire, thus reducing the number of men required to fight in wars. While this did not exactly come to pass, his gun was nonetheless revolutionary, allowing for sustained fire at high rates and, though not considered a machine gun by todays definitions, paved the way for the truly automatic weapons which were to follow. Gatling Guns saw limited use in the American Civil War, being personally purchased by some officers for their units, but was not officially adopted by the U.S. Military until 1866. The guns would also be used by European colonial powers in Africa and Asia and by South American nations including Argentina and Peru. The “camel gun” had shorter, 18″ barrels which helped keep the weight down. The mass of 10 barrels, bolts and locks all in a forged bronze case was one of the only drawbacks to the Gatling Gun for military use, with the gun being quite heavy and difficult to move quickly. The smaller “camel gun” was easier to move and set up, being able to be moved and assembled by as few as two people. This example is a reproduction made by Anderson Guncraft. The gun is a painstakingly detailed reproduction with all parts faithful to and interchangeable with original Colt production guns. The casing is constructed of brass like the originals and just about the only difference is that better quality materials have been used, allowing the gun to be fired with modern smokeless ammunition. The gun is in Fine condition with little sign of use and only some scattered light tarnish and surface oxidation in its metal finish. This is a rare opportunity to have a fully functional, true to the original, .45-70 Model 1874 “camel gun” Gatling Gun of your very own. What could be cooler than that? Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This gun CAN be transferred in California.

Please note, we will charge actual shipping price for this item. We estimate shipping charges to be approximately $500.

Anderson Guncraft 1874 .45-70 Gatling Camel Gun FULL-SIZE Repro., Bruce Feed Adapter & Tripod 1990
Anderson Guncraft 1874 .45-70 Gatling Camel Gun
FULL-SIZE Repro., Bruce Feed Adapter & Tripod 1990