Truly Magnificent, Well-Documented, Cased Factory Franz Marktl Master Deep Relief Presentation Engraved and Gold Inlaid Ruger No. 1 North Americans Series “Mountain Lion” Edition Single Shot Rifle with Scope, Huey Case, Original Oil Paintings, and Prints

A museum-level Ruger collectible, this extraordinary circa-1985 “Mountain Lion” rifle is one of only two rifles ever produced from a planned 21-rifle North American big game series. Lavishly engraved by famed Master Engraver Franz Marktl and accompanied by the original Greg Beecham oil paintings that inspired the artwork, this is far more than a firearm, it is a complete fine-art and arms-collecting package with remarkable provenance.

• Built circa 1985 as part of a planned 21-rifle series of extremely highly embellished rifles
• Intended series theme: 21 species of North American game animals
• Only two rifles from the series were ever actually produced, making this an exceptionally rare collector’s piece:
  • The first rifle was the “Bighorn Sheep” rifle, donated by Bill Ruger to be auctioned with proceeds benefiting the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Arms and Armor
  • The second rifle is this example, themed after the mountain lion
• Engraving for the planned 21 rifles was to be based on 42 oil paintings commissioned for Ruger by leading wildlife artists in the United States
• The original paintings for this rifle were created by renowned wildlife artist Greg Beecham:
  • “Fair Warning”
  • “Contentment”
• Greg Beecham has painted full time since 1978 and is known for lifelike realism depicting American wildlife, especially scenes from the American West and Rocky Mountains
• Beecham lives and paints at his studio in Dubois, Wyoming
• Engraving was to be carried out by famed German-born Master Engraver Franz Marktl
• Franz Marktl’s work was featured on the cover of “Rifle: The Magazine for Shooters,” issue number 90
• This specific rifle and Marktl’s work on it were also featured in a biographical article in “The Phoenix Gazette” titled “Master engraver: By his touch, firearms become works of art”
• This rifle is pictured on page 294 of R. L. Wilson’s “Steel Canvas: The Art of American Arms”
  • It is captioned by serial number as the second rifle of the limited-edition North American big game series
  • The caption also identifies Franz Marktl as the engraver
• Blued steel barrel with extensive decorative embellishment
• Beautifully engraved banded front sight with gold line inlay
• Engraved barrel band with sling swivel
• Rear quarter rib fitted with a two-leaf rear sight:
  • One standing leaf
  • One folding leaf
• Quarter rib features near full-coverage scroll engraving with gold-inlaid line borders
• Warne rings included for scope mounting
• “LIMITED EDITION” inlaid in gold at the center of the quarter rib
• Barrel is inlaid “RUGER NORTH AMERICANS” in gold ahead of the quarter rib
• Barrel displays wedges of scroll engraving intertwined with gold-inlaid scrolls
• Gold “270” inlay on the left side, denoting .270 caliber
• French grey finished action, providing an elegant contrast to the blued barrel and gold accents
• Nearly full-surface scroll engraving across the action
• Deep-relief engraved scenes by Franz Marktl based on Greg Beecham’s artwork:
  • Left side: “Contentment”
    • Depicts a pair of mountain lions in a forested scene
    • One mountain lion is sleeping
    • The other is stretching after having just risen
  • Right side: “Fair Warning”
    • Depicts a mountain lion on the carcass of a freshly killed mule deer buck
    • The mountain lion is growling to ward off a bold coyote
• Animals in both scenes are rendered in fine relief gold inlay, giving the rifle exceptional visual depth and fine-art appeal
• Engraving continues onto the blued lever
• Lever features additional gold-inlaid lines
• Lever also displays a relief gold-inlaid Ruger logo
• Franz Marktl’s signature appears on the lever
• Stunningly well-figured wood furniture, selected for high-grade visual appeal
• Fleur-de-lis carved and checkered forend
• Forend features:
  • Bolstered Schnabel tip
  • Engraved retaining screw
  • Escutcheon
• Bolstered pistol grip stock
• Coin-finished grip cap with a relief gold-inlaid mountain lion bust
• Shadowline cheekpiece
• Inletted blued rear sling swivel
• Engraved blued steel skeleton buttplate surrounding the checkered butt
• Includes a full-length fitted leather flat case made by Huey
• Case includes a canvas cover
• Case is fitted with compartments for accessories
• Included accessories:
  • Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x scope
  • Matching engraved and gold-inlaid quick-detach rings
  • Two gold-plated oilers
  • Gold-plated canister
  • Set of turnscrews made in Sheffield, England
• Documentation and provenance included:
  • Letter from Southwest Shooter’s Supply detailing the history of the series
  • Original pamphlets for the series mounted on card stock
  • Photocopy of the “The Phoenix Gazette” article titled “Master engraver: By his touch, firearms become works of art”
  • Three copies of “Rifle: The Magazine for Shooters,” issue number 90, featuring Marktl’s work
• Original Greg Beecham artwork included:
  • Original oil painting “Fair Warning”
  • Original oil painting “Contentment”
  • Both originals are framed
  • Original paintings measure 20 x 26 inches
• Also included are the signed 1/1 “Owner’s Prints” originally sold with the rifle:
  • Both prints are framed
  • Prints measure 24 x 29 inches

With only two examples ever produced from the envisioned North American big game series, direct ties to Bill Ruger’s collecting vision, published documentation, master engraving by Franz Marktl, original Greg Beecham paintings, and a complete fitted case with accessories, this “Mountain Lion” rifle represents an exceptional opportunity for advanced Ruger, engraved arms, and sporting art collectors.