Rare .44 Evans Old Model Ammunition Box – U.M.C.
Z9540 Rare .44 Evans Old Model Ammunition Box – U.M.C.
Description: Here is a very rare full and correct box of .44 Evans Old Model centerfire cartridges manufactured by the Union Metallic Cartridge Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. This two-piece fabric box has a red top label with black print, a blue side-seal label with black print, and an orange bottom Guarantee label with black print. The box contains all 50 original centerfire cartridges; each loaded with a 220-grain bullet over 33 grains of powder. All cartridges appear to be original to the box, and several bullets retain their original lubricant, still visibly caked in place.
These cartridges were used in the First Model .44 Evans lever-action repeating rifle—commonly known as the "Old Model.” Only about 500 of these rifles were manufactured between 1874 and 1876. The distinctive design incorporated a tubular magazine running along the lower edge of the buttstock, capable of holding 34 rounds of ammunition. While innovative, the action was notorious for clogging easily with dirt and fouling, which limited its commercial success and contributed to the rarity of surviving rifles and ammunition today.
This two-piece UMC box is in excellent condition overall. The top label is 100% intact, bright, and fully legible. The side-seal strip remains an impressive 95–98% intact, with clear printing above and below the point where it was originally split to open the box. The orange bottom Guarantee label is complete and mostly legible, with only light wear and a few minor stains. The primer label on the underside of the lid is also present and fully legible.
The box shows only very light overall soiling, primarily on the bottom panel. The lid remains solid with no split seams. The bottom half of the box is also intact, with just a single split seam at the lower left corner. Some loss of the fabric print around the edges of the interior slip-in piece is visible, which is typical for these boxes. All cartridges appear correct, original, and unheadstamped, exactly as expected for early UMC Evans ammunition. The corners show normal, honest wear for their age.
A similar box with later REM-UMC over labels sold within the past few years for around $10,000. Here is an opportunity to acquire not only an earlier variant, but one in superior condition. Boxes of .44 Evans Old Model in this level of completeness and preservation have become exceptionally difficult to find!
Headstamp: None
Measures: 4.5” x 2.5” x 1.65”
Price: $7,950.00
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and assume full responsibility for your personal actions with regard to them.
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Ian Workman
American Civil War Relics &
Military Antiques
