C1880 Victorian British George Gibbs Bristol Volunteer’s Private Purchase Martini Henry 577x .450 Short Lever Rifle Single Shot .577 Rifles

**MINT BORE**C1880 Victorian British George Gibbs Bristol Volunteer’s Private Purchase Martini Henry .577x .450 Short Lever Rifle. Sn 19376 - 19376

Founded in Bristol in 1830 as J & G Gibbs ( who are also listed as “wire drawers at 4 Redcliff St ) and renamed in 1835 as G Gibbs . The firm has gained an impressive record of innovation, adaptation and tenacity, making muzzle loading guns and rifles of the highest quality including Samuel Bakers first 4 bore heavy charge rifle, under the direction of the founder George Gibbs Snr. the firm developed and expanded with the help of his sons G.C. and Herbert to embrace the breech loading era with a series of crucial partnerships and designs. The firm finally consolidated in 1858 at 29 Corn St and this address changed to 39 Corn St in 1880 when St Werbergs church , further along Corn St , was dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere in the city . The Church was taken down during 1877 and replaced with 10 new shop premises , the buildings finally re numbered around 1879/1880. The Gibbs business is still thriving today. This is a Victorian Volunteer’s private purchase Martini Henry, short lever rifle by George Gibbs of Bristol. It has its original woodwork throughout which has just light bumps & bruises to be expected with age and service use. It has a block & blade fore sight, flip up ladder rear sight, steel butt plate, sling swivels, cleaning rod & bayonet lug. The 33” steel barrel’s bore is near mint clean and bright, the rifling sharp and well defined. The barrel has British proof marks. The metal work has even patina and has numbers (illustrated). The action works crisply. The top of the barrel is signed by the maker ‘George Gibbs 39 Corn Street Bristol’. The price includes UK delivery. NB As an Antique, obsolete calibre weapon, no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 19376

£1,675.00