QUALITY**C1870 Robert Hughes Universal Firearms Works Birmingham Side By Side Double Damascus Barrelled Muzzle Loading Percussion Rifle/ Shotgun Combination Big Game Gun (14 Smooth Bore/ .577 Calibre Rifled Bore), Irish Reg Mark ‘F173U’ (Fermanagh). S Rifle Shotgun Combination Muzzleloader Various Rifle

**QUALITY**C1870 Robert Hughes Universal Firearms Works Birmingham Side By Side Double Damascus Barrelled Muzzle Loading Percussion Rifle/ Shotgun Combination Big Game Gun (14 Smooth Bore/ .577 Calibre Rifled Bore), Irish Reg Mark ‘F173U’ (Fermanagh). - 23701

Robert Hughes was a gun and pistol maker at 22 Moland Street, Birmingham until 1872 and at 100 Moland Street from 1873. He adopted the style 'Universal Firearms Works' in 1868. His guns were well known and he was favoured in the London gun market, known for his high quality Sporting Rifles, typically sold to men traveling to Asia or Africa for big game hunting. This attractive C1870 double hammer percussion Rifle and Shotgun combination gun is the type used for hunting large game. It has 30 ½” round Damascus steel barrels and is 46 ½” overall. The rifled barrel is .577 Calibre and has a good clean bore with sharp rifling. The shotgun barrel is smooth 14 Bore which is also clean. The barrel is faintly signed ‘Robert Hughes Universal Firearms Works Birmingham. One barrel is stamped with Irish registration mark ‘F173U’ indicating that this gun was in Ireland at some point of its Victorian life (the Registration of Firearms (Ireland) Act of 22nd August 1843, provided for the granting of licences to the owners of firearms and required the arms to be marked by the Superintendent of the County Inspector of the Constabulary Force. F U mark was the designation for Fermanagh Ulster). The barrel rib is mounted with a fixed ‘v’ notch plate rear sight graduated to 100 yards and 3 leaf sights with silver aiming lines graduated, 200, 300 & 400 yards. The post from the foresight plate is absent. The action, Dolphin hammers, action tang, trigger guard with extended tang and stock mounts have quality tooled foliate decoration. The gun has double triggers. The cocking and firing actions are strong. The Walnut stock with chequered fore stock panels and steel butt plate is undamaged with just light bumps and bruises to be expected. The underside of the stock has a void inlaid silver disc and it has sling swivel lugs. The weapon has its original wood ram rod with polished horn end cap and brass tip with steel worm. The price includes UK delivery. NB As an antique muzzle loading percussion weapon no licence is required to own this item in the UK. Sn 23701

£1,495.00