This is an 18th Century English double barrel sporting flintlock shotgun. It has all original Walnut furniture with finely chequered wrist and void silver disc escutcheons in excellent condition. The quality made shotgun with double 32 ¾” long (48 ¾” overall), 16 bore Damascus steel barrels, has a silver bead fore sight, double triggers & cocks fitted with flints. The bores have staining and residue consistent with age. The barrels have silver bands and roundels at each breech. The action tang and trigger guard with extended tang & pineapple finial have foliate tooled decoration. The fore stock block has English sterling silver hallmarks (illustrated, Maker's mark (far left, badly rubbed and unreadable) Date letter: appears to be a lower-case n in a shield Leopard's Head: London Assay Office Lion Passant: Sterling silver (.925 standard) Duty mark of King George III (very worn, profile bust facing right) Small retailer's or assembly mark (unclear). Both lock plates are ‘Porter’ (most likely R. Porter recorded as making flintlocks in London 1770-1790 see page 78 of English Irish & Scottish Firearms Makers by Carey). It is complete with brass capped wood ram rod. The cocking & firing actions of the weapon work crisply. The price for this quality piece worthy of further research includes UK delivery. NB As an antique muzzle loading flintlock shotgun no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 23722
£1,395.00