BY DURS EGG, LONDON, NO. 68, CIRCA 1810

Details

A Very Rare Cased 17-Bore Flintlock Sporting Rifle
By Durs Egg, London, No. 68, circa 1810
With browned twist barrel (slight rust spotting and loss of colour) cut with ten grooves and with top flat, silver fore-sight, and blued two-leaf back-sight, the breech with gold-lined crowned maker's stamp, three gold-lined fleur-de-lys marks, two gold lines, and gold-lined touch-hole, engraved case-hardened tang, case-hardened signed engraved serial numbered lock with safety-catch also locking the steel, roller, blued steel-spring, rainproof pan, and later 'French' cock, the internal working parts with original blued finish, lacquered figured walnut half-stock (minor bruising), chequered grip, raised cheek-piece, engraved blued iron mounts, blued trigger-plate with pineapple finial, gold escutcheon engraved with owner's crest, a raven, blued set trigger, original iron ramrod with chequered tip, and much original finish: in original lined and fitted brass-bound oak case with some accessories including two-way powder-flask covered in red leather, the lid with trade label for 1804-16, and large circular brass escutcheon engraved with the same owner's crest as the rifle, and with integral flush-fitting handle, London proof marks
23¾in. (60.3cm.) barrel

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

Durs Egg, probably as a result of his Continental upbringing, was perhaps the foremost of the small group of London gunmakers who specialised in the production of rifles. As well as making the first Ferguson-action rifles and the Crespi-pattern breech-loading carbines, he designed a rifled cannon for the Duke of Richmond in 1784, and secured a large share of the contracts for the supply of rifles to the British Army from 1800 onwards

This rifle was made for the same person as the cased pair of Durs Egg flintlock officer's pistols, lot 275

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