BY GRIFFIN & TOW, LONDON, CIRCA 1771

Details

A 20-Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun
By Griffin & Tow, London, circa 1771
With two-stage barrel (bent, fore-sight moved), the octagonal breech section with two instinct gold-lined Parisian barrelsmith's marks in the Spanish manner, a gold-lined cross, and ten small gold-lined decorative marks, gold-lined touch-hole, border engraved tang, flat bevelled lock signed 'Griffin & Tow' in script and with stepped tail (cock cracked and loose on spindle, jaw-screw replaced), moulded figured walnut half-stock carved in relief with a shell behind the barrel tang, the grip inlaid with scrollwork and 'GR' monogram in silver wire, border engraved iron mounts including rounded fore-end cap, and trigger-guard with second pattern acorn finial, silver wire inlay instead of a side-plate, iron ramrod-pipes without rib, and original horn-tipped ramrod with worm (iron parts with surface pitting and some wear), the underside of the breech with a Le Clerc mark
41¾in. (106.1cm.) barrel

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This gun appears to be one of the earliest firearms produced by the Griffin & Tow partnership and may be unique in being signed in script - all examples recorded by Neal and Back (Messers Griffin & Tow and W. Bailes) are signed in capital letters

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