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BY BENJAMIN GRIFFIN, LONDON, CIRCA 1760
Details
A 20-Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun
By Benjamin Griffin, London, circa 1760
With Turkish twist barrel with raised sighting rib extending over most of its length, and silver decoration throughout its length, enclosing, on the top of the breech, two circular panels, one bearing an Arabic inscription in gold ('Sultan of the Two Continents and Sovereign of the Two Seas'), and the other the tughra of a Turkish Sultan with the date 1167 (= A.D. 1753-1754) above the Arabic name for Constantinople, three double silver bands secured by the barrel-bolts, the front band bearing the fore-sight, gold-lined touch-hole, engraved grooved tang, border engraved flat bevelled lock signed on a ribbon and with stepped tail, figured walnut full stock (bruised) carved in relief with a shell behind the barrel tang, engraved iron mounts, pierced finely chiselled side-plate, chiselled escutcheon engraved with owner's monogram 'HC', three engraved iron ramrod-pipes, and later horn-tipped ramrod (some wear and surface pitting, fore-end tip replaced)
37¾in. (95.8cm.) barrel
By Benjamin Griffin, London, circa 1760
With Turkish twist barrel with raised sighting rib extending over most of its length, and silver decoration throughout its length, enclosing, on the top of the breech, two circular panels, one bearing an Arabic inscription in gold ('Sultan of the Two Continents and Sovereign of the Two Seas'), and the other the tughra of a Turkish Sultan with the date 1167 (= A.D. 1753-1754) above the Arabic name for Constantinople, three double silver bands secured by the barrel-bolts, the front band bearing the fore-sight, gold-lined touch-hole, engraved grooved tang, border engraved flat bevelled lock signed on a ribbon and with stepped tail, figured walnut full stock (bruised) carved in relief with a shell behind the barrel tang, engraved iron mounts, pierced finely chiselled side-plate, chiselled escutcheon engraved with owner's monogram 'HC', three engraved iron ramrod-pipes, and later horn-tipped ramrod (some wear and surface pitting, fore-end tip replaced)
37¾in. (95.8cm.) barrel
Literature
W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790, p. 107, plates 364-366
W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Messrs Griffin & Tow and W. Bailes, p. 55, plates 14 a-c, and colour plates II and III
W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Messrs Griffin & Tow and W. Bailes, p. 55, plates 14 a-c, and colour plates II and III
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.