Lot Essay
The maker Wolfgang Leithner, Hofbüchsenmacher, was the favourite gunmaker of the Emperor Franz Josef. He is recorded circa 1850-1880. See Hans Schedelmann, Die Großen Büchsenmacher, p. 286
Details
A FINE 18-BORE AUSTRIAN D.B. PERCUSSION SPORTING RIFLE
BY WOLFGANG LEITHNER, BAD ISCHL, DATED 1856
With etched twist sighted barrels cut with eight grooves, signed in gold gothic letters on the rib behind the two-leaf folding back-sight, and inlaid at the rear with two gold lines and a band of gold inlay, the undersides stamped with the name of the Liège barrelsmith 'Prosper Bernard Cannonier Brevété' and his marks, together with the serial number 1299 and the date 1856, scroll engraved patent breeches chiselled at the centre with a chamois within a gilt rectangle and with pierced platinum plugs, long shaped tang engraved with scrollwork on a hatched ground and chiselled with a stag and a wild cat's mask with gold eyes, back-action locks en suite decorated with vignettes of birds, animals, and differing stag-hunts each in a mountainous landscape, and each fitted with engraved pivoting safety-stop in front of the hammer, figured walnut half-stock, chequered grip and fore-end, scroll engraved iron mounts including trigger-guard with applied pierced dark horn tang, shaped hinged patch-box cover chiselled with a group of chamois, set trigger for the right barrel, white-metal escutcheon, iron sling mounts, and brass-tipped ramrod, Liège proof mark
25¼in. ( 64.2cm.) barrels
BY WOLFGANG LEITHNER, BAD ISCHL, DATED 1856
With etched twist sighted barrels cut with eight grooves, signed in gold gothic letters on the rib behind the two-leaf folding back-sight, and inlaid at the rear with two gold lines and a band of gold inlay, the undersides stamped with the name of the Liège barrelsmith 'Prosper Bernard Cannonier Brevété' and his marks, together with the serial number 1299 and the date 1856, scroll engraved patent breeches chiselled at the centre with a chamois within a gilt rectangle and with pierced platinum plugs, long shaped tang engraved with scrollwork on a hatched ground and chiselled with a stag and a wild cat's mask with gold eyes, back-action locks en suite decorated with vignettes of birds, animals, and differing stag-hunts each in a mountainous landscape, and each fitted with engraved pivoting safety-stop in front of the hammer, figured walnut half-stock, chequered grip and fore-end, scroll engraved iron mounts including trigger-guard with applied pierced dark horn tang, shaped hinged patch-box cover chiselled with a group of chamois, set trigger for the right barrel, white-metal escutcheon, iron sling mounts, and brass-tipped ramrod, Liège proof mark
25¼in. ( 64.2cm.) barrels