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A Very Rare Cased 80-Bore Breech-Loading Repeating Air Pistol On The Girandoni System

BY SAMUEL HENRY STAUDENMAYER, LONDON, CIRCA 1810

Details

A Very Rare Cased 80-Bore Breech-Loading Repeating Air Pistol On The Girandoni System
By Samuel Henry Staudenmayer, London, circa 1810
With browned twist swamped octagonal barrel signed in script on the top of the breech, and with silver fore-sight and blued iron back-sight, browned tubular magazine for eight balls on the right side of the barrel, and blued sliding transverse breech block at the rear, with blued spring, case-hardened action engraved with scrolling foliage and a martial trophy, figured walnut stock, engraved blued iron mounts including trigger-guard with pineapple finial, horn fore-end cap, and wooden dummy ramrod, the turn-off hollow steel butt/air reservoir signed on the front collar and with an engraved central band, retaining most of its original finish throughout (some loss of blued finish on butt): in lined and fitted brass-bound mahogany case with accessories including pump, wrench for the collar to the reservoir, and two bullet moulds, the lid with flush-fitting carrying handle and circular escutcheon
15in. (38.1cm.)

Provenance

Sir Robert Glencoats, Paisley

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

Staudenmayer, former workman of John Manton, was gunmaker to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. He is the maker of a Girandoni-system air rifle in the Royal Collection at Windsor (inv. no. L 409)

Cf. a similar pistol formerly in the Clay P. Bedford Collection (Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition, 1971, no. 163)

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