A GERMAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE with swamped octagonal sighted barrel cut with eight grooves, retaining some of its original blued finish, and with brass back-sight and fore-sight, the dated breech inlaid with engraved brass bands and panels and a small plaque engraved with the conjoined letters 'MB' above the inscription 'Gera', later flat lock with enclosed wheel, the plate engraved with flowers and foliage terminating in a monster-head, the cock engraved with two monster-heads and scrollwork on a hatched ground, and the fence to the cock-spring with a hare, walnut full stock with fluted fore-end, and horn-inlaid gas escape below the lock, the butt inlaid with horn lines enclosing horn pellets and engraved horn panels, behind the barrel tang a small plaque engraved with the stockmaker's (?) initials 'HT' conjoined, the cheek-piece with a sportsman aiming his rifle at a stag in a wooded landscape, the patch-box cover of staghorn engraved with a stag in a landscape flanked by scrollwork, fluted indented brass trigger-guard with pierced tang, brass trigger-plate, set trigger, engraved staghorn ramrod-pipes and fore-end cap, horn butt-plate with iron button, and horn-tipped ramrod, dated 1686, the lock early 18th Century 34¼in. barrel