A RARE ALSATIAN FLINTLOCK SPORTING RIFLE with swamped octagonal sighted barrel rifled with eight grooves and struck with initials CH at the breech, rounded lock with engraved tail, struck with Strasburg mark (Neue Støckel 1633) and engraved with the maker's initials HMF, the inside stamped with maker's mark (Neue Støckel 7423), walnut full stock (fore-end replaced) carved with a feather in relief behind the barrel tang and on the patch-box cover, the butt with cheek-piece carved with scrolls, fruit and foliage and inlaid with a carved profile bust in mother-of-pearl, thin iron butt-plate, iron trigger-guard with shaped finials, rounded scroll side-plate, set trigger, and later iron ramrod-pipe (ramrod missing), by Hans Martin Freytag of Strasburg, third quarter of the 17th Century