A GERMAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE with swamped octagonal sighted barrel rifled with eight grooves and stamped with maker's initials AP within a brass oval at the breech, flat enclosed lock chiselled in low relief with a view of Constantinople (?), the cock engraved with three marine monsters, figured full stock with waved fluted fore-end inlaid with staghorn pellets, the butt (chipped) carved with a stag-hunt in relief opposite the lock and inlaid with large staghorn panels engraved with scenes of the chase, birds and foliage, the background enriched with staghorn scrolls, pellets and stars (some inlay missing), the cheek-piece inlaid with a bear-hunt and mythological figures and inscribed 'Mathias Mairhofer Ano 1676', behind the barrel tang a pair of crossed keys (for Regensburg), engraved iron trigger-guard, set trigger, staghorn patch-box cover engraved with an ostrich-hunt in a landscape, engraved staghorn butt-plate and fore-end cap, pierced and engraved horn forward ramrod-pipe (rear ramrod-pipe missing), and horn-tipped ramrod, dated 1676