BY JOHN MANTON, LONDON, CIRCA 1785

Details

A Fine And Rare Cased 20-Bore Flintlock Duck Gun With Interchangeable barrels
By John Manton, London, circa 1785
With swamped two-stage browned Spanish barrels each with silver spider fore-sight, and chiselled and gilt girdle, the octagonal breech sections each with single engraved gold line at the rear, two gold-lined maker's stamps of Agn. Bustindui Ruis between three gold-lined fleur-de-lys marks with a gold-lined cross above, stamped on the underside with a gold-lined horseshoe mark, and with gold-lined touch-hole (one barrel shortened and with some patches of surface pitting), finely engraved case-hardened tang, signed case-hardened lock with moulded border, stepped tail, roller, blued steel-spring, gold-lined semi-rainproof pan, and original blued finish on the internal working parts (cock perhaps an early replacement by the maker), figured walnut full stock (repaired above the front of the lock) with chequered grip, and take-down fore-end, finely engraved blued iron mounts including trigger-guard with large pineapple finial, original horn-tipped ramrods, and much original finish, the lock cavity with stocker's(?) stamp of Jeremiah Hill: in original lined and fitted mahogany case (minor repair) also stamped 'Jere. Hill', with numerous accessories including brown composition flask, and the forward section of the shortened barrel, the lid originally with carrying handle
50½in. (128.3cm.) and 31¼in. (79.4) barrels
50½in. (128.3cm.) and 3¼in. (79.4) barrels

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, The Mantons: Gunmakers, pp. 15-16, 62, plates 37, 38 and 50
D.H.L. Back, The Mantons 1782-1878, p. 15, plates 34 a, b, and 51

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

A typewritten note of 1957 pinned to the interior of the lid reads: 'Loaded this gun with 2¾ drams powder (no. 2 grain) and 1½ ozs no. 6 shot and shot a pigeon flying at 60 yards the very first time I ever fired the gun. The gun had not been so much as squibbed off or tested in any way....'

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