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A Very Rare Cased Pair Of 25-Bore Forsyth Patent Sliding Primer Over-And-Under Pistols

BY FORSYTH & CO. PATENT GUNMAKERS, LONDON, NO. 2884, CIRCA 1822

Details

A Very Rare Cased Pair Of 25-Bore Forsyth Patent Sliding Primer Over-And-Under Pistols
By Forsyth & Co. Patent Gunmakers, London, No. 2884, circa 1822
Reconverted from percussion, with rebrowned twist octagonal barrels, the top one sighted, signed on the top flat and with two platinum lines at the breech, shaped tangs engraved with characteristic scrolls and foliage and each incorporating the back-sight, case-hardened signed engraved detented bevelled locks each with safety-catch and stepped rounded tail, chequered figured walnut butts, silver trigger-guards and spurred pommels each engraved with foliage, silver escutcheons, and original horn-tipped ramrods each with silver ferrule (some wear and pitting, the latter mainly on the barrels): in original fitted mahogany case lined in green velvet with some accessories, including two powder-flasks, the corner compartments containing the parts removed during reconversion, the lid with trade label (stained) of the fifth design (for 1822-1828), the exterior with flush-fitting carrying handle engraved with owner's name 'G.J. Ellison', and circular escutcheon engraved with his crest
8¾in. (22.2cm.)

Provenance

Ambler Collection, Clapham, North Yorkshire

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Forsyth & Co.: Patent Gunmakers, pp. 12, 52-53, plates 26-29, and colour plate 5
D.H.L. Back, Forsyth & Co.: Patent Gunmakers, pp. 22-3, 43, plates 19 a, b, 20 a, b, and colour plate VIII

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

Only five other examples of Forsyth sliding primer over-and-under pistols are recorded
The reconversion was carried out by Richard Chapman (1906-1994) and the engraving by Harry Kell (1881-1958)

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