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JOHN MANTON SINGLE FLINTLOCK FOWLER WITH SPANISH

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,750.00 USD Estimated At:3,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
JOHN MANTON SINGLE FLINTLOCK FOWLER WITH SPANISH

BARREL. EX. W. KEITH NEAL COLLECTION. Cal. 16 bore. NSN. Spanish and Moorish barrels were often used on 18th century British guns and rifles as they were revered for the quality and strength of their steel. Amongst many gunmakers S# were only given to barrels, the heart of the gun. This fairly late gun does not have a Manton number. (This gunmaking tradition existed until at least the mid 20th century as Griffin & Howe only gave a number to rifles that they installed barrels on). This gun has 34 1/2" barrel with under rib. Rear portion is octagonal and it transitions through a foliate engraved wedding band to round. Top flat has two poincon and two relief stamped gold decorations. Front poincon is marked "GRE.""LO-""PEZ" (Gregorio Lopez working in Madrid 1792-1814). More gold marks flank second cartouche which shows a crowned device. (Lopez was a gunmaker to King Carlos IV). Barrel does not have a patent breech and is fitted with platinum touch hole. Barrel has been given an overall stippling to mimic the look of etched Damascus. Brown finish on barrel reveals a rather plain construction. A gold bead in four armed spider is at muzzle. Breech iron is engraved with arms. Lock with flat plate attaches directly to breech iron in late John Manton style. Lock features French cock, waterproof pan, bridled frizzen, and large roller on feather spring which does not have a finial. Lock is engraved with feather borders and a simple game scene at rear. "MANTON" is under pan. Trigger plate has pineapple finial, a dog and bird scene is on trigger guard bow. Another dog and bird are on top tang of steel buttplate. Stock features swept right hand cheekpiece and square checkering at grip. An octagonal crest plate at top of grip is engraved with a billy goat passant over the monogram "FB"?. Stock with horn tip attaches to barrel with two captive sidebolts through oval silver escutcheons. A greenheart ramrod with brass tip and steel tail (worm under brass cap) mounts through two plain pipes and well filed steel thimble. Original W. Keith Neal Collection tag number "G561" is attached to trigger guard bow. MEASUREMENTS: STOCK: DAH: 2 1/8". DAC: 1 7/16". CAST: about 1/4" off. LOP: 14 1/8". WEIGHT: 5 lb. 13 oz. CONDITION: fine, barrel retaining over 70% original brown, silvered on sharp edges. Breech iron and lock are mostly bright polish which may be their original finish. Trigger guard and buttplate retain most of their original blue. Stock retains most of its original finish with some scattered marks. Bore is bright and shiny, lock is crisp, frizzen showing relatively few flint strikes. (01-21979/MGM). ANTIQUE. $3,500-5,000.