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VERY FINE SINGLE SHOT FLINTLOCK SPORTING RIFLE BY

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
VERY FINE SINGLE SHOT FLINTLOCK SPORTING RIFLE BY

H.W. MORTIMER. Cal. 60. NSN. The 34" swamped oct. browned twist bbl. w/ underrib is fitted w/ one standing V notch rear & barleycorn front sights. Top flat is engraved "H.W. Mortimer London. Gun Maker To His Majesty" (Harvey Walklate Mortimer was a highly regarded London gunmaker). Bbl. not fitted w/ a patent breech, has simple breech plug & gold lined touchhole. Breech iron is engraved w/ some scroll, flowers, a hunting dog's head & flying bird. Lock w/ chamfered plate & rebated tail is filed in best manner w/ chamfer in the form of an ovalo molding. Lock features gold lined gull wing semi waterproof pan & bridled frizzen. Frizzen connects to feather spring w/ a toggle. Spring is nicely filed & has bulbous finial w/ teat. Large serpentine cock has ovalo chamfer matching lock plate. Lock plate is engraved "H.W. Mortimer" on banner under pan which is flanked by some armorial engraving. Trigger is set. Trigger guard has classic pineapple finial on vase shaped base & ends in curled tail. Trigger guard bow is engraved w/ the figure of a hunter. Straight grip half stock of nicely marbled European walnut measures 14 1/8" over steel buttplate w/ engraved long top tang. Stock is checkered at grip & forepiece & has swept right hand cheekpiece & removable sliding wooden patchbox cover on right side. Stock attaches to bbl. w/ two captive side bolts through silver oval escutcheons. A trumpet shaped steel ramrod is held by two beaded pipes & matching thimble. CONDITION: very fine. Bbl. retaining about 90% very fine brown finish w/ excellent definition to twist pattern. Breech iron & lock retain about half of their original case hardening color which has considerably faded. Face of cock shows considerable fairly deep pitting & is not original. Trigger guard retains about 10 to 20% original blue & there is some original blue remaining on buttplate. Stock retains about 80-85% original oil finish w/ a good scattering of marks & dings. Bore is bright & shiny. Trigger will not set. There are some old flint strikes in gold of pan. (01-21212/MGM). ANTIQUE. $6,000-9,000.