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VERY LATE JOSEPH MANTON & SONS 16 BORE PERCUSSION

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
VERY LATE JOSEPH MANTON & SONS 16 BORE PERCUSSION

DOUBLE SHOTGUN WITH MAHOGANY CASE WITH OWNERS BOOKPLATE IN LID "THE REVEREND E. C. ALSTON."
Cal. 16 Ga. S# 10514. Bbl. 30". The famed Joseph Manton, despite his genius for fine gunmaking, was always in debt. After his release from debtor's prison in 1831, he & his son started gunmaking again at 6 Holles St. in London & business continued there after Joseph's death (in 1835) for another few years. It appears this gun was made around 1837 & incorporates many features found in Joseph Manton's later guns. The 30" laminated steel bbls. have a heavy reinforced breech section which ends about 21 1/2" from muzzles. Top rib is engraved "Joseph Manton & Son" & with Holles St. address. Bottoms of barrels. are stamped with London black powder proofs for 16 bore, S#s & bbl. makers initals "TE" (Thomas Evans). An ebony ramrod with brass head & tail (worm under tail) is held by two plain pipes. Patent breeches with scroll engraving on rib extension have vented platinum plugs. Case hardened breech iron is nicely engraved with shaded scroll. Locks with rounded tails are fitted with flatfaced serpentine hammers. Locks & hammers are engraved with very well cut open scroll. "Joseph Manton & Son" is on each lockplate. Trigger plate has stylized pineapple finial with pineapple engraving matching thimble. Trigger guard with open scroll on bow has S# on tang. Stock is of nicely fiddle figured light colored European walnut & measures 14 3/8" over steel buttplate with long scroll engraved top tang. Flat top point pattern checkering with mullered borders is at grip & a vacant truncated rectangular silver crest plate is at top of grip. Stock attaches to bbls. with captive sidebolt through oval silver escutcheons. MEASUREMENTS: BBLS: Bore diameter: R 674. L 672. Min. Wall Thickness: R .040. L .042. STOCK: LOP: 14 3/8". DAC: 1 7/16". DAH: 1 9/16". Cast: neutral. WEIGHT: 7 lbs. 11 oz. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: gun is housed in what is possibly its original figured mahogany case with central brass medallion on lid & dual sliding bolt closure. Case is lined in green cloth, original label has been removed & replaced by bookplate of Reverend E. C. Alston, possibly "The Fishing Vicar" who died in 1977, but most likely another Reverend E. C. Alston who died in 1871. Case contains a wad punch, leather shot flask, copper bodied powder flask by James Dixon & some cleaning equipment. CONDITION: very good to fine, original "as found". Bbls. retaining most of their original brown with good definition to pattern with some scattered marks & a few stains. Locks & breech iron retain most of their original case hardening color quite strong, where protected. Trigger guard retains 30-40% original blue with many areas of flaking & browning. Buttplate has about the same amount of blue, also browned & flaked. Stock retains most of its original varnish finish, grain somewhat raised & open with numerous marks & scratches, checkering lightly worn. Bores are fine, shiny with some scattered pitting. Locks are very fine. Case retains what appears to be a very old refinish, possibly original with subsequent marks & scratches. There are some small repairs to rear section of lid at left. Interior cloth is fair to good, considerably faded with many rubs & marks. Label lightly foxed with compressions. Partitions are good with some repairs, accessories are fair to good, flask fine but missing thumb lever & nozzle. A "best" quality, most likely shootable specimen by London's most famous early 19th century gun maker whose tomb is partially inscribed "The greatest artist in firearms ever the world produced". (01-18138/MGM). ANTIQUE. $3,000-6,000.