with heavy swamped browned barrel retained by four sliding bolts, signed on a raised top flat drawn-out to a loop over the breech and decorated with engraved border and foliage, struck on the left with the barrelsmith's mark and London proof marks, fitted with silver fore-sight and gold-lined vent, shaped bright steel tang finely engraved with foliage, rounded lock signed in capitals beneath the pan, the interior retaining some early polish and without detent, moulded figured walnut full stock swelling and carved with rococo shell ornament behind the rear ramrod-pipe, further shells and asymmetrical foliage about the tang, finely engraved and chiselled steel mounts, comprising butt-plate engraved on the tang with a classical trophy of arms and a rococo scroll, pierced side-plate involving a scallop-shell and a baldachin carried by foliage, engraved trigger-guard with chiselled foliate finial, large chiselled vacant escutcheon surmounted by a scallop-shell, four ramrod-pipes, original horn-tipped wooden ramrod with worm, and in very good, probably unfired, condition throughout, 120.6 cm barrel

Provenance

William Constable (1721-91), Burton Constable

William Keith Neal Collection sold Bonhams 10th November 2005, lot 35

Literature

W. Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790, pp. 88-89, 91-92, plates 246-249, described as "a magnificent example, perhaps the finest to survive, of a 1755 period best large-bore steel-mounted gun".

An invoice from James Barbar of 1755/56 survives for three ‘very large bore steel mounted’ William Constable guns at £8.13.0 each. Though they are described as having a 'bolt lock' it seems likely this gun is one of them.