A 15-Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun

A 15-Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun By Twigg, London, Circa 1781-87 With rebrowned twist two-stage barrel (some old pitting on one side at the touch-hole) slightly flared towards the muzzle and with silver spider fore-sight, octagonal breech with turned and beaded girdle, maker's stamp (gold lining missing) with star and crown on the top flat (Neue Støckel 8379), and gold-lined touch-hole, border engraved tang decorated with a rocaille and foliage, flat bevelled lock with second form of signature and cusped behind the pan, safety-catch, steel (refaced) with roller bearing on a ramp on the steel-spring, figured half-stock (some old bruising) with dark horn fore-end cap and carved with a shell behind the barrel tang, coarsely chequered grip with a dot in the centre of each diamond, border engraved steel mounts retaining traces of blueing and comprising butt-plate (some pitting on the heel) decorated with rocailles and foliage on the heel tang, trigger-guard with second pattern acorn finial and decorated with a flower-head on the bow, turned ramrod-pipes (under-rib lifting at the rear), horn-tipped ramrod with steel worm, and some original finish, London proof marks and Twigg's barrelsmith's mark 101.5 cm. barrel Footnotes: Provenance The Dukes of Bedford, Woburn Abbey Christie's London, Fine Antique Firearms from the W. Keith Neal Collection, 9 November 2000, lot 60 The Penrose Collection John Fox Twigg was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1732. He is recorded at various addresses in London between 1755 and the year of his death in 1790. Durs Egg worked for him on his arrival in London in 1772 and John Manton served as his foreman. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the English gun making trade For a very similar gun see W. Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790, 1975, p. 169, pl. 161 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing