A Beautiful 18th Century, London, 1770's Brass Flintlock Blunderbuss Pistol, All Brass Mounted

The lock has a sliding safety is maker inscribed, and marked the top barrel flat at the breech end "LONDON" and made by a fine English maker, the left rear flat is marked with two regular crown over sceptre proofmarks. Fine quality rococo scroll floral engraving on the breech end of the barrel, trigger guard, buttcap and on the left side plate.All wooden ramrod with swelled head and mounted with a full juglans regia walnut stock.
The brass has been lovingly polished over the past 250 years and has a superb and mellow natural age patina. There is light trace pitting on the frizzen.The stock has a similar fabulous naturally polished age patina, with a couple of minor cracks on the rear of the lock. The markings are clear. French court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys made a firearm incorporating a flintlock mechanism for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610. However, firearms using some form of flint ignition mechanism had already been in use for over half a century. The development of firearm lock mechanisms had proceeded from the matchlock to wheellock to the earlier flintlocks (snaplock, snaphance, miquelet, and doglock) in the previous two centuries, and each type had been an improvement, contributing design features to later firearms which were useful. Le Bourgeoys fitted these various features together to create what became known as the flintlock or true flintlock.

The new flintlock system quickly became popular, and was known and used in various forms throughout Europe by 1630, although older flintlock systems continued to be used for some time. Examples of early flintlock muskets can be seen in the painting "Marie de' Medici as Bellona" by Rubens (painted around 1622-25). These flintlocks were in use for alongside older firearms such as matchlocks, wheellocks, and miquelet locks for nearly a hundred years. The last major European power to standardize the flintlock was the Holy Roman Empire, when in 1702 the Emperor instituted a new regulation that all matchlocks were to be converted or scrapped. The action is good. 9 inch barrel 15 inches long overall

Code: 23659