GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
MANTON MARKED PERCUSSION SINGLE SHOT DUELING/ TARGET/ HOLSTER (THREE DIFFERENT BARRELS) PISTOLS IN FINE ORIGINAL CONDITION WITH CASE AND ACCESSORIES. MANTON PERCUSSION PISTOLS NSN .424/ .434/ .488 Cal. .424 Groove diameter rifled 9-1/2" Bbls. .434 Diameter smooth bore 10" bbls. .488 Groove diameter rifled 7-1/8" bbls. All bbl sets are of octagon shape, fine twist with under ribs. Patent breeches have platinum bands at rear and platinum blow-outs. Hooks are stamped "1" and "2" which correspond with matching numbers on breech irons of each pistol. Breech sections are engraved with attenuated scroll. 7-1/8" Bbls are also engraved "London" on top flats. All bbl sets have Birmingham proofs. Front sights are of silver. Breech irons with integral rear sights, are engraved in foliate pattern. Bar locks with round faced serpentine hammers are fitted with back sliding safeties, which engage at half cock, and are engraved with more attenuated scroll and "Manton". (There are no SNs on bbls or anywhere else on pistols. All known pistols by the Mantons of this era are engraved either "JNO" or "Joseph" in front of "Manton" on locks and/ or bbls, with their respective street addresses.) Trigger plates are fitted with set triggers. Blued trigger guards with scroll on bows have stylized pineapple finials. Nicely streaked European walnut silver capped half stocks have bag grips, with hallmarked silver lions head caps. Hallmarks are Birmingham, sterling, kings head duty stamp, and date stamp "A" (1824-1825). Makers mark is F & J (not found in Wyler''s silver book). Stocks are nicely flat top checkered at grips. Truncated rectangular silver crest plates are at tops of grips. Bbls attach to stocks with captive side nails through matching silver escutcheons. Each bbl has its own rosewood and brass ramrod, which mounts through plain pipes on bbls, and nicely filed tail pipes. These fine pistols are housed in their orig crotch mahogany veneered case, with bone key escutcheon in typical Manton fashion, and two sliding brass locking bolts on sides. Case is lined in green velvet, and has space for all three sets of bbls, as well as a number of high quality accessories, including a copper bodied plain bag powder flask marked "C & J. W Hawksley", rosewood handled nipple wrench with pricker, blued numbered "48" nutcracker type ball mold marked "WD" (William Davis), and another matching marked "58". A rectangular compartment holds pearwood (?) head of a loading mallet. (Rosewood handle is in another compartment. Rosewood of this handle and the handle of the nipple wrench include some light colored sap wood to very striking effect.) There is also an all steel loading rod. A covered compartment with remnants of bone knob contains some lead balls. PROVENANCE: The Spiropoulos Estate Collection. CONDITION: Pistols appear to have been fired very little, and all bbls and stocks remain in excellent orig condition. Bbls retain nearly all of their orig brown. Case color of locks and other iron parts faded to silver gray. Bright charcoal blue of trigger guards remains excellent, with only a bit of silvering on sharp edges. Stocks retain nearly all of their orig French polish with a few minor handling marks. Silver is excellent, retaining a fine even shiny patina with slight darkening. All bores are excellent. Locks are crisp. Set triggers work. Case exterior has had some extra oil rubbed in, and has some staining, and places of veneer being patched. Interior cloth is fine, with expected rubs and marks. Accessories are very fine to excellent. Bullet molds have some flash rust and one has some attendant pitting. Loading mallet head shows some chips and numerous impact marks, and is cracked. A wonderful cased set of high quality British pistols. 49891-5 MGM29 (18,000-25,000)