May 28 & 29, 2020 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/28/2020
Witton is recorded as working at 82 Broad Street between 1841 and 1859. This is a pair of classic Howdah pistols, popular among British officers in India who needed a large bore handgun capable of stopping a mad tiger in its tracks. Both pistols with browned Damascus barrels with hooked patent breeches and swivel ramrods. Undersides of barrels with British proofs. Stocks retained by a single key. Back action percussion locks with case colored hammers. Locks with acanthus engraving which extend up the cocks. Dolphin form hammers. Blued trigger guards with wriggle line border engraving and more acanthus, termination in an bulbous finial with single protrusion. Double triggers. Stocks checkered in point pattern through to case colored buttcap, which has trap. Contained in a wooden case with brass oval in top, lined in green baise, with Witton paper trade label in lid. Accessories comprise an Eley cap tin with caps, bullet mold with sprue cutter marked for 17 bore, screwdriver, nipple wrench, loading rammer, and bag flask. CONDITION: Very fine, retaining virtually all finish with just a few minor marks from handling throughout the ages. Barrels with some silvering towards muzzles. Hammers with plenty of case coloring left, locks faded. Buttcaps with vast majority of color, just starting to fade around edges. Wood is excellent, with some minor shrinkage leaving it slightly shy to metal in a few spots, with a few minor marks. Accessories are fine, bag flask spring is askew, and screwdriver has a very minor crack. Case is fine with some handling marks. An extremely attractive set. EW
Accessories
Case with Accessories
Barrel Length
(BOTH) 6 - 1/4"
Caliber/Bore
(BOTH) .69 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
(BOTH) John Witton