cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/HistoryArtifacts/t/840713

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Flintlock sporting rifle from the collection of George IV at Carlton House, London. The gun has a single blued steel barrel of octagonal and twisted heart shaped cross section inlaid in gold at the backsight Walster A Saarbruck. The lock signed Walster A Saarbruck and engraved with a cherub offering a bird to a retriever dog and also chiselled with flowers and trophies against a gold ground. Walnut wood half-stock with horn fore-end cap and twisted horn tipped wooden ramrod. The stock carved with rococo scrolls, a sea monsters head and griffin, the butt decorated with inlaid silver wire work.The silver wire decoration on the butt is taken directly from De Lacollombe, Nouveaux desseins D’Arquebuseries Dessine Grave par De Lacollombe a Paris 1730. Se Vend Chez De Marteau Eleve De Feu Mr De Lacollombe.

  • roguetrick
    7•9 months ago

    If loaded with shots for wingshooting(hence the retriever dog engraving), it’s just the wadding that has to conform to the barrel. It likely was never considered that you’d use bullets or a musket ball in this, but shots.

    Edit: I saw that the original page that it says it used heart shaped balls, but I don’t see how that would work. Loading it would be almost impossible thanks to that twisted barrel though. https://www.rct.uk/sites/default/files/styles/rctr-scale-1300-500/public/collection-online/9/2/456076-1400249136.jpg?itok=zvlAAvjr That baby was not really designed to be used unless you really wanted to impress someone.

    • @UnspecificGravityEnglish
      8•9 months ago

      There were tons of these novelty guns from this era that were just meant as conversation pieces and gifts between rich people they were never meant to actually get used for anything.