Original 18th Century Spanish Gold Inlaid Snaphaunce Lock Fowling Piece by Joachín De Zelaia of Madrid - Dated 1746

Original Item: One of a Kind. Here we have a truly stunning example of a mid 18th Century Spanish Snaphaunce Lock Fowling Piece in approximately 18 Bore, crafted by gunmaker Joachín De Zelaia of Madrid. Guns of this era from Spain were true works of art, usually made to order, and featured carved stocks and extremely high levels of decoration. This example features a fantastic 2 stage octagon to round barrel, which has just a bit of a flare at the muzzle. The barrel has some fantastic gold inlaid designs on the top side of the barrel, especially near the breech area, but also near the muzzle around the front sight, and at the transition from octagon to round.

The facets of the barrel near the breech are marked with the maker information for the fowling piece:-

EN MADRID,
JOACHIN DE ZELAIA,
AÑO DE 1746.

The conjoined "HI" and "DE" letters used by this maker are distinctive, and we have seen another example, made in the previous year, with the exact same style of gold inlaid markings. We were able to find an article that mentions Zelaia as a known Spanish maker, and was employed by the King:

Joachín De Zelaia (also spelled Zelaya or Celaya) (active 1740-died 1760) was honorary gunmaker to Ferdinand VI from 1747 and became royal gunmaker, along with Gabriel de Algora, in 1749.

There is also the typical Spanish punzón touchmark on the barrel, highlighted in gold, which reads:

(Crown)
JHN
DEZE
LAIA

It also uses the overlapping "DE" marking, and matches exactly the other examples we have seen. The gun's overall length is 54 1/2 inches, with a 39 1/2 inch barrel, and it is is half stocked featuring a lovely horn nose cap. It features all brass mountings, many of which are highly perforated, with almost a net look in areas. There is a fantastic perforated escutcheon on the back of the wrist, and one under the fore stock area behind the barrel band. The lock side plate is perforated in the same way as well.

The lock is fully engraved with very fine designs, showing what looks to be a man on some type of carriage being pulled by two deer. Pretty much every part of the lock has some type of engraving, and we seen see the lock is signed Pasquale / Morelli, however we do not know if this is the lock maker, or the person who performed the engravings. While the lock looks to be a standard flintlock, it is in fact at least partially a Snaphaunce design, which was popular in Spain during the mid 18th Century, as the "modern" French style flintlock was not fully popularized yet. The lock seems to be fully functional, however it does not have any provision for a half cock position.

The metalwork of the gun shows a lovely brown patina on the barrel, while the lock is a bit more polished, and the brass areas have a lovely mustard patina. The stock has a great "banister" style butt stock, and overall has a fantastic color, showing no major damage or wear. We can seven see a bit of "curly" figuring in the butt stock area. There are two small brass sling swivels attached to the stock, and there is a brass ramrod pipe about 6 inches from the muzzle. There is also a horn tipped ramrod under the barrel, which definitely looks to be original, and features an iron clearing worm attached to the other end.

This is a truly magnificent piece of mid 18th century Spanish craftsmanship, made by a known maker to the king. Ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: Circa 1746
Caliber: approx .63" - about 18 bore
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball / Shot & Powder
Barrel Length: 39 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 54 1/2 inches
Action: Snaphaunce Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

History of the Snaphaunce Lock:

A snaphance or snaphaunce is a type of lock for firing a gun or is a gun using that mechanism. The name is Dutch in origin but the mechanism can not be attributed to the Netherlands with certainty. It is the mechanical progression of the wheellock firing mechanism, and along with the miquelet lock and doglock are predecessors of the flintlock mechanism. It fires from a flint struck against a striker plate above a steel pan to ignite the priming powder which fires the gun. It has a separate cover for the flash pan, unlike the flintlock, which combines the striker and pan cover into a single piece, known as the frizzen. Examples of this firearm can be found through Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.