Original British 14 Bore Percussion Single Barrel Fowling Piece by Walker, Barton & Co. with Twist Forged Barrel - Circa 1850

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a typical British-made Percussion fowling piece, very possibly intended for the large U.S. import market. It looks to have seen quite a bit of use, which has worn the corners of the breech end of the barrel, which transitions from round, to sixteen sided, to eight sided. If there were markings on the top of the barrel, they are unfortunately long gone, and the lock plate is fairly worn as well. As best we can tell, it reads WALKER, BARTON / & Co., but it's very possible that we are not correct on this. We were able to find some reference to "Barton" as a British gunsmith, but its equally likely that this was just the retailer marking.

The fowling piece has an an overall length of 46", with a 31 1/2" long single barrel. The finish on the barrel assembly is worn to a lovely plum patina, which shows a clear spiral forging pattern. The barrel wedge removes somewhat easily, and the barrel is much less worn on the bottom, still showing STUBS TWISTED. This means that the barrel was forged using twisted horseshoe nail "stubs", which is actually not that out of the ordinary. Many gun barrels of the 19th century were made from nails, stubs, chains, and even horseshoes, as the wear and use of these items resulted in superior barrels when they were forged and twisted. The finish on the barrels is faded, but the spiral lines are still readily apparent.

We can also see that the barrel is marked with a CROWN / GP "Gunmakers" or "Definitive Proof" and the bore size of 10, with a CROWN / V "Viewed" marking on the breech plug. These are the correct proof markings from the London Gun Company proof house for a percussion shotgun / fowling piece made during the first half of the 19th century. We did notice it is also marked W&S·R, possibly the maker of the barrel, and there is also the number 17, which we do not understand the meaning of. The barrel is way too large in bore to be a 17 bore.

This very nice SINGLE BARREL 14 bore Percussion Shotgun presents very nicely, with a lovely patina of age. The walnut stock is lovely, and has a lovely red brown color to it, with no signs of refinishing, and the checkering around the wrist is still visible, though a bit worn. There is not any major damage to the stock, and no repairs, missing chunks, and so forth that we can see. Most of the shotguns fittings are of iron, though the nose cap and barrel wedge escutcheons are silver. There are also two silver bands inlaid on the breech plug of the barrel, as well as an oval silver escutcheon on the back of the wrist. There is engraving visible on the lock and barrel tang, however we did not see any on the "pistol grip" style trigger guard or butt plate. It may just be that they are too worn for any of it to show anymore.

The lock is fully functional, holding correctly at half cock and firing at full, however there is definite a good amount of past oxidation on the hammer, which is also missing a portion of the "cup" on the end. The cap nipple cone looks to be a replacement. Under the barrel is a lovely original brass tipped cleaning rod, which actually still has an original clearing worm, so it's definitely an original example.

This a very nice single barrel fowling piece with some nice research potential. This would look perfect mounted on the wall. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1850
Caliber: 14 Bore / Gauge - about 0.700
Cartridge Type: Powder & Shot with Cap
Barrel Length: 31 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 46 Inches
Action type: Side Action Locks
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded

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.