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LOT 3289
Desirable Large German Wheellock Sporting Gun with Rare Double Dogs and Elaborately Inlaid and Engraved Stock - NSN, 75 cal., 44 1/4 inch octagon to heptagon bbl., bright finish, hardwood stock. This late 16th century wheellock sporting gun features a large lock with two dogs that would allow a hunter to quickly get the gun back in action should the first pyrite fail. This gun also has a very interesting octagonal barrel that turns 45 degrees seven inches from the muzzle and is smoothbore and features a blade front sight, replacement notch rear sight, and two “BW/ horn” maker’s marks on the upper right and upper left towards the breech. The latter is shown on page 1415 of “Der Neue Stockel” by Heer (8541) and
listed as from a wheellock dating to c. 1580-1590 and may be for Bartel Wechter the Elder based on a somewhat similar mark shown on page 1360. He was active c. 1572-1591 in Dresden as a court gunmaker, barrel maker, and Coburg armory inspector. In addition to the rare engraved dogs, the flat lock is equipped with a domed engraved gilt brass wheel cover. The inside of the lock features an engraved bestial design. The single trigger has an adjustment screw at the front and is enclosed by a faceted iron guard with a ball at the rear. The fruitwood stock has extensive bone/ staghorn inlays intricately engraved with bestial motifs, including a series of four masks along the forend and serpents. The side plate features a
two letter cipher composed of a vertical letter “A” and a “V” flanked by the numbers “7” and “6” along with scroll patterns. A pair of green man style mask flank the barrel tang.