Original British Brass Barrel Flintlock Coaching Blunderbuss - HAPPY IS HE THAT ESCAPETH ME - by William Stanton II of London with Spring Loaded Bayonet - Circa 1790
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic Brass Blunderbuss Barreled Flintlock Coaching Gun, made by the London-based maker William Stanton II circa 1790. There were several gunsmiths of the time with the surname Stanton, some closely related, and some not. Regarding William, he was apprenticed to Jon Clark in 1777, and became Free of the London Gunmakers company in 1786. His address is listed as 1 Pleasant Row in Newington, a district in South London.
The FRONT of the barrel however is marked with a fantastic "menacing" message:
HAPPY IS HE THAT ESCAPETH ME
The blunderbuss is all brass fitted, with even the lock plate being brass, and it bears lovely engraved designs on much of the metalwork, which are definitely hand executed. There is a small squirrel on the rear of the lock plate, a hunting hound on the top of the barrel under the bayonet, and a fantastic hunting scene on the butt plate tang, showing a hunting hound following a game bird about to land in a tree. There is a lovely oval silver escutcheon on the left side by the lock screws, which is finely engraved with the initials R C and a lovely decorative border. It is still bright and shiny, while the brass for the most part shows a lovely aged mustard patina.
This lovely matured blunderbuss measures 28 inches in overall length with a 12 inch swamped brass barrel. This itself is fitted with a 9 inch long spring bayonet located on the top of the barrel. This is held closed by an iron safety catch on the barrel tang, and when released it locks into place. There is a release button on the left side of the bayonet base, and it still functions correctly. Looking at the bayonet. it is very possible that it was fitted post production, when the blunderbuss was put into coaching service, as the bayonet definitely increases the self-defense potential.
The brass lock plate is signed with a script Stanton, and is in lovely condition, with line engraved borders and a lovely step at the rear. It is definitely a high end lock, as it has a pan reinforcement bridle for the frizzen. It also has a roller on the top of the frizzen spring, and a sliding safety that can be engaged at full cock. There are no maker markings on the top of the barrel, but it does have two CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS markings, for Pre-1813 inspection at the Ordnance Proof house on Tower Wharf close to the Tower of London. This mark was only used on "private" arms, not military issued examples.
Condition overall is very good, showing a lovely glow on the wood and a nice mustard colored patina on the brass barrel and mountings. The trigger guard has a lovely "acorn" shaped finial on the underside. The stock has a beautiful color, and does not show any large cracks or repairs, just some small dents, and the usual wear from use and age. There is a small repair near the rear barrel wedge on the right side, but not much else. We tested the lock, and it is fully functional, holding correctly and half cock, and firing at full. The full cock safety is fully functional as well. The blunderbuss still retains a lovely horn tipped wooden ramrod under the barrel.
A lovely and very hard to find original brass flintlock coaching blunderbuss by a known British Gun Maker, with a fantastic spring loaded bayonet on top. Ready to research and display!
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1790
Caliber: Blunderbuss Swamped Barrel
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 12 inches
Overall Length: 28 inches
Action: Flintlock Top Action with Safety
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
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- This product is available for international shipping.
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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
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