Product Details
* WENTZLAU, EHRENBREITSTEIN
A RARE 40-BORE PNEUMATIC AIR-RIFLE DISGUISED AS A FLINTLOCK SPORTING RIFLE, serial no. 190,
circa 1740, with octagonal swamped 32 1/2in. barrel, dove-tailed fore-sight, engraved and blued rear-sight, the breech-end engraved with a romanesque bust upon a stand, false touch-hole, engraved separate top-tang, flat bevel-edged game scene engraved lockplate signed 'WENTZLAV A EHRENBREITSTEIN' over 'NR190', scroll engraved hammer and frizzen, walnut full-stock with over-size butt covering a Girandoni-style air-reservoir with filling valve concealed under a trap-door in the heel-plate, floral carved borders around the top-tang and raised cheek-piece, further carving around the trigger-guard finial and along the fore-end, all the furniture of brass and scroll engraved, double-set trigger, the trigger-guard bow with raised faceted finger-tang, the sideplate with game-scene and pierced, swinging side-safety and engraved and faceted ramrod pipes with horn-tipped wood ramrod
Literature: A near identical rifle by the same maker, serial number 83 appears in illustration 60 of 'Airguns and Other Pneumatic Arms' by Arne Hoff, Arms and Armour edition 1972
Other Notes: Airguns from this period are extremely rare. Branded as the guns of assassins and poachers and with the capabilities of felling beasts at greater distances than the powder arms of the day resulted in most countries having laws prohibiting the sale of airguns to all except the titled few.
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Estimate £3,000-5,000