A Superb Pair of Duelling Pistols by Joe Manton
A Cased Pair of 40-Bore Percussion Duelling Pistols by Joseph Manton, London, No. 5135 fro 1810. Converted from flintlock, with browned twist octagonal sighted barrels, each with silver fore-sight and rifled with shallow spiral grooves, case-hardened breeches each with rectangular platinum-lined converter’s stamp of William Moore, London, platinum line and pierced platinum plugs, border engraved case-hardened tangs each with large back-sight and decorated with foliate scrollwork, signed border engraved case-hardened detonated flat locks, each decorated with foliate scrollwork and with a starburst in front of the dolphin hammer, the latter each signed by the converter, the inside of each lock stamped ’TB’, blued safety-catches, figured half-stocks each with dark horn fore-end caps and chequered rounded butts, border engraved blued steel mounts, comprising butt-caps each decorated with foliage and flower head centred on the retaining screw, trigger guards each with serial number in an oval against a martial trophy on the bow, trigger plates with pineapple finials, vacant silver escutcheons and barrel bolt escutcheons, and original horn-tipped ramrods: in original mahogany case, with accessories including brass-mounted three-way powder flask covered in red leather, steel oil bottle and bullet mould, the interior of the lid with the maker’s trade label for 1819-209, the exterior with circular vacant brass escutcheon centred on a flush-fitting circular brass carrying handle, complete with its leather travelling cover.
