Flintlock gun
I. Goulden
Category
Arms and armour
Date
1690
Materials
iron, wood, brass
Measurements
2292 mm (Length)1910 mm (Length)21.5 mm (Length)
Order this imageCollection
Tatton Park, Cheshire
NT 1297687
Summary
English flintlock “swan gun” of extreme length, signed I.Goulden (unrecorded) c1690
Full description
English flintlock “swan gun” of extreme length, signed I.Goulden (unrecorded) c1690. Guns with very long barrels were popular in the late 17th century and intended for shooting birds of all kinds including swans. English examples of a “swan gun” are extremely rare and few survive. Iron barrel of extreme length, of 3-stage construction, octagonal at the breech, becoming 16 sided, then round to the muzzle. Bead fore-sight; the barrel tang formed with a sighting channel. Retained to the stock by 6 barrel pins (some missing). The ramrod missing. Barrel length 191cm. Calibre 21.5mm. Artificially figured wooden full stock with a short handrail-form butt, the fore-stock either cut-down or made in 2-pieces (the forward section missing). Carved decorative apron to the barrel tang, and profile carving to the lock recess, trigger guard and ramrod channel. Brass furniture comprising; bulbous form butt plate with long upper tang, trigger guard with blob finials, decorative escutcheon and 1 baluster form ramrod pipe. The scroll form sideplate missing. Scroll tipped iron trigger. Flintlock with curved lockplate, signed I.GOULDEN (indistinct). Decorative finial to the frizzen spring. The frizzen with a bridle. The cock missing. Retained to the stock by 2 side-nails. Overall length: 229.2cm
Provenance
Egerton collection devised to the National Trust in 1960 by Maurice, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton (1874-1958)
Makers and roles
I. Goulden, gunsmith