A fine cased .577” percussion muzzle loading big game rifle by Swinburn & son.
£8500
A fine cased .577” percussion muzzle loading big game rifle by Swinburn & son. Border and scroll engraved best quality detented sporting lock with dolphin head hammer is signed C P SWINBURN & SON. Well figured tiger strip walnut half stock with chequered wrist has scroll engraved steel furniture including a spurred trigger guard, rammer throat pipe and patch box to the right side engraved with a lion. Vacant white metal escutcheon to the rear of the trigger guard tang and sling hook eye. The left side stamped 23 over B.P. possibly and armoury or museum collection storage mark. Very heavy weight browned Damascus steel barrel, rifled with four deep grooves similar in profile to Jacobs rifling, Swinburn being the maker of the famous Jacobs single and double barrelled rifles, although this rifle is designed to fire the more effective Minnie bullet or a patched ball. Under rib with two rammer pipes retraining a brass tipped ebony rammer with deep cavity to nose to allow loading of bullets without damaging the tip of the soft lead. Horn forend cap and screw retained sling swivel to the middle pipe. Break off breech engraved to the top with a tigers head. The barrels top flat engraved C.P. SWINBURN & SON MAKERS BIRMINGHAM to the rear of the long Jacobs rifle style folding ladder rear sight graduated to a full 1600 yards with powder charge graduation for 3 drams of black powder. Round profile fine bead foresight. In its blue baize lined brass mounted case with folding brass handle to the lid and SWINBURN trade label with a full set of accessories including two gold plated .577” moulds, one to cast a round ball and one to cast a Pritchett type paper patched Minnie bullet, an original oil bottle, an old four piece screw together cleaning rod, a leather covered powder flask by G J W Hawksley graduated from 2 ½ to 3 ¼ drams of black powder, a nipple key, a spring remover, two turned wooden pots for storage, a wooden turned powder funnel and a paper wrapped tin of percussion caps. A best quality sporting rifle made by one of the gunsmiths at the forefront of the long range rifle experiments of the 1850’s and 60’s designed to be used both on dangerous game at short ranges using a patched ball or bullet and at extended ranges using a Minnie ball on medium and large non dangerous game. With a good set of accessories including the scarce two gold plated moulds of Indian taste indicating the rifle may well have been made for export to the sub-continent where its long range accuracy would have been very desirable for use on the open plains. In fine condition with good bore and mechanics, much brown finish to the metal work and a nice sharp stock with finely engraved furniture with two small patch repairs to the front of the lock and behind the noise cap on the right side. A very nice best quality cased game rifle by one of the best of the English rifle makers in fine condition.
