Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

VARIOUS OWNERS
472
A VIENNESE MAGAZINE AIR RIFLE BUILT ON THE
GIRANDONI PRINCIPLE, BY SENGER IN WIEN, CIRCA
1810
with octagonal swamped barrel fitted with German silver
fore-sight and inlaid with silver foliage beneath, folding
back-sight, signed and decorated with a bouquet in silver
over the breech, fitted with ball-magazine on the right and
sliding transverse feed-block at the rear, engraved brass
action cover chiselled with a running-stag in a shieldshaped
frame, border-engraved flat lock inscribed ‘In Wien’
in silver script and inlaid with foliage at the front and over
the tail, spurred cocking lever, figured walnut fore-end cut
with chequering and carved with a bouquet in low relief
beneath the breech (small repairs), engraved steel sideplate
decorated with a pair of stags being pursued by a
hunter, engraved brass trigger-guard chiselled with a birdof-prey
on the bow, engraved brass ramrod-pipes, and
conical turn-off steel reservoir (leather covering missing,
ramrod and horn fore-end cap replaced)
75cm; 29I in barrel
220
472
473
A number of gunmaker’s copied Bartholomeo Girandoni’s
system following its invention in 1778 or 1779, including
the maker of the present gun, Ignaz Segner. Segner also
made a pair of pistols on the same system which were
included in the Hungarian Millennium exhibition. See A.
Hoff 1972, p.72.
£4000-5000
473
A GERMAN BREECH-LOADING AIRGUN OF BELLOWS
TYPE, CIRCA 1780
with octagonal sighted barrel sleeved in brass and opened
by a lever in front of the trigger-guard, the action and tang
covered by flush-fitting brass plates of shaped outline,
fitted with an additional peep-sight behind the tang, double
set trigger, figured walnut full stock carved with rococo
scrolls and foliage behind the ramrod-pipe and over the
butt (the fore-end cracked and repaired, the last 17cm
replaced), inlaid with shaped brass plaques, and brass
mounts including butt-plate and trigger-guard en suite
(ramrod missing)
78cm; 30N in barrel
£800-1200