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A Cased Pair Of Scottish 50-Bore Percussion Duelling Or Target Pistols By Alex.r Martin, Glasgow, Mid-19th Century
The medals and associate ephemera and uniforms of Arthur Watts, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons
A Pair Of Highland All-Metal Percussion Belt Pistols Signed Paton & Walsh Perth, Mid 19th century
A Silver-Mounted Left-Hand Dagger, probably German, Italian or English Late 16th Century Or Later
FOUR REPRODUCTION CARVED POWDER HORNS/FLASKS.late 20th century.
THREE CARVED COCONUT ITEMS.18th/19th century.
A COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE AND REPRODUCTION POWDER FLASKS AND RELATED SPORTING ITEMS.
THREE VICTORIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR DECORATIVE ITEMS.
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A Fine .451 Alexander Henry Patent Percussion Sporting Rifle image 1
A Fine .451 Alexander Henry Patent Percussion Sporting Rifle image 2
A Fine .451 Alexander Henry Patent Percussion Sporting Rifle image 3
Lot 329

A Fine .451 Alexander Henry Patent Percussion Sporting Rifle
By Alexr. Henry, 8 South St. Andrew St., Edinburgh, No. 494, Circa 1860

Fine Antique Arms and Armour Including items from the Per T. Norheim Collection
29 April 2010, 11:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £10,800 inc. premium

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A Fine .451 Alexander Henry Patent Percussion Sporting Rifle
By Alexr. Henry, 8 South St. Andrew St., Edinburgh, No. 494, Circa 1860

With browned twist octagonal sighted barrel signed in full along the top flat at the breech and rifled with seven grooves, the rifling in fine condition, engraved 'Patent No. 80 Gauge 451.' in front of the blued folding adjustable back-sight calibrated to 1300 yards, and matted beyond to the blued windage adjustable fore-sight engraved 'Henry's Pat No. 29', foliate scroll engraved case-hardened breech with platinum plug and engraved with a tiger's head on top, foliate scroll engraved case-hardened tang and signed detented lock, the latter decorated with a stag in a landscape and with a tiger on the tail beneath the engraved safety-catch, foliate scroll engraved dolphin hammer, highly figured half-stock (minor bruising) with chequered pistol-grip and fore-end, the former with foliate scroll engraved case-hardened ovoidal pommel-cap with hinged circular butt-trap cover, foliate scroll engraved steel mounts comprising butt-plate, case-hardened hinged circular patch-box cover decorated with a stag in a landscape within a guilloche border and opening to reveal an indistinct owner's name inscribed in ink, trigger-guard with a lion in a landscape on the bow and retaining some blueing on the inside, trigger-plate with foliate scroll engraved pineapple-shaped finial, chequered trigger, vacant silver escutcheon, horn fore-end cap, sling loops, original brass-mounted ramrod, and much of its original finish, London proof marks
82 cm. barrel

Footnotes

Recorded in the maker's records as 'best single rifle .451 to Lord Vernon'

Alexander Henry was born in 1828, and served his apprenticeship with T.E. Mortimer of Edinburgh, rising to become foreman of the factory before setting up in business on his own in 1853 at 12 South Street. He was a prolific inventor, with most of his innovations concerning the advancement of rifle design. His heptagonal rifling, patented in 1860, was used by the British Army for the Martini-Henry, and his falling-block design was adopted by several other countries. He continued to invent and was granted various patents throughout the 1870s, and eventually died in 1894. The business continuing until 1902 when Alexander Martin succeeded to the business

Additional information

Bid now on these items

A Cased Pair Of Scottish 50-Bore Percussion Duelling Or Target Pistols By Alex.r Martin, Glasgow, Mid-19th Century
The medals and associate ephemera and uniforms of Arthur Watts, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons
A Pair Of Highland All-Metal Percussion Belt Pistols Signed Paton & Walsh Perth, Mid 19th century
A Silver-Mounted Left-Hand Dagger, probably German, Italian or English Late 16th Century Or Later
FOUR REPRODUCTION CARVED POWDER HORNS/FLASKS.late 20th century.
THREE CARVED COCONUT ITEMS.18th/19th century.
A COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE AND REPRODUCTION POWDER FLASKS AND RELATED SPORTING ITEMS.
THREE VICTORIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR DECORATIVE ITEMS.