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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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Lot 179

A Rare Belgian 17MM Heurteloup Patent Self-Priming Under-Hammer Percussion Military Rifle (Koptipeur)
Circa 1840

Antique Arms and Armour
30 November 2016, 11:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £1,625 inc. premium

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A Rare Belgian 17MM Heurteloup Patent Self-Priming Under-Hammer Percussion Military Rifle (Koptipeur)
Circa 1840

The barrel with bayonet-lug on the right side towards the muzzle, rifled with eight grooves and retained by three spring-held barrel bands, the forward one (loose) pierced and also forming the ramrod-entry, octagonal breech carrying the folding-leaf back-sight, brass priming mechanism with toothed wheel, housed in front of the under-hammer and enclosed by a hinged brass plate carrying the rear sling loop, acting against a spring and secured in the closed position by a steel side-pin, figured full stock (some worming and repairs, fore-end with some damage) stamped with octagonal inspector's mark behind the barrel tang and on the right side of the butt, cheek-piece, brass trigger-guard and steel butt-plate (pitted), sling loops, and steel ramrod, probably original (some rust patination and pitting); together with a 28-bore percussion under-hammer walking-stick gun with turn-off sighted barrel painted black (paint chipped), folding trigger, and figured rounded grip with threaded aperture for the original detachable wooden butt, the latter with chequered grip, foliate engraved steel mounts including butt-plate, and vacant white-metal escutcheon, mid-19th century, Birmingham proof marks (2)
92.3 cm. and 71.5 cm. barrels

Footnotes

In 1834 the distinguished French urologist, Baron Charles Louis Stanislaus Heurteloup patented a gun in France and England which had a primer described as 'a small pipe or tube made of soft metal or other substance which may be easily divided, containing the priming'. This was housed in the butt of the gun and was automatically fed on to the nipple by a toothed wheel when the hammer was pulled back. The lock was the normal side-action type. In 1836 Heurteloup appears to have become aware of the previous Valdelion patent. After ensuring that it did not endanger his own patent, he promptly adopted its under-hammer action which he eulogised in a Mémoire sur les Fusils de Guerre, and gave his new gun the name Koptipeur (derived from the Greek words for to cut and strike). During 1837 improved models were patented in France and Scotland (the latter under the name of Thomas Theophilus Biggs). The following year a patent was taken out in Belgium in the name of J. Sigrist. Both were presumably agents of Heurteloup. Although the Koptipeur was rejected by the British Board of Ordnance after trails in 1837 it was adopted to a limited extent by the French and Belgian armies. For another example in the Royal Armouries, Leeds, see Howard L. Blackmore, Guns and Rifles of the World, 1965, pp. 50-51, pl. 308'; and W. Reid, 'The Fire-arms of Baron Heurteloup', J.A.A.S., vol. III (1959-61), pp. 58-81, pl. XIX A

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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.
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THREE VICTORIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR DECORATIVE ITEMS.