Bloomfield Auctions
Lot 8
Gosset of Paris incorporating Wm. & Jn. Rigby of Dublin An Unusual Cased Pair of French 40-Bore Percussion Target or Duelling Pistols with Spare Irish Barrels Of 40-Bore Signed Fni. Par Gosset A Paris, Circa 1840, The Spare Barrels by Wm. & Jn. Rigby, Dublin, Mid-19th Century. With slightly swamped re-browned twist octagonal sighted polygroove rifled barrels signed in gold on the three top flats at the breech and stamped with Irish censuses ‘DU-7801 & ‘DU-7802’ beyond, the breeches each stamped 'Lyonnet Fils' and 'A Ruban' beneath, case-hardened 0.8” breeches with gold lines and dots, foliate engraved tangs each incorporating a back-sight, detente flat locks each engraved with a flower-head and with a bird perched in a tree and a waterfowl by its nest respectively, foliate engraved hammers, figured half-stocks each carved with a shell on the fore-end, chequered butts each carved with a border of arches and foliage around the ovoidal pommels, steel mounts comprising shaped side-plates each engraved with two waterfowl, engraved ovoidal pommel-caps, spur t/guards each engraved with a bird on the bow, trigger-plates each with shaped foliate engraved finial, set triggers, and vacant gold escutcheons, St. Etienne proof. 16¼” overall. Both GWO. In contemporary brass-mounted mahogany case fitted and lined in blue velvet for the spare barrels each of browned twist octagonal sighted form, signed in gothic script along the top flat and stamped with the same Dublin registration marks, the breeches with gold lines, with accessories including brass-mounted powder-flask and brightly polished mainspring clamp, pincer mould, oil bottle, turn screw and cap box. The exterior of the lid with circular brass escutcheon centred on a circular folding brass carrying handle 9”. and 9.2”. barrels. Ex T. Norheim Collection. Leslie Martin Notes: Presumably these pistols were referred to by Rigby in his lecture to the Royal Dublin Society in 1838 when he spoke of making smoothbore barrels for French rifled pistols, see "Duelling Pistols" by Atkinson pp.101/2.
