Found at live.amoskeagauction.com
*Description Update 03/19/2019: museum-quality reconversion to flint; patchbox door a museum quality replacement cast from an identical rifle from the same maker. Includes “muzzleblasts” magazine from 1991 with rifle in it
.58 cal, 31 1/2” octagon barrel with a very good to perhaps near fine bore which shows sharp rifling which is mostly bright but also with some areas of light oxidation or frosting. The lightly swamped barrel is primarily a warm plum brown patina with wear to pewter on the high edges and darker brown oxidation speckling mingling over the surface. There is a simple brass blade front sight, ornate two leaf rear with chiseled front extension, plated in gold and a sunken gold makers touchmark at the breech. The top flat is maker marked ”Iohann Pavl Breiden Felter”, the ”Breitenfelder” family of Karlsbad being a prolific gunmaking family, Paul being active about 1720-1750. Nearly all of the furniture on the arm is cast-in-relief with bold flowing open scroll and game scene and hunting vignettes, all gold plated and very impressive. The lock itself follows suit with hunting scenes, the lockplate gold plated, with a nice faceted flash pan. The swanneck cock is very graceful and scroll engraved with a slightly ornate top extension. The unbridled frizzen shows an engraved face and scrolled tail and the frizzen spring is heavily chiseled. As-mentioned nearly all of the furniture is heavily engraved with wide open flowing scroll and hunting scenes with huntress Diana atop the long tang of the buttplate, all heavily plated in gold. The European walnut stock rates very good plus to perhaps fine showing some light softening from the years and with a few minor drying cracks in the highly figured wood. There is carved scroll accenting nearly all of the hardware, most prominent at front and rear of the square-bottom cheekpiece. There are a number of tiny powderpost beetle holes scattered about the surface of the wood, only confirming its age and authenticity. The right side patchbox features a rear spring-loaded release, the lock is single-acting and the arm is equipped with double set triggers; all mechanics seem to function properly. Overall an extremely ornate, very lovely, and impressive arm, the Breitenfelder’s being active from the 1600s into the late 1700s. (38937-230) {ANTIQUE} [Cletus Klein Collection]
