Flint lock info

[OLUT]

Folks, as primarily a percussion gun collector, I admit to a weak understanding of the development of flint guns.. While doing my typical year-end gun collection cleaning, I pulled off the lock of one of my flint shotguns and thought that I'd ask the experts on this forum for input. As you can see the lock mounts with a single screw and the frizzen has a roller on it. So I guess it is from the late flint period   ...  can anyone date this style better for me?

[Seth Isaacson]

If I recall correctly, Tomlinson, or at least one gunmaker by that name, was a Dublin gunmaker active around 1800.

[Niall]

I agree with RH.....Robert Tomlinson,Dublin(1782-1805)various addresses but mostly at 123,Capel Street.Made flintlock duelling pistols and officer's holster pistols.There is a slightly later ___Tomlinson recorded but I think this is your man.The lock is typically Irish from the period.

Let's see the rest of it it.


A pair of travelling pistols;

[Pukka Bundook]

Nice to see you here, Niall, and Nice pistols too!

Richard.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Yes Niall.  You don't post often enough.  Thanks for this one.

[OLUT]

Thanks to all for the input ..... as a follow-up to your inputs, I was able to find a couple advertisements for him in something called "Saunders Newsletter". As Niall and R.H. stated," Robert Tomlinson, a gunmaker who served his apprenticeship to Mr. Lewis Alley, of Dublin" advertised in June 1782 that he had opened his shop ... and then in 1805 that he was retiring and selling his entire stock in trade, including a great variety of double and single barrel guns ...also a variety of pocket and hair-trigger pistols and blunderbusses.
  I guess that this gun is earlier than I thought it might be! I will try to photograph my Tomlinson half stock shotgun tomorrow and add the images to this topic

[OLUT]

Niall, per your request, here are a couple of rather poor quality photos that I just took ..... the gun is WELL used with stock issues, but is tight. I fired it a couple times back in 1981 after acquiring it at a local auction

[Niall]

OLUT,

Thanks for those images.It looks pretty good for a 200+ year old gun...a few stock issues,like you say,but nothing serious.I bet it handles pretty nicely.It's been well used too,judging by the wear on the frizzen axle/pin.

What's on the locket or plaque on the side.....a crest or initials maybe?.....

Any proofs on the barrel?......Irish guns generally don't but sometimes either the barrels were imported or the gun was made for export and proofed in London.

Any inscription on the top barrel flat??.....maybe DUBLIN

Are there any registration numbers on the barrel or butt plate.These would have an alphabetic prefix and number following.It might be feint though.If not it  had probably left the country before 1843.

I would say this gun would date to maybe c.1785-90......The roller on the frizzen foot might suggest that....later the roller was more usual on the spring end.The style of the lock plate inscription would suggest an earlier date as well

Richard might have something to add

Nice gun

[OLUT]

No proofs, barrel inscriptions, registration numbers , or anything beside the lock inscription and the plaque on the side... yes it is a well balanced and lightweight gun. As I previously mentioned, my buddy Lou March and I used it a couple different times on straight-away clay pigeons and the gun did its job well.