old pistol barrel

[Robby]

This pistol barrel was sent to me. The sender has no knowledge of its history and neither do I. It had a touch hole liner, gone now. I curious as to where it might have been made, and, if it has any value, beyond a pretty neat curiosity.
Robby



The inlays appear to be silver, octagon to round, 10-1/4" long; 15/16 across the breech flats; 11/16 diameter at the muzzle; the bore appears to be a true heptagon so its hard to measure, but I would say about around 9/16"diameter +.



The lugs are holes, not slots, and there is the remnant of a very sturdy screw at the muzzle, presumably to hold the muzzle to the stock, thru the nose cap(?).

[mr. no gold]

Could be Italian; if there are proof marks they don't show. First inclination was that it might be Islamic, but they did not permit the depiction of the human form. Spanish would have several proof marks, as would English and French to a lesser extent.
It's a great piece and was once part of a dandy high art pistol. A little work and it could be again. Thank you for letting us take a peep at it.
Dick

[Collector]

Touch-hole liner or percussion conversion?  It's a neat barrel anyway.

[Mike Brooks]

Touch-hole liner or percussion conversion?  It's a neat barrel anyway.

I'm guessing a percussion drum was last in that hole.

[smart dog]

Robby,
I'll hazard a guess but don't take it too seriously because I could easily be way off.  The rifling(?), design of the decoration, and mount for a muzzlecap make me think it is German, Central European (Czech?), or Russian from the early 18th century (maybe earlier).  Rifled pistols were made more often in those areas than other parts of Europe.  I agree with the others that the threaded hole was for a percussion conversion not a vent liner.

dave