Another interesting one in the shop

[WKevinD]

This ones a half stock, 16 gauge, converted to percussion, Jaeger looking, not sure of the wood species (open grain) ornately cut brass mounts. Any info appreciated.

Kevin

[Avlrc]

What a beauty.

[alacran]

The stampings on the barrel along with the wedding band appear to be Spanish. Spanish barrels were sought by builders all across Europe and England.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Love how the cheek "shelf" almost runs off the toe (at least it looks that way in the photo)!  I'll bet it shoulders and holds really nicely.

[rich pierce]

Very folksy for a European gun. Estimates on when made? Lock looks early.

[Seth Isaacson]

The stampings on the barrel along with the wedding band appear to be Spanish. Spanish barrels were sought by builders all across Europe and England.

And also sometimes imitated/faked in the period which itself is pretty fascinating.

[JV Puleo]

And also sometimes imitated/faked in the period which itself is pretty fascinating.
[/quote]

More like frequently faked. The big source was the low countries...formerly the Spanish Netherlands, a Spanish territory until 1714 when they passed to the Austrian Hapsburgs but, needless to say, commercial ties with Spain continued. They would have been keenly aware of the demand for Spanish barrels and, with Liege and at hand, perfectly capable of producing any number of very good copies.

[smart dog]

Hi,
I don't believe it is a Spanish barrel, rather a fake.  The maker's stamp does not have an additional city control mark and the little fleur de lis stamps don't jive with any in my reference books.  Moreover, the chiseling at the wedding band looks crude to me.  I bet it does not extend all the way around the barrel.

dave

[alacran]

I am not at my permanent residence, so I do not have access to my books. But I do have access to NRA museum photos, and they have two examples of Spanish guns without a city punzon on the barrel. One is from the mid 17th century and has no makers punzon either. The other one from the 18th century is by Francisco Targarona it has his punzon. There is a short barreled rifle in the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tucson which is also naked of both.
The wedding band transition is not spectacular in any of these guns. I could be wrong but I believe I have seen Fleur de Lis stamped on a Spanish barrel in one of my books, but small crosses  are more common.
No all barrels are as beautifully made as those by Nicolas Bis.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Lock plate shape/profile looks earlier than anything else on the gun.  Just ballparking, I'd go mid 1760s through mid 1780s based upon furnishings and carved decoration, but the lockplate size (comparative to the gun) and shape looks considerably earlier.

This is probably the 3rd or 4th thread this year that I really wish Immel was still posting because he was fairly obsessive - and accurate - with the European work.  I'm sure Ron Scott could also offer some info as to region and period.