Civil War Dog Lock Blunderbuss / Musketoon circa 1645

This is the oldest English gun I have ever had the pleasure of handling This is an English Civil War Dog Lock Blunderbuss or Musketoon with a 25" barrel and an overall length of 39.5". Diameter of the bore is approximately 1" flaring to 1.5/8", approximately 4 bore. This dates from around 1640 and has a second English lock with early London Gunmaker's view mark identified as circa 1640 from Howard Blackmore's excellent book British Military Firearms 1650-1850. Originally this would have had a thick wrist but this has been reshaped about a hundred years later, maybe as early as 1720 and is now similar to the more familiar "Brown Bess". The forend has also been repaired in the distant past and the horn tipped ramrod has been added later (probably 18th Century). The gun has been used and remodelled to suit both fashion and practicality for at least a hundred years since it was first made. I've personally never seen such an early English gun in private ownership, most are held in museums.
See Baxter ( Arms and Armour Press 1970) for more information. Feel free to ask for more photographs if interested and I will consider part exchange and lay away on this item

Code: 50102