brass barrel blunderbuss

Owen · 10th January 2011, 08:44 AM

Locked away in a family attic. I have found this. It has been used and badly looked after(brass had to be shiny). It was used as the farm lunch bell for many years and now shut away for the last 40 or so years. If any one could help Id it better. Did have a load of some thing in the barrel not sure what but I had to clear it out all the same.

on the out side of the lock is the name "MOORE". In side the lock are an "I*S". Proof marks on the barrel. small oval with a crown? and a G?. A small mark with a D.M and some thing over head that has been warn down and another small oval with a crown? or M? over a V. no other marks on the barrel could bee seen. is 32" overall 16" barrel bore is around the 3/4" opening out to 1 1/4". Could this have been a conversion from flint(family stories say it was) but I dont think so, the lock fits very well. I have high res pic if any one can help. Thanks for any help. This is a big hole in the family history, it has allways been there and no one can remember how it got there and I wish to save it from the restoration of the brother's heavy hand.

Owen.

Owen · 12th January 2011, 01:23 AM

After some looking at proof marks on line. Looks like the ones in the ovals are from the London proof house. The other one I still carnt find yet. More family tales, they think it come out to Oz in 1840ish. So looks more likley that it has been changed over from flint at some time.

Owen

Matchlock · 12th January 2011, 06:08 PM

Hi Owen,

The oval shields are the London proofmarks, with V for viewed.

The bunderbuss was built as a flintlock around 1740 and converted to percussion using the same lockplate in about 1840.

Best,
Michael

helbeluk · 11th August 2011, 03:54 PM

hello Owen,

Sorry rather belated, only just seen your post.

This is a blunderbuss in the collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford.
Seems in terms of shape and proportion to be similar to yours and with a brass barrel. As you can see it's a flintlock as I presume yours was - the lock plate looks like it once housed an external mainspring.

The lock-plate bears the name 'SPENCER', probably James Spencer of London, noted in Blackmore's 'Dictionary of London Gunmakers' as being active from c. 1687 to 1699. Blackmore illustrates Spencer's mark, the letters 'IS' within a diamond topped by a fleur de lis which, together with the View and Proof marks, do indeed sit on the left side of the barrel (sorry no picture of that).

Finally, there is an engraving of a hook-nosed gentleman on the escutcheon plate. I thought at first might have been Mr Spencer but apparently this caricature (and other versions of it) were common on civilian guns of the period.

Sadly, Blackmore doesn't mention a 'Moore' and perhaps I*S (JS) relates to the person who converted it?

Best,

Helen

10th January 2011, 08:44 AM	#1
Owen Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 5	brass barrel blunderbuss Locked away in a family attic. I have found this. It has been used and badly looked after(brass had to be shiny). It was used as the farm lunch bell for many years and now shut away for the last 40 or so years. If any one could help Id it better. Did have a load of some thing in the barrel not sure what but I had to clear it out all the same. on the out side of the lock is the name "MOORE". In side the lock are an "I*S". Proof marks on the barrel. small oval with a crown? and a G?. A small mark with a D.M and some thing over head that has been warn down and another small oval with a crown? or M? over a V. no other marks on the barrel could bee seen. is 32" overall 16" barrel bore is around the 3/4" opening out to 1 1/4". Could this have been a conversion from flint(family stories say it was) but I dont think so, the lock fits very well. I have high res pic if any one can help. Thanks for any help. This is a big hole in the family history, it has allways been there and no one can remember how it got there and I wish to save it from the restoration of the brother's heavy hand. Owen.

11th August 2011, 03:54 PM	#4
helbeluk Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: England Posts: 1	hello Owen, Sorry rather belated, only just seen your post. This is a blunderbuss in the collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford. Seems in terms of shape and proportion to be similar to yours and with a brass barrel. As you can see it's a flintlock as I presume yours was - the lock plate looks like it once housed an external mainspring. The lock-plate bears the name 'SPENCER', probably James Spencer of London, noted in Blackmore's 'Dictionary of London Gunmakers' as being active from c. 1687 to 1699. Blackmore illustrates Spencer's mark, the letters 'IS' within a diamond topped by a fleur de lis which, together with the View and Proof marks, do indeed sit on the left side of the barrel (sorry no picture of that). Finally, there is an engraving of a hook-nosed gentleman on the escutcheon plate. I thought at first might have been Mr Spencer but apparently this caricature (and other versions of it) were common on civilian guns of the period. Sadly, Blackmore doesn't mention a 'Moore' and perhaps I*S (JS) relates to the person who converted it? Best, Helen Attached Images

12th January 2011, 01:23 AM	#2
Owen Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 5	After some looking at proof marks on line. Looks like the ones in the ovals are from the London proof house. The other one I still carnt find yet. More family tales, they think it come out to Oz in 1840ish. So looks more likley that it has been changed over from flint at some time. Owen

12th January 2011, 06:08 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Owen, The oval shields are the London proofmarks, with V for viewed. The bunderbuss was built as a flintlock around 1740 and converted to percussion using the same lockplate in about 1840. Best, Michael