What kind of gun turns up most often?

A single flintlock pistol. Pistol appears in more than a quarter of titles and flintlock in a similar share, with the exact phrase flintlock pistol in a smaller run of them. Sizes vary widely, from pocket and muff pistols through holster and belt patterns to sea service and duelling types.

Are all the listings actually firearms?

No. Roughly a quarter of the sampled listings are shooting accessories: leg-of-mutton and oak-and-leather cases, powder and shot flasks, turnscrews and loading tools. A further thread is gun-themed decoration, including cast-iron gun-dog stick stands, gun-dog tapestry, carved hunting panels, oak gun racks and cannons in cast iron and bronze.

How old are these pieces?

The dealer-entered dates run from 1750 to 1940. Around forty-six listings carry a clean year, the earliest a Revolutionary Wars musket of 1750. Most are placed only to a century. Nineteenth Century and Eighteenth Century between them account for two-thirds of the period labels, and titles hedge with early and late.

Do Eastern guns appear in this category?

More than you might expect. Indian toradar matchlocks, Afghan jezails, Balkan and Ottoman snaphaunce pistols and an Algerian toe-lock musket all show up. A South Indian Malabar matchlock is the rarest origin recorded, and Indo-Persian mother-of-pearl inlay is a recurring decorative note.

Which pieces sit at the top of the range?

Groups and pairs rather than single guns. Five Austrian flintlock sporting guns sold together head the sampled range, with a pair of officers' duelling pistols and a pair of Scottish silver pocket pistols close behind. Silver mounting and a signed lock both lift a piece well above an unmarked equivalent.

How many come up for sale each year?

About sixteen pieces reach the market on Sellingantiques in a year. They are spread across forty-five different dealers, so no one dealer's stock sets the tone for the category.

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Antique Guns

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Muzzle-loading pistols and long guns from the flintlock and percussion eras, listed alongside the cases, flasks and loading tools that went with them.