Vintage Sporting Gun
A vintage sporting gun brings history into the field, offering a tangible connection to traditional craft and the pursuit of game.
Vintage Sporting Gun
A vintage sporting gun covers historical fowling pieces, black powder percussion rifles, and flintlock sporting arms alongside the equipment and art created to support them.
The selections span the eighteenth century, the Victorian era, and the Edwardian period, bringing together functional firearms, oak storage racks, leather cases, and oil paintings of gun dogs.
Buyers will encounter items ranging from large fowling pieces to cast iron stick stands and canvas or leather double gun cases designed to house these items.
Materials and construction
Makers utilised robust metals including steel, iron, and brass for the mechanical components, barrels, and hardware of the arms and display stands.
Stocks, racks, and cases rely on dense timbers such as walnut and oak, often paired with leather and fitted brass corners for protection and strength.
Listings incorporate items from the eighteenth century, the Victorian era, and the Edwardian period, utilising walnut, oak, steel, and oil paint.
Understanding quality
Distinctions in quality rest on the fidelity of the maker's execution, whether in the precision of a flintlock mechanism, the cabinetry of an oak and leather case, or the brushwork in a period oil painting.
Materials also dictate the tier of an item, distinguishing standard utility pieces from those finished with fine timber grain, detailed ironwork, or named workshop signatures.
John Frederick Herring Senior·John Manton & Son
The Vintage Sporting Gun Glossary
- Flintlock
- An ignition mechanism for firearms that uses a flint striking a steel frizzen to create a spark for the gunpowder. This system preceded percussion caps in older sporting arms.
- Percussion
- A later ignition system utilising a small cap struck by the hammer to detonate the powder charge. It provided greater reliability in damp weather.
- Fowling piece
- A lightweight smoothbore long gun designed specifically for shooting wildfowl and game birds. These often featured larger bores than standard rifles.
- Stick stand
- A hall or hallway furniture piece utilised for holding walking sticks, umbrellas, and sporting equipment. Cast iron versions often incorporated gun dog motifs.
Vintage Sporting Gun: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fowling piece?
A fowling piece is a historical smoothbore firearm designed for shooting wildfowl and game birds.
These arms date from periods like the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and often feature long barrels.
How were gun cases made?
Gun cases were typically constructed from robust timbers like oak and lined with protective leather.
Interior fittings often included compartments lined with fabric to secure barrels and accessories safely.
What subjects appear in sporting art?
Sporting art frequently depicts gun dogs such as black pointers and hunting dogs carrying game birds in natural landscapes.
These oil paintings date back to the Victorian era and reflect the traditions of the field.