A Double Barrel Percussion Cape Rifle by John Hayton
A Double Barrel Percussion Cape Rifle by John Hayton, 19th Century. With rebrowned twist barrels with four reblued folding leaf-sights each with central platinum line, broad twist rib signed in full, serial numbered at the breeches and calibrated in inches from ‘1’ to ’20’ forward of the leaf-sights, the right barrel smooth and of 15-bore, the left barrel rifled for a belted ball and of 39-bore, reblued breeches each engraved with a flowerhead on the side and with a prone tiger in a landscape between, long foliate scroll engraved tang, signed border engraved detented locks decorated with scrolling foliage and a gundog in a landscape within an oval on the left lock, and with a prone stag in a landscape on the other, foliate scroll engraved dolphin hammers (one nose incomplete), figured walnut half-stock serial numbered beneath the barrels, rechequered grip and fore-end, foliate scroll engraved steel mounts comprising butt-plate and trigger-guard, the latter with two gundogs in a landscape on the bow, trigger-plate and rear ramrod-pipe finials each engraved with a design of looped scrollwork, hinged circular border engraved patch-box cover decorated with a running antelope in a landscape, vacant shield-shaped white-metal escutcheon, and later brass-mounted ramrod, London proof marks.
