A Fine Cased Pair of Percussion Duelling Pistols by Joseph Egg.
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15 ½” overall, 10” 38 bore octagonal barrels with blade fore sights signed ‘Joseph Egg Piccadilly London’ on top flat sight, one with later polygroove rifling. Border engraved case-hardened patent breeches each recessed on one side, engraved with a foliate scroll on top and with pierced platinum plug, tangs each with back sight and decorated with foliate scrolls, signed ‘Joseph Egg’. Case hardened border engraved flat detented locks each decorated with foliate scrolls, dolphin hammers en suite, engraved safety catches. Highly figured half stocks each with silver fore-end cap and chequered rounded butt, the latter each with steel cap decorated with repeated foliate scrolls centred on an oval engraved with owner's crest, (Copland, Twickenham, Middlesex). Blued steel D-shaped trigger guards each decorated with scrolling foliage on the border engraved bow, trigger plates each with engraved pineapple shaped finial, turned rear ramrod pipes, vacant gold escutcheons, silver barrel bolt escutcheons, set triggers, original brass mounted ramrods,
In a later J Egg & Son lined and fitted mahogany case with some accessories including small brass mounted powder flask, the interior of the lid with maker's trade label for 1835-41, the exterior of the lid with circular vacant brass escutcheon.
Pistols Circa 1815, converted to percussion from flintlock circa 1835 and fitted in a new case by J Egg & Sons. One barrel may have been rifled then. Barrels made by William Fullered [1808-35] who later worked almost exclusively for J.Purdy.
Very best quality pistols in very good condition, barrels well refinished some original finish to trigger guards.
The crest is that of Copland, Twickenham, Middlesex
Joseph Egg was at 1 Piccadilly (corner of Piccadilly and Haymarket) from 1814 to 1834, and as Joseph & Sons and Joseph & Co. at the same address between 1835 and 1841. Several gunmakers claimed to have invented the copper cap, which was introduced shortly before 1820. See Claude Blair, 'The Egg Family, Part 1 and Part 1 (contd.)', Journal of the Arms & Armour Society, Vol. VII (1973), pp. 266-299 and 306-353