PAIR OF ENGLISH FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS, BY ROBERT WOGDON, LONDON
CIRCA 1770
£5,800
Fine Furniture and Works of Art
Auction: 27 January 2016 at 10:00 GMT
Description
with tapered browned rifled barrels engraved WOGDON/ CHARING CROSS LONDON on the top flat, gold lined touch holes, engraved barrel tangs and folding back leaf sights, false breeches, flat bevelled locks signed WOGDON, with sliding safety catches, set triggers, full walnut stocks with iron furniture with trigger guard with acorn finial, retaining much original colour, ovoid butt cap, blank silver escutcheon on side, engraved barrel bolt escutcheons and with engraved bands at muzzles with original horn tipped ram rods, in mahogany later fitted case with plain brass disc folding handle on top of case with a loading rod, lead balls and leather covered two-way powder flask (missing nozzle) with later BARTON trade card (2)
Dimensions
10inch barrels, 15 inches overall (25cm barrels, 38cm overall)
Footnote
Note: Robert Wogdon, gun maker 1737-1813, was a renowned maker of duelling pistols. He tuned his barrels so that they were accurate at 12 paces and this caused many more deaths of duellists than had previously been the case.
His fame for his duelling pistols was written as a stanza by an Irish volunteer -'Hail Wogdon patron of that leaden death'. His shop was at Number 2 Haymarket near Charring Cross London. He formed a partnership with John Barton in 1794.