Original British Brass Barrel Flintlock Coaching Blunderbuss with Birmingham Proof Marks – circa 1820 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely Brass Barreled Flintlock Blunderbuss Coaching Gun, which we estimate was probably made circa 1820, after the Birmingham proof house began operation in 1813. It measures 28 1/2 inches in overall length with a 12 1/2 inch swamped brass barrel. These were very popular as self defense items on the coaching lines during the early 19th century, as they were relatively short and allowed a wide spread of projectiles, definitely helpful as coach robbers rarely worked alone.

The lock of the gun is definitely an upmarket example, with a bridled powder pan frizzen support, and a roller on the end of the frizzen spring. The lock is however quite worn, which unfortunately has removed any markings that were on the plate, and there were not any maker markings on the interior either. It now shows an oxidized patina on the exterior, with some past pitting and other oxidation issues. It is functional, but over the years the tumbler became quite worn, and a third position was added due to how close the “half cock” position was to the frizzen.

The blunderbuss shows a good amount of wear overall, but it still has faint CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / BPC “proof” and CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V “viewed” marks from the English city of Birmingham on the top near the breech. These are the correct markings for 1813 and later manufacture. It comes complete with brass tipped wooden ramrod, though with a blunderbuss these are really just for show.

Condition overall is very good, showing a lovely glow on the wood and a nice mustard colored patina on the brass barrel and mountings. The stock has a beautiful color, and still retains much of the original checkering around the wrist. There are some dents and chips, as well as some repaired cracks on the left side of the muzzle. There are some wood filler repairs, and this definitely looks to have seen a good amount of use during its service life.

A lovely and hard to find original brass flintlock blunderbuss, most likely used on the old stagecoach lines in Great Britain. Ready to research and display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1820
Caliber: Blunderbuss Swamped Barrel
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 11 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 28 12 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

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