Dodgydave said:
The gun weighs 11 1/2lbs.
Someone wondered whether this might be a sort of punt gun. I believe it might represent a waterfowl gun, alright, but of the type to be fired from the shoulder. They did that back in the day.
In 1789 Wm. Cleator wrote in An Essay on Shooting:
"The circumstance of a duck-gun killing at a greater distance than a fowling piece is not owing to its length, but to its greater weight and thickness allowing the charge to be doubled, trebled, or even quadrupled; which cannot be done in a fowling piece, though strongly reinforced. For a
barrel of five or six feet, such as that of a common duck gun, weighing five or six pounds, and the
whole piece twelve or thirteen pounds; may be fired with a very large charge, without recoiling so much as to hurt the shooter, its weight being sufficient to resist the violent impulse occasioned by the increase of the powder."
And they were available early on:
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
October 20, 1738
GENTLEMEN and Others, may be supply'd by the Subscriber in Williamsburg, with neat Fowling-Pieces, and
large Guns fit for killing Wild-Fowl in Rivers, at a reasonable Rate. He also makes several Sorts of wrought Brass-work, and casts small Bells, James Geddy
And they were long:
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
October 5, 1739
"About Six Months since, a long Gun , about
6 or 7 Feet in the Barrel, was brought by a young Gentleman of Glocester County, to me, the Subscriber, in Williamsburg, to be new Stock'd and Lock'd; and as I have some Reason to believe, that the Person who brought it is dead, and am desirous the right Owner should have it, I therefore give this Notice, that the Person who has a Right to it, may know where it is, and that he may have it, on proving his Property, and paying the Charges, to me, James Geddy."
Beautiful gun and excellent photos.
Spence