A VERY GOOD SARDINIAN/CORSICAN MIQUELET LONG FOWLER, ca. 1780: In overall very good lightly cleaned original flintlock condition. Fine quality, 57″, octagonal to round, smoothbore, band-fastened, iron, .65 caliber barrel with a baluster-turned wedding-band transition, smooth, steel gray, coloration and some scattered pitting overall. Classic Sardinian-form, molded and carved, figured, burl Walnut fullstock of with a sculpted and fluted, thin, triangular butt with deeply chiseled and etched steel mounts, of Italianate, baroque inspired, floral scroll design. Neapolitan-type Miquelet lock with a lightly discolored steel-gray age patina and in mechanically functional order with all of its original components. Etched and finely engraved steel mounts: the long sideplate with deeply chiseled surfaces, the stock inlayed with etched steel panels, en suite with the sideplate, a sculpted trigger-guard, two plain sheet iron barrel bands and a pierced comb-plate with lightly engraved surfaces. In overall very good condition. The barrel with a lightly cleaned steel-gray age patina, a working-life strap repair to the barrel-tang, very good contours and some moderate pitting. Very good stock with sharp contours, deeply fluted carving, some scattered handling marks and abrasions, old repaired hairline at the top of the comb and forward of the lock mortise. Retains 65%+ original finish with fine contours. The lock retains 25% original polish with smooth surfaces, a strong mainspring and all of its original components: in functional order. A nice representative example of a Sardinian/Corsican Miquelet Fowler, ca. 1780. Overall length, 62″. For a similar example, please see C. G. Stone’s: “Construction & Decoration of Arms…”.
Images and description courtesy of Paul’s Antique Arms & Armour at: http://www.ambroseantiques.com/flongarms.htm