Product Details
AN INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL .577 OFFICER'S OR VOLUNTEER'S SHORT RIFLE BY R. T. PRITCHETT, serial no 62,
circa 1858, with 32in. barrel rifled with three grooves, marked 'LONDON' at the breech, military pattern barleycorn front-sight and ladder rear-sight to 1100 yards, with hook or break-off breech, borderline engraved bar-action lock of Enfield P53 style but of reduced size, signed with makers name to centre, 'R. T. Pritchett', slender iron mounted full walnut stock, the barrel secured by two flat keys not barrel bands, iron mounts, borderline engraved buttcap, the tang engraved with the rack number '62' indicating it was one of a stand, borderline engraved trigger-guard with long tang, nosecap and two rammer pipes, complete with rammer
Provenance: The maker was Robert Taylor Pritchett who took over the family gunmaking business in 1855, together with William Ellis Metford he invented the Pritchett bullet which was officially adopted by the W.D. He also worked with the Government in the development of the Enfield rifle and marketed rifles with his variant form of Enfield rifling. He was a Serjeant in the Victoria Rifles, a volunteer unit that was officially embodied in 1853, it is believed he supplied rifles to them and this might be one. For various reasons Pritchett retired from gunmaking in 1865, took up art becoming quite famous, exhibited at the Royal Academy and became Private Painter in Watercolours to Queen Victoria. He died in 1907
Please click HERE to view Terms & Conditions. Please note all Lots are listed in accordance with UK Law, for overseas buyers, please ensure you are familiar with your relevant local firearms and customs regulations before bidding.
Estimate £800-1,200