A CASED PAIR OF 34 BORE PERCUSSION OFFICERS PISTOLS... Lot n° 272

A CASED PAIR OF 34 BORE PERCUSSION OFFICERS PISTOLS BY GAMESON & WILLIAMS, CIRCA 1831-34 each with browned twist octagonal sighted barrel signed on the flat, engraved blued breech inlaid with a platinum line, pierced platinum plug, engraved case-hardened breech tang decorated with scrolling foliage and incorporating the back-sight, signed scroll- and border-engraved flush-fitting case-hardened flat lock fitted with bold safety-catch, hammer en suite and set trigger, figured walnut half stock, 'saw-handle' butt cut with a panel of fine chequering, scroll-engraved blued steel mounts comprising a small oval plaque inset in the butt, trigger-guard, trigger-plate with pineapple finial, one browned and one blued ramrod-pipe, horn fore-end cap, silver barrel bolt escutcheons, original horn-tipped ramrod and much original finish throughout: in fitted mahogany case lined in green baize, the lid with flush-fitting copper alloy carrying handle on the outside and trade label for Gameson & Williams, 67 Thread Needle Street on the inside (light wear, lock removed but present), complete with accessories, probably original, comprising copper alloy three-way flask, bullet mould, turnscrew, combination nipple-wrench and pricker and cleaning rods, 25.0 cm barrels Provenance Lieutenant Colonel Albert James Hesketh Daubeny (1844 - 1915), thence by descent David Gameson and Joseph Williams Gunmakers are recorded with a factory and warehouse at 67 Threadneedle St., 1825-30. They apparently split up to form Gameson & Co. and Williams & Co., trading at the same address during the period 1831-34. See Blackmore 1999, p. 69.