AR785 - Continental or South African Boer Bobbijaanboud flint ball gun.
A flint gun for ball. Most probably a continental (possibly Austrian) or South African flintlock sporting gun for ball dated 1759 stocked in the Bobbijaan style. An intriguing flint gun with heavy barrel, for ball or shot. The three-stage barrel, octagonal breech engraved ‘1759 W??N No. 40’, rounded banana lock, figured full stock with bellied butt, the latter with cheek-piece, copper alloy mounts, double set trigger. The rather full bellied butt is reminiscent of Brandenburg style (aka Berlin or Prussian style under Frederick Wilhelm 1. See George Schumway’s articles and book: Jaeger Rifles), with a rounded underside, rather than the flat of Vienna; this style of butt is also seen on South African guns, popular with the Boers of the Cape known as a Bobbejaanboud. It is also a style seen in the longarms of the Netherlands/Holland and the Low Countries. A simple rear sight has clearly been added at a later date, right in the middle of what I take to be WEIN (Vienna). There are feint makers marks, as yet unidentified, next to 1759, which I take to be the date – this would accord with the pattern of the somewhat banana shaped lock with rounded body, swan neck cock and  bridled frizzen.  A simple brass  trigger guard protecting double set triggers. 84cm barrel with an overall length of 124cm.