MUSEUM QUALITY & CONDITON PAIR OF WHEELLOCK HOLSTER PISTOLS BY ANTONIO FRANZINO OF GARDONE VAL TROMPIA , ITALY

MUSEUM QUALITY & CONDITON PAIR OF WHEELLOCK HOLSTER PISTOLS BY ANTONIO FRANZINO OF GARDONE VAL TROMPIA , ITALY

01-26935 | Cal. 58. |S# NSN.

Most likely Antonio (working 1680-1739 who is known to have signed his barrels “Franzino”). He was the son of Giacomo and brother of Giovanni Maria all part of a large gun making family from this famed region of Italy. These beautifully made pistols have 14-7/8″ barrels with breech areas finely moulded and reeded which transition by turned rings to sixteen sided and then to cannon turned muzzles. Tops of breech areas are deeply stamped “*ANTONIO*” “*FRANZINO*”. Locks with thick chamfered plates do not have any engraving, however dogs, springs, wheel retainers and pan covers exhibit very fine carved file decoration. Stocks with early fishtail butts extend to muzzles with steel caps and are pinned to barrels. Ramrod channels are moulded and some incised carving is at transition to rear section. Stocks are decorated with large areas of intricately filed steel lattice work of open scrolls with acanthus and floral highlights. These areas surround barrel tangs and trigger plates. They are also quite extensive as sideplates. Other flourishes of this decoration are found on both sides of grips and in front of trigger guards. Trigger guards and grip caps are also of steel and are beautifully relief carved with tapered flutes. Grip caps are especially well done with ridges carved between flutes. Greenheart ramrods with floral fluted steel tips mount through matching front pipes and thimbles. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: photocopy of catalog page from Lewis Drake listing these pistols as “sold”. Handwritten notation below photos is $45,000.
STATUS: ANTIQUE.