ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID Antique NOWOTNY Percussion 12g DOUBLE BARREL Shotgun FINE Gorgeously Engraved, Gold Inlaid Maker Marked

Product Description

ENGRAVED & GOLD INLAID Antique NOWOTNY Percussion 12g DOUBLE BARREL Shotgun

FINE Gorgeously Engraved, Gold Inlaid Maker Marked

Here we present an antique Engraved and Gold Inlaid Austrian Nowotny Percussion Double Barrel Shotgun, made circa 1850 in Wien (Vienna), Austria. Mathais Nowotny was the maker of this fine and beautiful double barrel shotgun. He began his business in Vienna in 1836 after moving from Hradec Kralove in Bohemia and gaining permission to operate. He became a gunmaker to the royal court and was known to have made extremely fine firearms. In about 1841 he took on Johann Springer, who married his sister, Catherine Nowotny. Springer was a master engraver from upper Hungary, who also learned to be a gunsmith. Particularly, he specialized in engraving aristocratic coat of arms. Nowotny was involved in a somewhat mysterious love triangle that went rather badly for him, and in 1856 he committed suicide. Nowotny’s widow sold the business to Johann Springer in 1857 and Springer’s business is still in operation to this day, as Joh. Springer’s Erben. Springer continued to produce fine, luxurious sporting and hunting arms for the likes of Kaiser Franz Josef, who gave him the “k.u.k. Chamber Title” in 1872 (“k.u.k. stands for “kaiserlich und königliche“ essentially meaning that he was the gunmaker to the king’s court). He went on to win many other awards at exhibitions because of the quality of his work. Johann Springer died in 1875 and was succeeded in his business first by his widow, and then by his two sons who apprenticed at the Brandlin company in Birmingham. Needless to say, this double rifle has pedigree, made by master craftsmen for the nobility of Europe.

Overall, this piece is extremely beautiful and almost certainly engraved by Johann Springer. This refined muzzle loading shotgun features a hunting motif detailed engraving to include a snipe at the breech of the barrels and a bounding hare on the barrel tang with floral scrolls throughout. Each of the locks have game birds amidst the scroll work. There are two game birds in the central scroll on the engraved trigger guard. The Damascus barrels are marked on the top rib by the maker. “M.NOWOTNY IN WIEN”.

The overall condition is fine. Excellent twist pattern on the barrel and Damascus swirl on the top barrel rib. Original blue finish on the butt plate, trigger guard and rear ramrod tube.  The actions are excellent and crips. The bores are smooth and in very good condition. The stock is in fine condition. Comes with a modern ramrod.

Here is a wonderful piece of history from one of the foremost makers of fine hunting arms in the world.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 28-1/8 inches.

Caliber: 12 Gauge Percussion

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.

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$4500
#240468