Product Details
A RARE CASED 32 BORE RIFLED PERCUSSION TAKE-DOWN PISTOL-CARBINE SIGNED ROBERTSON, HADDINGTON WITH DETACHABLE BUTT AND SPARE BARREL,
circa 1840, with browned octagonal 13in. barrels (one rifled, one smooth), the top-flats signed 'HADDINGTON', white metal fore-sights, colour hardened breech-blocks, fully engraved top-tang with standing notch rear-sight, border and scroll engraved colour-hardened bar-action lock signed 'ROBERTSON', engraved hammer with sliding safe behind, walnut half-stock with chequered bag-shaped butt, the back of grip with escutcheoned square socket to accept the detachable walnut butt-stock, blued spurred trigger guard bow, brass-tipped ramrod and complete in its original mahogany case compartmented and lined in green baize and including a three-way flask, breech-brush, nipple-key, wad-punch, bone nipple-pot and scissors ball-mould
Provenance: These pistols were built by John Ireland Robertson (1807-1888), father of the highly regarded John Robertson who bought Boss & Co in 1891 and catapulted the firm to international status. He set up his business around 1830 in his home-town of Haddington, just to the east of Edinburgh and built many percussion rifles that were renowned for their accuracy. He was one of the first to fit telescopic sights to his percussion rifles and pistols. His son, John Robertson was apprenticed to him in 1853 and it was during the course of this apprenticeship that he learned his prodigious skills from his father. He also built target pistols and when he died in 1888, his obituary in the Haddingtonshire Courier stated "the rifles turned out by Robertson of Haddington acquired almost a national celebrity for their excellence of construction".
His nickname in Haddington was "The Gunner", well deserved as all his rifles and pistols were built to the highest standards.
Literature: 'Boss & Co. Best Gunmakers (2nd Edition) by Donald Dallas
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Estimate £3,000-5,000