A flintlock fowling gun from the early 1700s, carrying no serial number, bored to .58 caliber. Its 39-inch tube came out of Spain and is made in two sections, eight-sided at the rear and round toward the muzzle, with a Spanish proof struck near the breech. The lockplate is the showpiece: a woman and a dog cut into the steel, with FELIX-MEIER signed below the pan, and IN WIENN at the back of the plate over a small woodland picture that includes a deer.

The steel has darkened to a deep grey with some light rust freckling here and there, the wood shows honest wear from its years, and the lock holds at half and at full cock. A Vienna-signed lock on a Spanish barrel is an unusual pairing, which is what makes this a cabinet gun for a South Carolina collector of continental sporting pieces. It is not meant for a Game Zone 3 deer stand.

Key features

• .58 caliber flintlock fowler, early 18th century
• 39-inch Spanish two-stage barrel, octagon to round
• Lock engraved and signed FELIX-MEIER
• Rear of lock marked IN WIENN
• Holds at half and full cock

The fowler ships to a licensed South Carolina dealer for pickup after the federal check.