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British East India Company Blunderbuss
This is a really nice blunderbuss built for the British East India Company between 1818 to 1839, and designed by the English Master gunmaker Ezekiel Baker.
The lock has a very advanced flintlock design and has a really good and clear engraving of the English East India Company rampant lion holding the British Crown.
The picture is of a Baker Lock (identical to the one here) and is from D. F. Harding (1990). Smallarms of the English East India Company. The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Volume19, pages 15-16.
The lock-face is also marked with a crown over 3 which is most probably an inspection mark.
The only marks on the barrel that have been found are 3 small dots arranged in a triangle both on the top forward of the breech, and on the underside.
The rear section of the barrel is octagonal and the forward is round. The band transition between the two is very clear and shows this gun has not been overly cleaned.
At some time the blunderbuss appears to have been used as a swivel gun; which is witnessed by the two holes in the forward tang of the iron trigger guard and the crescent shaped marks/dent in the left side of the stock forward of the side plate.
It is a large and impressive gun.
The flintlock produces the most magnificent sparks.
