This gun was manufactured by Birmingham gunmaker William Horton who opened a second shop in Glasgow in 1855. The smoothbore Damascus barrel has a full-length sighting flat with a bead front sight and is engraved "W. HORTON GLASGOW", and the underside has Birmingham proof marks, "GP", "7", and "W.H 1070." The casehardened breech plug has the matching serial number on the hook and is engraved with a scene of a bird in flight on top and scrollwork on the bolster surrounding the gold plug. The standing breech and bar-in-wood lock are also scroll engraved, and the latter is signed "W. HORTON". The trigger guard has a dog and bird hunting scene on the bow and the serial number on the tang along with scrollwork. The half-stock has a horn forend cap, checkered forend and wrist, sliver plate inlet at the breech, a blank silver wrist escutcheon, and blued buttplate with scrollwork on the heel. The gun was purchased by Norman R. Blank from Martin B. Retting, Inc. on October 24, 1956. Provenance: Martin B. Retting, Inc.; The Norman R. Blank Collection

Very good with generally distinct engraving, light original finish, dark brown patina, minor oxidation, and mild overall wear. The stock is also good and has some scrapes in the otherwise crisp checkering, mild dings and scratches, small insect spots on the horn cap, and fairly minor overall wear. Mechanically fine.