Czerny International Auction House Ltd.
Los 254
dating: about 1690 provenance: Sezze, Smoothbore barrel, two-stage, 16 mm cal. barrel, octagonal at the first part with a base decorated with a raised frame and engraved floral motifs, then sixteen-faceted (partially with pitting) at the second part and with a muzzle ring equipped with a foresight. Large tang with sight. Rounded plate lock with brass pin provided with a lever on the left side which, with a single rotation (about 250 degrees), cocks the hammer, triggers the bascinet, lowers the batterie and introduces the ball and the powder into the powder chamber. The large tang with broad rear sight, engraved with floral motifs like the butt-plate and the other mounts of the lock, the mount above the pin (and under the cup) signed 'DIAMANTE A SEZZE'; the lever with safety lock; powder gate and ball opening. Briarwood stock and fore-end (with old stock restorations), beautiful iron mounts engraved with floral motifs, partially carved and pierced, some inlaid. The butt plate can be opened with a button, carved and pierced iron barrel bracket. One of the rare signed shotgun of the Berselli / Lorenzoni system with an even rarer signature. The system is often called the Lorenzoni system but it is more likely that the Berselli dynasty invented this revolutionary system. A fine model of an Italian repeating gun, provided with a socalled 'all back' system. See several models both of pistols and guns, provided with this mechanism, in 'I Primi Fucili a Ripetizione' by Gianoberto Lupi, Editoriale Olimpia 1976.For Giacomo Berselli see Barbiroli p. 109/110.For Diamante see Barbiroli, supplementary volume, p. 74. length 142 cm.
