Description
Cased Walking Stick Rifle
A rare Cased 50-Bore Percussion Patent Walking Stick Gun and rifle by Joseph Lang of 7 Haymarket, London, No. 178, Circa 1840.
With interchangeable sighted smooth and rifled barrels, the latter cut with nine grooves and with blued folding-leaf back-sight, each barrel threaded to screw into the action, and with central nipple at the rear, enclosed browned twist action signed in full and pulling out to expose the blued folding trigger, and hinged at the rear to allow the end to fold down to form the butt with spring locking button and shaped wooden grip, the outer surfaces painted in imitation of bark (minor chips).
In its original lined and fitted mahogany case with accessories including a lovely Hawksley flask, ramrods, one hinged, and japanned cap tin inscribed in gilt script ‘Lang 7 Haymarket London/Copper Caps’, the interior of the lid with maker’s trade label, the exterior (fitted with later carrying handle) with vacant circular brass escutcheon, London proof marks. A very scarce and rare set in lovely original condition.
Joseph Lang was a very influential figure in country sports and the development of recreational guns. He first set up his own business the “Gun and Pistol Repository” in 1821, eventually buying out the entire stock of his prior employer the gunmaker Alexander Wilson in 1825 to becomes Londons largest gun dealer. During this time Joseph Lang sold the highest quality sporting guns, including those produced by James Purdey.
His association with Purdey steadily strengthened with Joseph Lang marrying Purdey’s daughter Eliza in 1828. Joseph Lang’s first son Joseph was born in 1829, and his second son James was born in 1835. Joseph the younger was then apprenticed to James Purdey and Joseph the younger then joined his fathers business in about 1853.
Lang was very inventive, and took out a patent on the manufacture of patterns for front loaders, which meant a great improvement for the hunters. When he was in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London saw the rifle of the French maker Lefaucheaux, which was built with so-
His name still lives on as Atkin Grant and Lang which is an amalgamation of three of the best and most prolific shotgun and rifle makers in the world.
