2075 Rifle
2075) AN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCA 1760 ITALIAN FLINTLOCK FOWLING GUN BY MASTER GIOVANNI FABBI. Priced well below auction house prices for an immediate sale.
Introduction: This firearm is an exceptional example of a circa 1740 Italian flintlock fowling piece, often called a focile or sporting gun. It features an exquisite, highly decorated lock plate signed by the gunsmith Giovanni Fabbri.
This firearm is a dedicated fowling piece, built exclusively for the aristocratic sport of wing-shooting (hunting game birds and waterfowl on private estates). In 18th-century Europe, hunting was not a means of survival for the lower classes; it was heavily restricted by strict sumptuary and property laws. Commoners were legally barred from hunting on noble lands, meaning the market for specialized, ultra-long smoothbore sporting guns was almost exclusively comprised of the wealthy elite.
The original owner of this firearm would have been highly wealthy, most likely a member of the European nobility, a rich aristocratic landowner, or a high-ranking gentleman.
In 18th-century Italy, firearms were strictly stratified by class, and several explicit visual cues on this fowling piece confirm it was custom-built as a high-status luxury item:
Standard military muskets or working-class utility guns utilized plain iron or simple, unengraved brass fittings. This piece features a relief-chased, gold-gilded or bright-brass lock plate covered in intricate classical rococo scrolls. Hand-engraving of this caliber required hiring a highly skilled master artisan—such as Giovanni Fabbri—which drastically inflated the cost of the commission.
The top of the stock’s wrist features an ornate gilded crest or shield depicting a classical urn. In the 18th century, these escutcheons were explicitly integrated so that a wealthy patron could have their family crest, noble coat of arms, or initials custom-engraved into the metal to denote ownership of the estate.
Description: Constructed with a brass or gilded-brass lock plate that is beautifully engraved with classical scrolls, floral motifs, and a central cartouche clearly reading “GIOVANNI FABBRI”. The lock mechanism itself is a traditional flintlock system, operating with a flint held clamped in the vice of the cock (hammer) to strike the steel frizzen and ignite the priming powder. The firearm features a dark, polished wooden stock—likely walnut, which was standard for fine Italian sporting arms of the period. Decorative gilded or brass furniture accents it, including a prominent wrist crest shield (escutcheon) engraved with a classical urn and scrollwork.
True to the style of European fowling pieces designed for hunting birds and small game, the iron barrel is extraordinarily long. The dramatic length helped ensure a steady swing, full powder combustion, and tighter shot patterns at distance. The heavy brass buttplate is secured with multiple pins and shows age-related scratches and wear from being rested on the ground during loading.
Condition: Very good.
Approximate length: 62.5 inches.
Discussion: Gunsmithing families and artisans named Fabbri (which translates literally to “Blacksmiths” or “Makers”) have a deep legacy in Italian firearms manufacturing, particularly in northern Italian metalworking regions like Brescia and Bologna. Fine sporting guns like this one were luxury items commissioned by nobility or wealthy landowners for avian estate hunting.
Historical records identify Giovanni Fabbri as an active gunsmith in the mid-to-late 18th century, likely working along the Emilia-Romagna/northern Tuscany border. The engraving style on the lock plate—specifically the choice of gilded brass (or fire-gilded bronze) paired with whimsical, sweeping tendril scrolls—points more closely to the regional schools of Bologna or Florence/Pistoia than to the pure iron-chasing style typical of standard Brescian military arms.
Gunsmiths in these artistic hubs specialized heavily in sporting weapons for the nobility, focusing heavily on aesthetic luxury. In the 1700’s Italy, guns were rarely built by a single person. Giovanni Fabbri was primarily a meccanico (lockmaker) or master gunsmith who assembled the piece. The ultra-long smoothbore barrel was likely forged by a specialized banchero (barrel maker) in Gardone Val Trompia (Brescia) and then shipped to Fabbri’s workshop to be fitted, stocked, and engraved.
Conclusion: Priced to sell today well below auction house prices. ACT-NOW!!!
All my items come with the following:
–Free shipping.
–10-day review period.
–Certificate of Authenticity.
– Free autographed copy of my book if you do not have one.
– In the event of an international shipment, we will help assign the lowest correct Customs tariffs, so you pay the least as little as 5% or even nothing.
I believe you will be very pleased. ACT-NOW!!!*