Wheelgun Wednesday: 18th-Century Flintlock Revolving Shotgun

Welcome back to Wheelgun Wednesday, our weekly column where we discuss everything related to revolvers. Early repeating firearm designs in general and revolvers in particular are always fascinating. Today, we’ll take a look at a very rare late 18th-century flintlock revolving shotgun. This wheelgun is consigned to Rock Island Auction Company and will be sold in their upcoming December 2024 Premier Firearms Auction.

Rock Island Auction Company @ TFB:

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This revolving shotgun was likely produced in the Russian Tula Arms Factory. It is 28 gauge with a 32.75” partially octagonal smoothbore barrel. The cylinder capacity is six shots. This is a hand-revolving gun – there is no mechanism for rotating the cylinder upon pulling the trigger or cocking the hammer, the cylinder has to be manually rotated after each shot. The powder charges and projectiles are loaded into the chambers through a hinged door at the front of the cylinder. The gun has a single lock which means the shooter must prime the pan for every shot. So it’s a pretty slow wheelgun by modern standards but it’s quite rapid-firing for the 18th century.

Here is an excerpt from RIAC’s description of the provenance of this gun:

“While likely made in Russia, this revolving sporting gun is believed to have been owned by the dukes (later kings) of Wurttemberg up through Duke Carl Alexander (d. 1964). Norman R. Blank acquired the gun from a private collection in Europe via W. Keith Neal in June 1960 as shown by the included Western Union Telegram.…….King Frederick I of Wurttemberg became the Duke of Wurttemberg on December 23, 1797, and became Elector of Wurttemberg on February 25, 1803, and King of Wurttemberg on January 1, 1806. The lavish gun may have been a gift from his brother-in-law Tsar Paul I and his sister Tsarina Maria Feodorovna.”

This shotgun was probably rarely used as it is in a pretty good condition for an over two centuries-old firearm.