Triple-Barrel Revolving Flintlock Fowling Piece from the Gun Cabinet of the Princes of Liechtenstein

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

When hunting fowl in flight, it was difficult to aim fast enough to get another shot with a second gun. This early flintlock fowling piece was designed to solve this problem. To get a quick second shot, and even a third, the hunter reset the cock, withdrew the lever in front of the trigger to release the barrels, manually rotated to the next charged barrel, and pulled the trigger again. Triple-barrel guns are exceptionally rare, as the weight typically rendered them too cumbersome. This gun, however, with its fine craftsmanship and thin-walled barrels, is actually the lightest fowling piece in this case.

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