A 14 bore silver-mounted flintlock sporting gun by John Harman Londini, with finely decorated stock and mounts, circa 1730 with swamped barrel formed in three stages, fitted with silver fore-sight, raised silver bands at each end of the median and signed in block capitals over the breech, engraved tang grooved for sighting (the iron parts with areas of pitting), engraved stepped lock (possibly associated), highly figured walnut half-stock carved with foliage behind the tang, profusely inlaid in silver with delicate scrollwork over the fore-end and about the tang, the butt decorated on each side with further scrollwork issuant from a bearded mask, perhaps Aeolus or a river god, flowerheads and a panel of trellis, full silver mounts finely cast and chased in low relief (rubbed), comprising side-plate decorated with an elaborate trophy-of-arms centring on an armour all antica, trigger-guard with moulded borders and rococo terminal, butt-plate with moulded foliate borders on the tang and extending over the spine of the butt, escutcheon with the owners crested coat-of-arms (rubbed, the arms involving two bars wavy), fore-end cap en suite a pair of moulded ramrod-pipes and an additional plate applied on the underside of the muzzle to accommodate the ramrod, and original silver-tipped whalebone ramrod 76.2 cm barrel John Harman apprenticed to Henry Anthonison and turned over to John Shaw in 1707. He became free of the Gunmakers Company in 1714 and Gunmaker to Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1729. In the Daily Journal of 7th November that year, he claimed that he had made shotguns with barrels only 30 in long which out-shot other Guns from 6 to 12 inches longer. This was a notable assertion at a time when guides to shooting, such as that of George Edies, recommended a length from 36 to 42 inches.