Original Item: One of a kind. This is a lovely example of a 19th Century South African Flintlock "Big Game" Rifle, fully silver mounted with a classic South African Bobbejaanboud (Baboon Thigh Butt) shaped stock, very popular at the time. It features a substantial two stage 12 bore barrel, which is octagonal at the breech, and then 16 sided before the round second stage. We can see clear spiral forging lines on the barrel, so it is definitely "twist forged", and it is silver inlaid on the top with the makers name and location:

T.S.F. BOTHA CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The lock is a bit worn, but we can still see a relatively clear J.S.F. BOTHA marking on the front beneath the flash pan. Johan Samuel Frederik Botha is recorded as an importer and dealer in firearms in Cape Town circa 1840-1917. We are not sure why the top of the barrel is marked "T.S.F. BOTHA". We assume it may have been inlaid later, and a mistake was made, as J can definitely look like a T in some fonts. We have seen several other examples of Botha flintlocks from the mid 19th century, and we assume that flintlocks were more suitable due to supply issues with percussion caps and cartridges in South Africa. 

The rifle is of exceptionally high quality, and must have taken quite a bit of hand work to achieve. We have seen several examples of Botha rifles, and they seem to run the gamut from relatively plain to very well ornamented, so this example looks to have been made for a very well-heeled customer. The lock and silver trigger guard are heavily engraved, as is the tang of the barrel. There is a metal Enfield style ramrod under the barrel, with intact threads on the end. The top of the barrel is fitted with a simple notch rear sign and brass front sight with a bone blade.

As with most high end hunting rifles rifles, this example is fitted with a "set trigger", where depressing the rear trigger first until it clicks and just touching the front trigger discharges the weapon, hopefully with great accuracy. It is fully functional at present, and the rear trigger must be "set" before the hammer can be cocked at all. It does have a half cock position, and it correctly holds there if the front trigger is clicked before the hammer is put to full cock.

The metalwork on the rifle is in lovely condition, looking to have been well cared for over the past 175 or so years, possibly with a restoration at some point. At present there is still strong bluing on the barrel, while the silver inlay work is still bright and visible. The silver fittings have a lovely polished look, and are most likely "German Silver" cupronickel alloy or maybe Tombac. The barrel wedge escutcheons have a lovely stylized shape, and there is a shield shaped escutcheon on the back of the wrist, which is blank.

The wood stock is beautiful, showing a lovely dark brown color, and no major damage or other issues. We can see a few small repairs, but nothing major. The Bobbejaanboud butt stock is lovely, with a great swan neck shape at the wrist and large butt stock. The cheek piece on the left side is very well executed, and looks very comfortable.

A lovely upmarket example of a Victorian Era South African "Big Game" hunting gun by Botha, ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1840
Caliber: 12 Gauge - about 0.728"
Cartridge Type: Lead Ball and Powder
Barrel Length: 40 Inches
Overall Length: 56 1/4 Inches
Action type: Side Action Percussion Lock
Feed System: Muzzle Loading

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.