The wheellock rifle from the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum was made in Prague in 1710-1720s by two prominent gunsmiths of the time. The signature of one of them — Paul Ignatius Poser — can be seen on the barrel and lock plate: ‘PoserAPrag’. The name of his colleague can be determined by estimating the highest quality of the repoussé hunting scene on the lock plate. At that time in Prague there was only one person who could create such a masterpiece — Franz Matzenkopf.
The talented engraver and master of metalwork could produce both complete guns and separate parts for other gunsmiths. Later Matzenkopf moved to Salzburg and served at the court of the Prince-Archbishop producing dies for medals and coins. The barrel is blued and octagonal in section. The breech and the muzzle ends of the barrel are decorated with gilded curls. On the upper plane of the barrel at the breech end there is not only the signature but also a gilded mark with an image of a deer and the letters ‘P I P’. It is the initials of the gunsmith’s name — Paul Ignatius Poser. The tang of the breech is also decorated with an engraved stylised floral pattern.
On the bottom side of the fore-end in front of the trigger guard there is a brass plate with a repoussé monogram made of letters “CBD” surmounted by a crown. It has not been established yet whose monogram it is. On the comb of the stock there are two more brass plates; one of them is decorated with a repoussé leaf and the other — with in relief and engraved curls. The cheek piece has yet another brass plate decorated with a repoussé image — an allegorical scene depicting Cupid with a rifle shooting at a winged heart. The butt plate is made of horn and is fixed on the stock by a protecting screw with a gilded spherical head.
The patch box lid is decorated with a carved stylised floral pattern and a brass plate with a repoussé image — the goddess Diana riding in a chariot and accompanied by dogs. The trigger guard is made of brass with gilding and has three finger grooves. It is also decorated with a relief depicting the goddess Diana with two dogs. In the middle of the brass lock bridle there is a repoussé oval cartouche under a crown. It is flanked by two lions and surrounded by floral curls and mythical creatures.
