DE SAINTE fils, à Versailles Flintlock hunting rifle, modified with percussion. With two smooth, round, table-top, bronzed, gilded barrels with military trophies, fielts, fleurons, and signed. Caliber 14 mm. The tail of breech decorated with a shell, the sight on bottom of sun and the mouths underlined of gilded nets. Round-bodied locks, signed "De Sainte fils Arquebusier A Versailles", repatinated and hammers underlined by nets and engraved with leafy breeches. Walnut shaft carved with palmettes, some in frieze, with chimera heads and reserves with scales. Cow's foot stock, with cheek, carved with scrolls in rosettes. Silver fittings (950), such as trigger guard and end cap engraved with geometric motifs, pedestal and sea horse and plain butt plate, underlined by a frieze of flutes. Goldsmith's mark (diamond-shaped): François PICARD, received Master in 1784. Poinçon de Titre et de Garantie de PARIS [85] for 1798-1809. Rod in fanon with horn tip. Barrel length: 81.5 cm - Total length: 122.5 cm. Dog springs a bit hard; one mantelpiece broken, the other missing. Stains on the locks; scratches on the barrel and stock, with run-out; some wear to the gilding and surface oxidation on the barrels; chip to the ramrod. De SAINTE Fils, harquebusier in Versailles, son of Pierre de SAINTE (1720-1791), ordinary harquebusier of the king (Louis XVI), active in Versailles between 1763 and 1791, and brother-in-law of Nicolas-Noël BOUTET (1761-1833), Director of the Manufacture d'Armes de Versailles.