The wheellock rifle from the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum was made in 1734. Its forged barrel is made of Damascus steel. The barrel is octagonal, and the bore has seven semi-circular grooves. They are cut along the length of the bore to make a projectile spin and thus give it more stability in flight. The rear sight of the rifle is made of iron in the form of a low blade with a round notch. The front sight is made of brass. The breech end of the barrel is decorated with a relief depicting a man in ancient Roman clothing with a wreath on his head. On the lower plane of the barrel at the breech end there is a mark in the form of the orb and cross.
The rifle has a wheellock mechanism. The wheel is located within the lock plate, while the arm or ‘dog’ and the dog spring — on the outside of the lock plate. The priming pan cover is powered by a spring. It can be closed by pressing a button near the dog. The lock plate on the left side of the wheel is decorated with a hunting scene. It is made using the chasing technique and depicts deer followed by dogs and hunters on horseback. The protruding part above the wheel is decorated with a floral pattern and a lion face also made in the chasing technique. Around the wheel shaft there is an engraved inscription: ‘S. Haushka 1734’.
Inside the lock the wheel bracket which holds the wheel shaft has another engraved inscription: ‘In Wolffenbtl’. The rifle is fitted with a hair trigger — a mechanism which allows to release the trigger with the slightest pressure. The stock is made of nut wood, the fore-end runs all the way to the muzzle and has a horn cap. The wrist of the stock is significantly bent to the right. It allows a shooter to mount the rifle to the right shoulder and look through the sight with the left eye.
The furniture of the rifle is made of gilded brass. It includes a butt plate, a trigger guard, a bridle in the lock, a plate on the wrist and three ramrod pipes. On the upper side of the butt plate there is a relief depicting an ancient Roman warrior with a dog on the background of decorative curls and a scene of dogs chasing a deer. The trigger guard is rather long and is decorated with war trophies in relief, an ancient Roman warrior and a mascaron. At the front end of the guard there is an image of a man in ancient Roman clothing holding a branch and a sword in his hands as well as an image of an eagle on top of a sphere. An openwork bridle depicts a hunting scene — dogs attacking a boar and a hunter standing nearby.
