“CENTURY OLD BELGIAN FLINTLOCK PISTOL”

$1,295.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2024-1774

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We take our heading from the 1927 Bannerman catalog entry for this pistol. Aside from two small illegible marks on the right butt, we see no exterior markings and have not taken it apart, but the pattern is known to have been manufactured in Liege. Some date these as early as 1815. They more likely date about 1820-35, with a few pushing them to 1840, thus qualifying as Dutch or Belgian if made after 1830. In any case, Liege was an arms supplier to the world and the general pattern is taken to be a dragoon pistol, though it could be pressed into whatever service the buyer desired.

This is a good example, with nice warm brown color to the wood and good fit to the metal. The barrel is smooth brown. The lock shows some blue, brown and gray, with some roughness below the pan and the to the frizzen screw slot. The wood has good edges to the lock apron, with just a tiny bit of chipping to the back end, and good edges to the side flat.

The pistol is mounted with brass nose cap, rectangular escutcheons for the barrel wedges, triggerguard, and flat buttplate secured by two iron screws and holding a large iron lanyard ring. The nose cap shows some verdigris. The grip strap has a crack at the screw, but is stable. The triggerguard finial shows six slash marks and we note four small notches on the edge of the butt cap. If the notches were mating numbers for parts during assembly, they were not good at counting. We note the pistol is not set up to carry a ramrod. For some this has suggested a sea service pistol, but we note the short Austrian carbines of the period also did not take ramrods, which instead were carried on one of the soldier’s belts.

We illustrate Bannerman’s advertisement for these pistols in his 1927 catalog. We have to admire his sales pitch: “These pistols are admitted to be the showiest pieces in existence for decorative purposes.” The mechanics are fine, though we do not recommend testing or showing them off, as Bannerman seems to do.  [sr][ph:L]

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