Brunton pistol?

[colmoultrie]

I have a percussion pistol, marked Brunton on the lock.

I found a Richard Brunton listed in 1823 in York, see link Alphabetical directory and I found a turn-off pistol that he marketed (although almost surely didn't make)... Lot #579 but this pistol is definitely later, about 1850, I'd guess.
A reference to an even earlier one here...
Link

Is this likely the same Brunton, just 25 years later? Does anyone have any more information in his library?

 

[JV Puleo]

Bailey and Nie have him listed as 1817-1820 in Doncaster and 1821 to 1830 in York (both in Yorkshire)
There is also a Robert... in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, 1835-45. This later one seems more likely based on the directories but there is no reason to think that Richard wasn't still working in 1845... its just a matter of whether he bothered to have a directory listing. Its a reasonably unusual name and those are the only two listings for it.

I think the pistol is closer to 1830 than it is to 1850.

 

[colmoultrie]

Thank you!

You may very well be right on the dating, but what features make you think so? I was looking at the lock and breech and thinking 1850's, but I like your 1830 date (makes it likely to be Richard Brunton), so I'd like to learn more.

I'm always interested in learning, so please elaborate, if you could. Thanks.

 

[JV Puleo]

The wide profile flat hammer and the split nut retainer that holds it on. I have the identical features on a cased W. Ketland percussion DB which must have been made around or before 1831 because that is when they went out of business. Like your pistol, it would have been made in the B'ham trade rather than by the person whose name is on it - or at the very least the lock would have been.
I suspect that both of these are features of early B'ham percussion locks and that they became "modernized" quite fast.

 

[JV Puleo]

Another thought... its also possible that the same lock maker supplied the locks on both of our guns... could you take a picture of the inside? My locks have a very unusual bridle arrangement that I have never seen elsewhere - though a friend of mine has also seen it so it can't be unique. Because it is a good deal more complicated than the fully developed percussion lock, I suspect it also is an early feature or at least one that had a limited application.

 

[colmoultrie]

Thanks for the info! I'll try to take the gun apart and get pics in the next day or so.
That would be interesting, as the two other Brunton pistols I found on the web looked like Birmingham guns as well. Perhaps Brunton did more retail than manufacture, or perhaps he was an assembler, like those who put together a Rice barrel with a Chambers lock and Goehring furniture - nothing wrong with that at all, but it is interesting. I'll see.

 

[JV Puleo]

Its extremely unlikely, at such a late date, that Mr. Brunton even stocked the pistols. One of the by-products of the percussion system was that the skills necessary to repair flintlocks (i.e. fitting and adjusting frizzen springs, re-hardening the frizzens etc.) were no longer in much demand. This pretty much killed the business of the provincial English gunsmith. At the very best he may have purchased parts from the trade and stocked them himself - this was also the practice in London before the end of the 18th century.

In a British context the word "gunmaker" does not mean a person who physically made guns - in fact it implies exactly the opposite, a person who did not make, but did sell, guns. Again, by end of the 18th century almost no one actually "made" a gun in the sense he made all the parts. Locks came from lock makers, barrels from gun barrel makers, the small parts came from what was called the "toy trade" (which meant far more than children's playthings), stocks were fitted by "setters up" and finishing was done by finishers (many of which were women.) The "gunmaker" coordinated all of this and often, but not always, put his name on the finished product.

In a very real sense, the modern "gun builder" who purchases a Chambers lock, an Ed Rayle barrel and Reeves Goering mounts and combines them into a finished product is far more like the real 18th century gunmaker than the popular, but largely mistaken notion of the brilliant colonial mechanic making everything himself.

 

[oldarmy]

Its extremely unlikely, at such a late date, that Mr. Brunton even stocked the pistols. One of the by-products of the percussion system was that the skills necessary to repair flintlocks (i.e. fitting and adjusting frizzen springs, re-hardening the frizzens etc.) were no longer in much demand. This pretty much killed the business of the provincial English gunsmith. At the very best he may have purchased parts from the trade and stocked them himself - this was also the practice in London before the end of the 18th century.

In a British context the word "gunmaker" does not mean a person who physically made guns - in fact it implies exactly the opposite, a person who did not make, but did sell, guns. Again, by end of the 18th century almost no one actually "made" a gun in the sense he made all the parts. Locks came from lock makers, barrels from gun barrel makers, the small parts came from what was called the "toy trade" (which meant far more than children's playthings), stocks were fitted by "setters up" and finishing was done by finishers (many of which were women.) The "gunmaker" coordinated all of this and often, but not always, put his name on the finished product.

In a very real sense, the modern "gun builder" who purchases a Chambers lock, an Ed Rayle barrel and Reeves Goering mounts and combines them into a finished product is far more like the real 18th century gunmaker than the popular, but largely mistaken notion of the brilliant colonial mechanic making everything himself.

That will stir up some comments :grin:
Nice piece BTW.
It's a keeper

 

[colmoultrie]

Haven't forgotten about the pictures - just been busy with family obligations and the start of school. I'll try to dig out the pistol and get some pics.

 

[colmoultrie]

Here are the pics, finally. First, the lock...

The pistol has a hooked breech...

The markings on the barrel. I believe they are English proofs; no Belgian or other that I can see...

And now some more of the entire pistol. The half-cock safety is missing....

The pistol has no sideplate, just a fancier washer around the one lock screw...

The front sight is brass, dovetailed in...

and it has a rear sight...

acorn trigerguard finial...

Hope these are of interest! How similar are they to the one you mentioned, JV? Could you post a few photos for comparison, please?

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

.............

In a very real sense, the modern "gun builder" who purchases a Chambers lock, an Ed Rayle barrel and Reeves Goering mounts and combines them into a finished product is far more like the real 18th century gunmaker than the popular, but largely mistaken notion of the brilliant colonial mechanic making everything himself.

That will stir up some comments :grin:

Why? That is an accurate statement. But you are right, the pistol is a nice one and a good example of the common guns of the era.