I just joined the forum so hello everyone. I bought a muzzleloader pistol at the estate sale of a gun collector. I’ve been looking online at different historical pistols and it looks the most like a British Sea Service pistol. But there is no “tower” mark or arrow stamp so I’m puzzled. It’s 20 gauge, (measured .625 at the muzzle), 9-1/2 inch barrel, but it’s not a flintlock. I’m wondering if it was common practice to convert flintlocks to percussion caps once the technology became available? It also has an unusual dog leg catch on the hammer. I can also make out an LP stamp on the lock. The pistol doesn’t look like any LePage that I’ve seen so I’m stumped. My current thinking is that it may be a British Sea Service pistol that was converted to a LePage lock but that’s just a guess. Any ideas? Pix attached.
Estate sale pistol
- Thread starter Scallywag
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Welcome. That is an interesting left-handed pistol. I too will be interested in what the experts have to say about it.
Daryl Crawford
50 Cal.
Left handed?
Not sure if it's a sea service pistol, but I'm no expert. A dog lock percussion is unique to me, but again I'm not an expert.
Can you determine the wood under that dark finish? I'm wondering if it could be one of the Belgian guns that were cobbled together from a variety of parts.
Not sure if it's a sea service pistol, but I'm no expert. A dog lock percussion is unique to me, but again I'm not an expert.
Can you determine the wood under that dark finish? I'm wondering if it could be one of the Belgian guns that were cobbled together from a variety of parts.
Hi Daryl, definitely a left handed pistol. I’ve only worked walnut twice in my woodshop so I’m no expert but that would be my best guess. I forgot to mention that the ramrod is tapered steel not wood or brass, adding to the heft of the gun. It seems like a bit of a mutt so maybe it’s a Belgian? Thanks for the tip, I’ll try to do more research on Belgian guns.
Thanks for posting. you have a neat gun.
I agree that is really neat. It is possible it might have been a flintlock that was converted to percussion too. That was a common thing that was done way back then too. But probably not as I don’t see any residual left over flintlock features.
Conquerordie
40 Cal
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It looks like a Danish Model 1806 pistol that was converted to percussion, with the dog, in the 1840's. Google the above pistol and you will see them in percussion and it's original flintlock.
Daryl Crawford
50 Cal.
Yeah! You got it! Love this site for exactly this sort of thing.
We have a winner! That’s got to be it. The LP stamp is not Le Page but Liege. It’s number 701 of 5000. It is stamped 59 in two places. I assume that’s the size ball, .59 inches? I was going to order a .595 20 gauge ball mold from Lee. Thanks for the help guys. The knowledge on this forum is amazing.
Conquerordie
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Believe it or not, it was the shape of the hammer that made me think of a Danish gun. I've just seen it before in a book at some point and it stuck with me. It was a lucky hunch, that's all.
Left handed military arms are not very common, so a fairly rare pistol in a possibly even rarer configuration. Very cool!
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Welcome from California.
Actually they are, pistols for cavalry were often produced in pairs and carried on the left and right side of the saddle. Fencing was also trained with both hands, depending on the army and time period and time available to train the recruits.
Kia Ora from NZ. Gosh that's great to get the information. Well done to you guys with all the help.
I LOVE the folk on this word web .SO HELPFUL
Have a fantastic day out there.
I LOVE the folk on this word web .SO HELPFUL
Have a fantastic day out there.
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I don't think that it's Belgian at all. 'LP' does NOT stand for 'Liége Proof'. The correct proof stamp for a Belgian firearm is EP, ÉPREUVE LIÉGE. And a few other stamps for good measure, too. like a crown over letter/s for the inspector....
No Liége-made arm of this period would have been so crude, either. Cavalry arms of this period usually had a captive ramrod, too.
Also, a firearm made in Belgium or anywhere on the Continent, is unlikely to have a bore measured in fractions of an inch.
No Liége-made arm of this period would have been so crude, either. Cavalry arms of this period usually had a captive ramrod, too.
Also, a firearm made in Belgium or anywhere on the Continent, is unlikely to have a bore measured in fractions of an inch.
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It's not Belgian but no doubt Danish.
https://www.ima-usa.com/products/or...agoon-and-naval-pistol?variant=12158116102213
https://www.ima-usa.com/products/or...agoon-and-naval-pistol?variant=12158116102213
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
I think it is an old parts gun assembled a very long time ago. Some of the individual parts may have been manufactured 75 or 100 years apart.
The left had thing kind of throws me.
Kinda of a nice-looking gun, though.
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