French pistols in America

[NorthFork]

How common or unlikely would it of been for some of the French IX or XIII or Carabinieri or De Gendarmerie pistols to make it here to North America during the times of manufacturing or the years shortly there after? Either in American hands here in the US or in French hands in parts of Canada. I know France donated/sold quite a few pistols to the colonists during the Revolutionary War. However the pistols I'm referring to came after 1800.

 

[NorthFork]

So no one has any thoughts?

 

[tenngun]

I’m not up on French guns too much,or as good as I would like, what were these guns?
In short pistols were not widely popular except for special circumstances. I don’t know how that weighs on how popular a specific time with a particular group.

 

[Stantheman86]

I would guess post-1800 pistols like that would be rare in the US at that time, given that the French military didn't have too strong of a presence here.

British pistols, sure, between the Revolution and War of 1812 you'd have captured or battlefield pickup guns but where would an American get a French made post 1800 pistol? Unless it made it down through Canada but how many would have been over here to begin with?

 

[NorthFork]

Stantheman86-

There is so little info on the French pistols. They have caught my eye lately and I am trying to learn more about them. Sadly they are almost a complete mystery.

 

[desi23]

How common or unlikely would it of been for some of the French IX or XIII or Carabinieri or De Gendarmerie pistols to make it here to North America during the times of manufacturing or the years shortly there after? Either in American hands here in the US or in French hands in parts of Canada. I know France donated/sold quite a few pistols to the colonists during the Revolutionary War. However the pistols I'm referring to came after 1800.

I would say that it would be at least uncommon for the later Napoleanic era pistols to show up in the US during that time frame. The most likely way would be individual examples in the hands of immigrants fleeing the wars in Europe (or the disorder and mess afterward) who might have acquired them through military service (French or an opposing force) or through battlefield salvage or trade. While it's well known that Britain sold off large quantities of older service weapons in the years after the Napoleanic wars ended (to Mexico for example) I don't now of any similar sell off of French weapons, at least during that time period and in the western hemisphere.

 

[NorthFork]

Thanks.

 

[BillinOregon]

Well the French may not have had a lot of presence here after 1800, but many of our young officers learned dragoon/cavalry tactics studying with the military in France and French designs influenced our saddles and sabers among other things. I'll bet the French pistols mentioned were familiar to many of our military professionals. There also would have been some examples of French firearms floating about during the abortive rule of Maximilian in Mexico, 1864-67.

 

[Stantheman86]

Those French pistols were neat, they were intended to be "mini muskets" and would be used by cavalry or foot Officers to join in volley fire. They could also obviously be used for close combat.

The British and Americans used smaller calibers for horse pistols, where the French kept a .69 bore for them. Same ball as the muskets with a reduced charge.