Pistol ID help please?

[buffcreekforge]

I picked this little pocket pistol at the Kansas Muzzleloading Association Convention this past weekend. It shows no marks, but has nice carving on the back of the barrel tang. It looks Continental (Maybe English?) to me, but I see no proof marks, making me suspect American made. The brass band at the end of the barrel is a filed pattern and holds the barrel in place (no pins). The barrel is octagon to round with a wedding band, 3 1/2 inches long an measures .42 at the bore. The overall length is right at 8 inches and 3 3/4 inches high. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated,

I remain your humble servant,

Just Dave
http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/buffcreekforge1/media/image-4.jpg.html http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/buffcreekforge1/media/image-5.jpg.html http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/buffcreekforge1/media/image-2.jpg.html http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/buffcreekforge1/media/image-1.jpg.html http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/buffcreekforge1/media/image.jpg.html

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'm fairly certain somebody bobbed off a longer pistol for whatever reason and made a pocket pistol of it. Not having proof marks, It'd almost certainly be an American made gun. If yo haven't yet, I'd recommend you remove the barrel and check it's underneath, sometimes stamping gets hidden there...just a thought! Nice find regardless. :thumbsup:

 

[hawkeye2]

The band doesn't seem to match the style or quality of the pistol. Also the head of the tang screw looks awfully high to me. I wonder if they aren't later repairs or replacements.

 

[MacRob46]

I agree with Hawkeye on the barrel band and the screw. I think it is American, not English and the barrel may have been cut down but it is quite possibly in its original length. It appears to be rifled. Is the rifling straight or spiraled and does it go all the way to the breech plug? Interesting little piece.

 

[Wes/Tex]

The band and the screw give it away. The band is there to hold up the front end since the cut-back deleted the barrel pin. The large headed tang screw may nave been added at the time of the bob-job to act as a poor man's rear sight for shots just outside powder burn distance.
Would love to see a close up of the lock to get a better idea of style and work.

 

[rickystl]

Agree with others here. Nice find. Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[curator]

The two-thirds of what's left of the original pistol could be Dutch or French. The lock appears to lack a frizzen bridle which would make it early 18th century (1710-1750ish)Also the curvature of the bottom edge of the lock suggests early British/European not American. Of course, it could be a really good original copy by some American gunsmith--that's always a possibility, but unlikely as pistols required almost the same amount of work as a rifle but were less useful. What's left of the gun is a good example of bad things that happen to good guns. What's with the attempt to fake rifling with the file marks at the muzzle? The gun if original would almost definitely be a smoothbore. I usually see these kinds of butchered originals at living history rendezvous and reenactments being sold to the "flatlanders."

 

[Fernando Keilty]

Hello:

The barrel (barrel) was never shortened the octagonal part is half its length, and the mouth has a balustrade: obviously not striped, despite notches. It has the appearance of a barrel (barrel) Spanish or Italian. The bowl (pan) has flange (bridge). For me, it is a European weapon.

Affectionately. Fernando K

(Sorry for the translator)

 

[Ed Hamberg]

I agree with the "French or Dutch" possibility as the carving is very close to other French carving I have seen. The French were very fond of their pocket pistols....LK