Single shot pistols in Texas 1836 ?

[BSchroe]

Were single shot pistols very common in 1836 Texas ?
Have been to Buffalo Bill museum in Cody Wyo and noted that
There are one heck of a bunch of flinter and percussion single
Shot pistols seem to have been carried in the West .

 

[tenngun]

Pistols were secondary arms. There were bunches of them in all sorts of use. Access to a pistol was not out of the question. HBC AF RMF all traded in pistols. Also ”˜Kentucky’ pistols had developed reginol varieties. And matched sets of pistols were sold by most makers. Derringer was already a famous gun maker. The wreck of the Arabia from some years later had barrels full of single shot boot pistols.
We need to keep in mind that guns were expensive and money flow sluggish. People often had a lot of wealth with little actual monies. And buying an extra gun with monies that could be spent on a second long gun may have been an unlikely choice. People going to Texas would have or have not a pistol based on economics, need and how they saw them self. A ner-do-well gentleman would need to have a matched set, at expense of other needs, while a farmer may have lots more wealth but never feel a need for one.

 

[Wes/Tex]

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/image_lg/di_00819.jpg

Stephen F. Austin's pair. From what I've seen in museums that can be traced to early Texas residents, the mix seems about 50/50 of older U.S. military pistols and general Kentucky or eastern made pistols.

At San Jacinto
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/17775/17186010_1.jpg?v=8D076C7C5D9E180
http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/34/72/54/7580462/3/1024x1024.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/fc/7c/be/fc7cbe1433d86d380e542178d21235b8--texas-revolution-colonel.jpg

From family of Alamo defender
https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*hlDcX48wYBFJoXgUCq9bdA.jpeg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CoCJR7Yqz0k/hqdefault.jpg
Miquelet pistol at Alamo...probably from the other side :wink:

There are many old guns in museums large and small that are "suppose to be" from early Texas but unless there's some direct tie to an actual person, I consider it wishful thinking!

 

[BSchroe]

Thanks gents for the outstanding answer.

I was watching that tv series Texas Rising when I noticed
almost everyone with a pistol. ( I know it was a movie .)
But I was wondering about how much pistols were
carried. And the need and limited cash would dictate
The actual possession of a pistol.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Don't use that piece of wasted film as a guide for anything historical. About all Hollywood got right that time was Houston was on one side and Santa Anna was on the other! :wink:

 

[curator]

If you read Fredrick Wilkins' three books about the history of the Texas Rangers, there is a lot of information about the various arms that were in use. Single-shot pistols were a common "back-up" gun. A "brace" (pair) of pistols was considered minimum until revolvers came along.

 

[snubnose57]

Thanks Curator, ordered all 3 books off Fleabay, app. $4 apiece with free shipping. 2 were hardbacks, pleasant surprise.

 

[satx78247]

Fwiw, The Alamo's arms collection has exactly ONE flintlock pistol. - It's a War of 1812 French flinter (that has been identified to a member of COL Milam's command & was "probably used in" The Battle of San Antonio, which was BEFORE the Siege of the Alamo Fortress) & is about .65 caliber.

yours, satx

 

[BillinOregon]

Wes. any idea what caliber Austin's pistols are? They look elegantly long and lean.

 

[satx78247]

NOT a single clue. - SORRY.
Given the number of people who gave GEN Austin presents, they could be almost anything.
(He was even given expensive presents, by some of his Federalist admirers in Mexico City, before he returned to TX after being locked up in prison by GEN Santa Anna for a goodly spell.)

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

BSchroe,

ALL that I can tell you about that precise subject is that 3-4 years ago, during a "question & answer period" after one of the TX history seminars, the curator of our Witte Museum said that: BLADES were more often carried "in town" by early Texicans than any sort of firearm.
(NO quotation marks, as I didn't write down his exact words but that is close to his actual comment.)

Period information about COL Bowie, when he was in TX, do NOT indicate that he carried any sort of pistol inside Bejar, though he was never known to be without "My little friend" (His about 4-inch bladed dagger that his cousin Nellie gave him) AND his famous (or NOTORIOUS, if you prefer) fighting knife.

Given that he had all of the Veramendi money behind him, he COULD have bought most any firearm(s) (and/or anything else that he chose to buy) that he chose, had he desired one or more handguns.

yours, satx