what kind of pistol i have?

[vido]

According to my research, this is probably pre-flintlock, I'm guessing snaplock, probably early 17th century snaplock horse pistol.
probably walnut, ornate silver brass overlay over most of the pistol.
pistol is 22 1/2-inches in length, 15 inch barrel
some signature on the top of the barrel, something like "borno 1700", see picture for detail.
I think it's a snaplock, as the guts are on the outside of the lock, possibly made between 1560 and 1640. The pistol is also very heavy (silver) and because the embellishments are much more ornate than what is found on these type of pistols, it has probably been made for a prominent individual.
I could be totaly wrong though, as I'm new to this things.
Any help would be most appreciated.
pictures:

 

[dave_person]

Hi Vigo,
The lock is a Miquelet of the Spanish form (mainspring pushes tail of the cock upward). However, my guess is that the pistol is Middle Eastern possibly Turkey. However, I would not rule out the Balkans or north Africa. The Spanish-style lock was exported to many Mediterranean countries. I don't think the gun is any older than late 17th or early 18th century.

dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi Vigo,
On second thought and after looking at some Balkan pistols, I think yours is a Balkan gun possibly Albanian from the 18th century. The decoration, stock, and lock all fit the style.

dave

 

[dave_person]

Hi Vido,
Sorry for the third post but I spent a little time following up on my hunch that the pistol is Balkan and now I am pretty convinced it is. Moreover, I need to revise the date because most of the pistols I found online and in my books that fit the style were made during the 19th century.

dave

 

[miqueleter]

Dave is right on the money. It is Balkan, Montenegro, most likely the Boka Kotorska area. The locals called the pistol ledencia, literally "icicle", for all that silver work.

The lock is indeed the ubiquitous Spanish patilla miquelet, which that area and the areas under Ottoman domain adopted early on and kept forever.

The pistol may have been made all or in part locally or all or in part imported from Italy (think Brescia). Truth be known, most Mid East barrels, locks, or whole guns were made in Europes main gun centers. Usually in the raw so the local silver smiths could embellish for local tastes. In fact, most of these pistols were more of a status symbol than for shooting.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Vido. I agree with Dave and Miqueleter here. The pistol is Albanian - or in my opinion - more likely Greek. Early to mid 19th Century. These pistols were in use up through the late 1880's.
Often, the barrel markings were spurios, to lead the prospective buyer into thinking that the barrel was made in Europe (usually Italy) to extract a larger selling price. Of course, the population was ignorant of reading it's own language much less anything European. Anyway, nice Pistol. Is the lock in working condition? Rick.

 

[vido]

Thank you all. You guys really have great knowledge about this things. I've made further research, and you were spot on, it's called ledenica, which probably means it is from Montenegro, as the term is slavic, not albanic. the lock doesn't work though as it has been broken.
thanks again.
vido

 

[TFoley]

truly did. But after almost three hours I gave up trying to download Mr Vido's thread on 'what kind of pistol do I have'.

I tried to open it and went off and did some futzing around, loaded a couple of hundred .357Mag for my LBR and cleaned up some 7.5x55 Swiss brass, made a big zhellum of coffee and then remembered I'd left the PC running.

Went back in the house, and looked.......

Nope.

Nada, zilch, ZERO.

Is it just me? :idunno:

tac

 

[widget350]

It opens fine for me, though I have nothing to add to it.

 

[hogslayer]

(Try this)

According to my research, this is probably pre-flintlock, I'm guessing snaplock, probably early 17th century snaplock horse pistol.
probably walnut, ornate silver brass overlay over most of the pistol.
pistol is 22 1/2-inches in length, 15 inch barrel
some signature on the top of the barrel, something like "borno 1700", see picture for detail.
I think it's a snaplock, as the guts are on the outside of the lock, possibly made between 1560 and 1640. The pistol is also very heavy (silver) and because the embellishments are much more ornate than what is found on these type of pistols, it has probably been made for a prominent individual.
I could be totaly wrong though, as I'm new to this things.
Any help would be most appreciated.
pictures:

sorry its just one of several pictures but this will give you a taste,
(Pete)

 

[TFoley]

Thank you, Sir, for the help and assistance there. I'm very grateful.

Sadly, although I am now better informed, I remain ignorant.

tac