HOW WERE O/U OR S/S PISTOLS LOADED?

There were a lot of O/U & S/S flint and percussion pistols produced.

I've always wondered how their owners loaded them.

Was it one barrel with buck-the other with ball?

Or 2 barrels with buck?

Or two barrels with ball?

Anyone have any historical insight into this issue?

I just imagine they loaded em for the circumstances to be expected :idunno:

Every original double barreled pistol that I have removed loads from were loaded with ball. (Single barrels too) Over a 40+ year career as a museum curator, there have been a fair number of loaded guns brought to me. I suspect most people of that time understood that shot was not particularly effective loaded in a pistol.

A short barrel and shot just seem like a poor combination...

There were a lot of O/U & S/S flint and percussion pistols produced.

Click to expand...

There were?... :shocked2:

Lot of percussion versions but don't believe there were a great number of flint versions.

How many is a lot? .....Serious question, I'm not yanking your chain. Any production stats? Are you just talking derringers and muff guns? or Howdaw's?

Oh yee of little faith! Mostly "Tap action" pistols. You can google this if you don't believe me, but also full-stock O/U pistols with lock on left and right. Over/under pistols were quite popular in the Continental concealed carry of the day. After all, two shots was better than one. To be sure they did not advertise in the Monkey-Ward catalog kept in your out=house so you wouldn't be expected to know about them.

Thanks, I was just looking for some context.

I've seen perhaps a hundred or so over the years. Most are what we would think of as 'pocket' or 'over-coat' pistols and probably made for self defense. Many of the English seem to be O/U types with eh better quality having one hammer with a longer snout to reach a drum set low, usually on the off side. A lot of the Continental made guns seem to be a majority of side-by-side construction. My favorites are those with spring-latch bayonets mounted on top between the barrels...real 'stand and deliver' types. Though some of these are new modern versions, there are a lot of the more typical type of late 18th to mid 19th century doubles. The Howdah type with detachable shoulder stock is a honey!
https://www.google.com/search?q=do...UCipAKHetqBnEQsAQIKQ&biw=1280&bih=893#imgrc=_

Curator--When you unloaded period pistols, did you keep any records on how many grains of powder were being loaded in the various bores?

No, I did not keep records of how much powder was in each gun. A lot of the powder clung to the inside of the barrel and I was concerned with preventing further rust/pitting. I was always surprised about how LITTLE powder was actually found.I used a lighted bore scope to get every last grain of powder out of the breech, so estimates of the charge was pretty accurate.On .40 t0 .50 caliber guns the powder charge was around 20 to 25 grains in weight. Surprisingly, the 200+ year old powder was usually still good and would light quickly with a satisfying "poof." I don't remember ever finding a patched round ball, mostly paper, dirty rag or flax tow wadding.

Tap lock?

40ish caliber?

I think it has a cap box in the grip?

My vault has locked me out? :slap: :idunno:

Will find out why Monday if you have questions.








William Alexander

The O/U small pistols that have a two-chambered rotating pan, that had to have a level or projection 'tapped' to open it to the other barrel, got their name from that feature...both flint and percussion. If you want to double up....

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5a/91/77/5a9177fd8d0c674b01968e1522b4aa2e.jpg :wink:

Normal versions had a swing lever as does this one.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f7/f8/aa/f7f8aae00f1c36e57a5eb490ccd0202b.jpg

This percussion model has the same plus a built in frog gig below!

https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/127d748b-9ff7-4046-b339-a402011ebbc2/67521f25-ece9-4c4c-f7b7-ccd7b60c46f2/540x360.jpg

In later O/U percussion pistols had double hammers with varied length built-in drums to deliver the flash to the lower barrel from the cap. In this interesting cased set example, the near side has a standard type set up for the top barrel.

http://www.byswordandmusket.co.uk/wp-content/imagescaler/aef06f00b0547b446fa9a4ebef2d997a.jpg

The off side had a longer drum nearly flush fitted but visible in contact with the lower barrel.

http://www.byswordandmusket.co.uk/wp-content/imagescaler/89a88cf956915e1390c4e7c7c4ba5666.jpg

Another variation to reach the lower barrel.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0KinCu9_j0/WT_9U74SrFI/AAAAAAAAEFI/S_6F3Lcg5tYeCLoMMXe2lIOq5-_aT0qPwCEw/s1600/KavanaghLH151cp3.JPG

If I remember right the one I posted doesn’t have a lever, just a knob.
It will fire the top, turn the knob, put another cap on and then fire the bottom barrel.
Or you can fire both barrels at the same time if you want.

Barrels unscrew to load.



William Alexander

Yours appears to be the turn type and I've seen or seen pictures of button, lever or pin variations. Some were quite novel and one was so small, it probably qualified as a true 'mouse gun'! :wink:

Easy to see how clustered barrels became popular.

Many of us today get confused with hand guns of yesterday.
Today a hand gun with less power than a .44 mag. is not considered as being serious.
If you look at a .40 cal. muff gun with a 2 1/2" barrel, loaded with a ball and 25 grains of powder it will barely penetrate a piece of 1/2 plywood.
And of course if you had a double stacker you were well armed for the time.
Today we need a fifty shot mag. :hmm:
Of course a pistol of .60 cal. ball and 50 grains of powder and a 10" barrel, would be close to a .357 mag. in power. That would hurt!
Back then, if you were gut shot with a .36 ball, you were in BIG trouble.
If you dug it out you died, if you left there, you died. Dr. Vet's tools were not always hygienic. Other than a quick wipe under his arm.
We certainly have a different idea of leaving the house today being well armed as compared to yesterday ( back then )
Fred

Plenty of names in those old west cemeteries that managed to get there by way of an "underpowered" caliber....