• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Danish Target Pistol, request info. on Maker

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Relic shooter

Decades of bringing worthy orig. ML back to life
MLF Supporter
Joined
Apr 23, 2020
Messages
977
Reaction score
1,563
Location
Kuna, Idaho
This presentation grade target pistol displays the finest quality workmanship of any fine European pistol I've owned.
For about 40 years a .70 cal. Danish Jaeger made in Kiobenhaven became my most accurate & favorite competition & hunting rifle, recently re-homed that Jaeger to a younger forum member.
All the flint & perc. era firearms I've owned from Kiobenhaven have had the finest quality rifled barrels, tempering & workmanship.

To date I have not been able to locate my gun library since our downsize move so back begging for help again.
Description;

This very lightweight & well balanced presentation grade target pistol weighs just 1.5 lbs.
To maintain high strength through the wrist area the maker cleverly installed an engraved steel duplicate of the lock panel opposite the lock.
The pistol's lock & barrel are engraved with the maker's name, Delcomy n Kiobenhaven.
Top of the barrel near the breech has a faint sword type stamp that may be a proof mark? The stamp is difficult to make out as all surfaces of the damascus twist barrel are also fully engraved.

Specs;
-Bore of the pistol is 10.50" long, .38 cal. rifled & slightly swamped barrel & remains in mint condition.
-Bore measurements indicate patched lead .38 cal. SWC slugs would be a good fit & option if they grouped well ?
-This pistol's double-set triggers & will fire set or unset. When set the trigger requires just a 'thought' to fire. Original owner must have been a hardcore competitor.
-Would love to have had this pistol back when I was younger & a serious competitor.

NOTE; Lock interior photo shows the 'fly' in this beautifully made lock is very unique, it's located in a tiny slot cut in 'center' of the tumbler.
Also unusual, the lock's mainspring also serves as the sear spring.

Much thanks in advance to any member who can provide background info on this maker.
Relic shooter
 

Attachments

  • Danish Target Pistol, opposite lockside view photo 2.jpg
    Danish Target Pistol, opposite lockside view photo 2.jpg
    82 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish Target Pistol, top view photo 3.jpg
    Danish Target Pistol, top view photo 3.jpg
    529 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish Target Pistol, bottom view photo 4.jpg
    Danish Target Pistol, bottom view photo 4.jpg
    384.2 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish Presentation Grade pistol photo Lock interior & trigger assy #2.jpg
    Danish Presentation Grade pistol photo Lock interior & trigger assy #2.jpg
    83.3 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish Target Pistol, lockside view photo 1.jpg
    Danish Target Pistol, lockside view photo 1.jpg
    97.2 KB · Views: 5
Incredible pistol, can you post a better picture of the back of the lock?
 
Incredible pistol, can you post a better picture of the back of the lock?
Thanks Gtrubicon,
This photo provides better view how the mainspring also serves as sear spring.
 

Attachments

  • Danish Presentation Grade pistol photo of Lock interior #1.jpg
    Danish Presentation Grade pistol photo of Lock interior #1.jpg
    111.9 KB · Views: 0
Thanks Gtrubicon,
This photo provides better view how the mainspring also serves as sear spring.
Note;
When zooming-in on the earlier tilted back-side photo of the lock, that also shows
unusual open-design of the tumbler assy.
Definitely one of the most innovative designed locks I've run across in my years of collecting &
shooting original flint & percussion firearms..
If i'm able to recover information on the maker I would not be surprised if he was also engaged as a watchmaker.
 
Another beauty. I’ve made this comment often, but here it goes again. I love the detail a lot of European guns have on the hammer. They can be covered in exquisite engraving and the hammer details still get me. This one appears to be a fish? Love it!
 
Another beauty. I’ve made this comment often, but here it goes again. I love the detail a lot of European guns have on the hammer. They can be covered in exquisite engraving and the hammer details still get me. This one appears to be a fish? Love it!
Thank you.
Yes nose of the hammer does have an engraved fish head type character with inlaid gold eyes.

As a former gunsmith & builder what fascinates me the most is the innovative design of the lock's components.
With today's CNC technology this lock's design would provide the foundation for an excellent quality flint or percussion lock
with fewer components.
 
Hi Martin , much thanks for your reply & information.
I do believe the maker's name is Delcomyn, I was in error the last letter 'n' represented 'in before Kiobenhaven.
According to the information you provided it appears there were a few gun makers named Delcomyn.
This pistol's very unique lock design, fine workmanship & engraving may indicate this pistol was crafted by joint efforts of a family of gunsmiths working together but would think that type of workmanship & connection would be noted ?
I also posted an inquiry on a Norwegian PB forum but haven't received any response from there thus far.

Below are photos of the identical maker's inscriptions on the lock & barrel.
I see no obvious proof marks on any panel of the barrel other than what appears to be a faint sword type stamping on top of the barrel near the
gold band at the breech area.
In my research I did discover that the spelling Kiobenhaven was only used for 20 years between 1821-& 1841.
Be nice if it's mint rifled .38 cal. bore performs well, soon as I get opportunity to try it at the range I'll post grouping results.
Again, thanks for your generous input Martin !
Chuck-Relic shooter

Danish Presentation Grade pistol photo Lock exterior & trigger assy #1.jpg

Danish Pistol barrel, top view Damascus Patterning, engraving, gold inlays photo.jpg
Danish Pistol barrel, underside photo #1.jpg
 
I believe that the Pistol was made by Delcomyn Carl Heinrich. 1800 - 1864.
The location and time are appropriate.

But what we have to be clear about is. This Weapons were alwaya not completely built by a Gunsmith.
For example the Gun-barrels. The majority of them were manufactured in Belgium at the time and sold throughout Europe.

Even the big French Names like: Gastinne Renette, Le Page usw.

I own a few of these manufacturers, and I can find a Belgian Proff mark on Most of them.

What you see as a Sword on your Barrel. Can this be the last picture?

IMG_5321[1].JPG
 
Here Danish Proof Marks from the time.
You find something like that?

Beautiful Pistol:thumb:
View attachment 321402
Below are photos at different lighting & angles of the marking near the breech that can be zoomed in on.

Depending on angle it appears to be a V with encircled R above but intricate patterning on the barrel's surface makes identity difficult with my vintage eyesite.
* Note how various lighting & angles changes the image.
OPINIONS WELCOMED ON THIS PUZZLE !
Perhaps someone on a European forum will page-in & have more knowledge on this Danish maker Delcomny & what the marking stamped at the breech represents. Would think that any Gun Maker with this level of workmanship skills would be listed.
Thank you !
Relic shooter/ Chuck
 

Attachments

  • Danish pistol Maker Proof Mark photo 1.jpg
    Danish pistol Maker Proof Mark photo 1.jpg
    63 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 2.jpg
    Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 2.jpg
    168.9 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 4.jpg
    Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 4.jpg
    127.1 KB · Views: 0
  • Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 5.jpg
    Danish pistol Maker or Proof Mark photo 5.jpg
    213.1 KB · Views: 0
I believe that the Pistol was made by Delcomyn Carl Heinrich. 1800 - 1864.
The location and time are appropriate.

But what we have to be clear about is. This Weapons were alwaya not completely built by a Gunsmith.
For example the Gun-barrels. The majority of them were manufactured in Belgium at the time and sold throughout Europe.

Even the big French Names like: Gastinne Renette, Le Page usw.

I own a few of these manufacturers, and I can find a Belgian Proff mark on Most of them.

What you see as a Sword on your Barrel. Can this be the last picture?

View attachment 321843
I agree, have also experience Belgian proofs on several high quality French pistols i've owned, this pistol has me puzzled.

Great having knowledgeable fellow forum members like yourself who are willing to help identify firearms.
What I originally thought was a sword stamp was my error.
Just posted much more detailed close-up photos of this mystery image, maybe it will be recognised by someone on other side of the pond?
 
Thanks für the pictures. I`m going to search.

If you`re interested. Here is a Film of how these beautifu. damask barrels were made back then.


Excellent video !
Beautiful damascus patterning can be found on high end English, French & Austrian firearms.
LaPage produced some similarly beautiful workmanship.
This Danish pistol is equal or better to the best makers I've owned or observed over my 60 years collecting.
The damascus twist pattern is clearly visible on barrel of this pistol, but the highly detailed pattern on the surface has depth you can actually feel.
It's depth of the intricate surface pattern that is making the Maker's name & strange stamp at the breech difficult to distinguish.

Martin you may be 100% correct that the maker is Delcomyn Carl Heinrich. 1800 - 1864, just odd that a maker with this skill level is not more known.
Chuck-Relic shooter
 
Back
Top