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Hello all. Thought I would post photos of a pistol I own for those who have not seen these guns. Some might find it interesting? :idunno:
During the Victorian Period (about 1840-1900) antique (for then) weapons used for display purposes was all the rage with decorators in areas of Europe. Guns, swords, and even complete suits of armor were repoduced to satisfy the demand. Often the guns were assembled using original parts. The quality of assembly varied greatly. Collectors often refer to these guns as Victorian Copies. In any case, they were made just for display impact. This is a good example of that type of gun.
At first glance this pistol looks like a Spanish, large bore, personal protection weapon common around the turn of the 19th Century. Looks like the perfect pirate re-enactor type pistol. :haha: Of course, on closer inspection, the faults of this gun are obvious to the trained eye. Here's what's wrong with it:
1) Lock: Actually the lock is an original Spanish Miquelet pistol lock from about 1800-1820. It's complete and in good working condition.
2) Stock: My guess is this gun was stocked/assembled sometime in the late 1800's. The lock is not fully inleted into the stock. Only one of the two lockplate holes is utilized through the side plate. The tail of the lockplate has a simple wood screw to hold it in place.
3) Barrel: With the exagerated and flared 1" bore, this is not a real gun barrel. Even though it is engraved, it's simply a heavy piece of pipe. Since the bore is so large it's easy to see with a light all the way to the breech. The make-shift breech plug actually has a hollow center and extends about a fourth of the way up the bore, effectively creating what would be a dangerous bore obstruction.
Mounts: The brass mounts appear to be authentic and designed in the typical Spanish style. However, note the tang of the lower ramrod pipe OVERLAPS on top of the front trigger guard tang. Of course no gunsmith would do that. The ramrod and channel are too short, and the trigger is a fantacy.
A Victorian Period copy, utilizing some original parts, and assembeled over a hundered years ago. Today, most collectors view these guns as curiosities with an interesting story. Anyway, thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy, and maybe get a laugh or two. Rick. :hatsoff:
During the Victorian Period (about 1840-1900) antique (for then) weapons used for display purposes was all the rage with decorators in areas of Europe. Guns, swords, and even complete suits of armor were repoduced to satisfy the demand. Often the guns were assembled using original parts. The quality of assembly varied greatly. Collectors often refer to these guns as Victorian Copies. In any case, they were made just for display impact. This is a good example of that type of gun.
At first glance this pistol looks like a Spanish, large bore, personal protection weapon common around the turn of the 19th Century. Looks like the perfect pirate re-enactor type pistol. :haha: Of course, on closer inspection, the faults of this gun are obvious to the trained eye. Here's what's wrong with it:
1) Lock: Actually the lock is an original Spanish Miquelet pistol lock from about 1800-1820. It's complete and in good working condition.
2) Stock: My guess is this gun was stocked/assembled sometime in the late 1800's. The lock is not fully inleted into the stock. Only one of the two lockplate holes is utilized through the side plate. The tail of the lockplate has a simple wood screw to hold it in place.
3) Barrel: With the exagerated and flared 1" bore, this is not a real gun barrel. Even though it is engraved, it's simply a heavy piece of pipe. Since the bore is so large it's easy to see with a light all the way to the breech. The make-shift breech plug actually has a hollow center and extends about a fourth of the way up the bore, effectively creating what would be a dangerous bore obstruction.
Mounts: The brass mounts appear to be authentic and designed in the typical Spanish style. However, note the tang of the lower ramrod pipe OVERLAPS on top of the front trigger guard tang. Of course no gunsmith would do that. The ramrod and channel are too short, and the trigger is a fantacy.
A Victorian Period copy, utilizing some original parts, and assembeled over a hundered years ago. Today, most collectors view these guns as curiosities with an interesting story. Anyway, thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy, and maybe get a laugh or two. Rick. :hatsoff:
as I am wont to buy things without proper research. :redface: 
