Navy pistol?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Hello everybody. I am looking to buy a new single shot pistol and the Pedersoli Navy Moll looks very nice:

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/tipologia-prodotti.asp/l_en/idt_28/pistols-navy-moll.html

It's a good looking pistol, .45 caliber with maple stock. There is not much I could find about this pistol though, so I have some questions about it.

1) Why is it called "Navy"? The "Moll" part refers to David Moll, the maker, but were these pistols used by the U.S. Navy?

2) Is this a military/defensive style pistol, or is it purely a dueling pistol?

3) The sights on this gun look kind of out of place and too tall. Would it be possible to cut down the rear sight and add a shorter front sight?

If anybody out there knows, please help. Thanks so much all!!

Earl

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

1. The Army and Navy had different requirements for what they wanted in a sidearm, mainly caliber.

2. Dueling was a pastime of the wealthy elites, as a result, dueling pistols are traditionally wildly embellished with engraving, gold and silver inlays, and fancy carving. Poor people usually just brained one another when they had a dispute.

3. You can do whatever you want with or to the sights, I would recommend you wait to see how it shoots first before tinkering with them.



If this pistol does it for you: Go for it! :hatsoff:

 

[Coot]

It is not patterned after any standard percussion single shot used by the US Navy (which were the m1843 Ames, the Derringer m1843, the m1842 Aston and the Johnson m1836 conversions). In percussion revolvers, .36 is normally the navy model and .44 the army model. I have no idea why they called it a "navy" pistol - it doesn't look like a military pistol from the percussion era. It looks like either an unembellished dueling pistol or a personal civilian defense gun. I agree that the tall sights have a modern look but may be fine for shooting. I would not chose it for any kind of military impression but it could be a fun shooter.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

I've been thinking...

I know the Italian replicas are generally well made and well received within the ML community, and are loosely based on original examples, but the part that really sticks out like a sore thumb for me is how crude the transition from stock to nose cap looks? Am I missing something here? It seems like a cleaner transition in that area and a little more modest sights and that would be a pretty nice production pistol?

 

[hawkeye2]

The poor transition as well as the sights that are 3 times higher than they need be are typical of Italian replicas. After 50+ years they still don't have a feel for how a vintage American firearm really looked. A file will reshape the sights and the overall change in appearance of the pistol is worth the time invested. The stock to nose cap can be done but it's a lot more work. Other than those things the pistol has nice lines and I'll bet it'll shoot too. BTW, it's no closer to a dueling pistol than it is to a military pistol, strictly civilian but don't hold that against it.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks all, yes the sights to me look very out of place and I will be modifying them to shorter more appropriate ones if I buy this gun.

So does anyone know why Pedersoli calls this gun "Navy"? Seems a bit strange for a civilian style gun, and they have nothing on their website about it.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

So does anyone know why Pedersoli calls this gun "Navy"?

Because it sounds way cooler than "pistol .45" ?

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Well I don't know... I just don't know...

Pedersoli can make a very nice pistol though, I know that for a fact. Here is my Harpers Ferry they made:

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

Very nice :hatsoff:

 

[pargent]

Dueling pistols are very well made but very plain, the cost is in the quality .

 

[Grenadier1758]

In percussion revolvers, .36 is normally the navy model and .44 the army model. I have no idea why they called it a "navy" pistol - it doesn't look like a military pistol from the percussion era.

I have always thought that the 36 caliber revolvers were called navy revolvers because the Colt revolvers of 36 caliber had cylinder roll engraving of sailing ships. Nothing to do with Navy caliber requirements.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

In percussion revolvers, .36 is normally the navy model and .44 the army model. I have no idea why they called it a "navy" pistol - it doesn't look like a military pistol from the percussion era.

I have always thought that the 36 caliber revolvers were called navy revolvers because the Colt revolvers of 36 caliber had cylinder roll engraving of sailing ships. Nothing to do with Navy caliber requirements.

It would appear as if I got duped 150 years after Colt's clever marketing gimmick...:hmm:....

A quick search came up that the "Navy" model was named in honor of a small initial Navy contract, but sold all over the place to everyone. The "Army" model had considerably larger Government contracts to both the Army and the Navy, but was also used by anyone who had the coin...

It seems like Colt just added the Navy and Army titles to their revolvers because they wanted their brand associated with the military for civilian marketing and military contracts...

....The Remington New Army...:hmm:...ruthless

 

[TFoley]

Dueling pistols are very well made but very plain, the cost is in the quality .

You just beat me to it.

Having examined thousands of them, 99% of all continental-made duelling pistols that I have seen are plain in the extreme. Presentation flintlocks, often made in pairs, just like duelling pistols, are as ornate as they can be, but they are NOT duelling pistols.

tac

 

[Artificer]

It may be they named it the Navy Model because it has a brass butt cap or it was just their way of naming the model with a catchy description.

As others have mentioned and because they also make the Navy model in Flintlock, though, true Military Navy pistols in either flintlock or percussion were not made like this.

Of course they could always say that Naval Officers, like Land Officers, were required to purchase their own pistols, so this shape could have been one they chose........ But this pistol does not conform to civilian pattern arms that Naval Officers chose either.

Gus

 

[Coot]

it was just their way of naming the model with a catchy description.
Gus

Seems that way to me. :wink:

 

[Gene L]

Dueling pistols are very well made but very plain, the cost is in the quality .

This.

English dueling pistols were VERY plain and had no sights. The English thought that Providence should have a hand in dueling, and their pistols were smoothbore and very handsome and extremely well built but plain. An ornate pistol was considered crass and not in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion. They also had no ramrod thimbles and no ramrods because they were loaded by seconds.

French dueling pistols were very ornate with carvings and inlays, and rifling and sights. The French were intent on killing their opponents rather than satisfying honor by the act of a near miss.

The British copies of Naval pistols I've seen had a swivel ramrod holder like cavalry pistols for the same reasons, I guess. They were had brass furniture because of the salt atmosphere.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Most naval cotract firerms had brass hardware for the simple reason that it corroded less rapidly. Why they chose to call a "Kentucky" style pistol with a term like "Navy" baffles me. Navl pistols were generally larger bored since they were last ditch weapons for boarding or repelling boarders.
The term "Navy" attached to the M.1851 Colt revolver ws due to the naval scene roll engraved on the cylinder. In the FWIW department, it was meant to represent an engagement between naval units of the Mexican and Republic of Texas, May 16, 1843. The main reason it became famous was that a pure sail equipped squadron (the Texan) out maneuvered and out shot a steam driven squadron...and no one ever got close enough to use a pistol or revolver!

 

[Artificer]

The main reason it became famous was that a pure sail equipped squadron (the Texan) out maneuvered and out shot a steam driven squadron...and no one ever got close enough to use a pistol or revolver!

Bloody Good Seamanship by the Texas Navy, to say the least!

Gus

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

So do yall think I should get it? I like the way it looks.

 

[azmntman]

It's easy to spend your money :grin: While your still young I say get ALL the muzzleloaders you like, will come a day when you may have to give up a few to get that new toy and we all regret just damn near every one we have given up shortly after doing so. Cant go wrong here I'd say. If $$ an object consider a cheaper option like a CVA or Traditions Mountain pistol.

Go ahead "click" :thumbsup: