Pistol for early 1800's

[NorthFork]

Looking for a pistol to go along with my 62 Cal smoothbore trade gun. Something that would represent the early 1800's. Obviously cap and ball revolvers are out. A Harper's Ferry pistol maybe??

 

[hawkeye2]

A Harpers Ferry would fit the time frame but if you are not military how would you explain being in possession of one?

 

[plmeek]

NorthFork,

This pistol would go well with your 62 Cal smoothbore trade gun.

http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/PKT.shtml

These types of trade pistols go back to the 18th century and were imported into North America by the thousands. They were used in the fur trade and in the civilian market throughout the flintlock period.

Here is an original "KETLAND & Co" marked pistol that dates to the 1790s.

Phil Meek

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Martial pistols of the era were primarily for mounted soldiers to take our horses, or for the lower ranking officers to use as a pistol or club on soldiers attempting to break ranks. Cilian pistols could cover a wide gamut from little derringer types to the size of horse pistols with a lot as short range defense guns in between. It sort of depends on your personna.. Are you a trapper looking for a second shot to defend your self and possible to finish off a large wounded animal? a city dandy would like have a belly gun of dueler.

 

[NorthFork]

Frontiersman/independent trapper in the 1790s to 1830s in Rupert's Land. I get that it's a 40 year span but I'm working on narrowing that down. Mostly the early 1800s.

 

[plmeek]

Frontiersman/independent trapper in the 1790s to 1830s in Rupert's Land. I get that it's a 40 year span but I'm working on narrowing that down. Mostly the early 1800s.

The Hudson's Bay Company imported a bunch of those Ketland style trade pistols into Rupert's Land. The style didn't change much over the 40 year span you are interested in.

There is a later style pistol one contemporary builder called a Hudson's Bay Factor's Pistol that looked like this.

The top pistol is an original while the lower pistol is a contemporary build, but these date to 1820 and later.

The Lyman Plains Pistol is an option, but the style with the half stock is later still.

Traditions has something they call a Pirate Pistol in .50 Cal that is somewhat close to the Ketland trade pistol I first posted.

https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/traditions-trapper-pistol-flintlock-1710.html

Phil

 

[hawkeye2]

Unfortunatily Traditions discontinued the Pirate pistol about the time of the discussion on this forum which is too bad as I felt it had a lot of potentioal.

 

[plmeek]

hawkeye2,

I don't think it matters. The OP seems to have lost interest. He hasn't bothered with any followup posts.

I notice my link doesn't work either. This forum has a built in algorithm that corrupts URLs to other forums or anything the algorithm interprets as another forum. The link should have been to:

www.muzzle(dash)loaders.com/pistols/flintlock-pistols/traditions-trapper-pistol-flintlock-1710.html

I had to put (dash) for the symbol "-" to get it to accept the domain name.

 

[NorthFork]

I have not lost interest. I've learned to keep my yap shut when the experts are talking. I'm listening (reading), not indifferent, not ignoring, have not lost interest. I know very little about the proper historical aspects of pistols so I don't have much to add.

 

[nkbj]

Pedersoli has some large bore flintlocks of various patterns.

 

[plmeek]

Good to know you are still interested, NorthFork.

How much are you willing or able to spend for a pistol?

I tried to post some examples of the least expensive pistols that seemed to fit your time frame and persona.

They are examples of fairly large holster/horse and belt pistols. As zimmerstutzen pointed out, there were other styles. Some of the smaller pistols had twist-off barrels such as the Queen Anne pistol.

You could also carry a flintlock Kentucky pistol.

If you had come from Scotland, you might have a Scottish Highlander Pistol.

If you can afford a custom pistol, that would open up even more options.

Phil

 

[NorthFork]

Less than $750. I had my eye on the Queen Anne and almost ordered one but I thought that it was too early for my stated period. Thought the Queen Annes were much early like 1715 to 1750 or so????

 

[plmeek]

Thought the Queen Annes were much early like 1715 to 1750 or so????

They go back that far, but similar pistols were made through the flintlock period and into the percussion period.

A percussion version is shown in this sketch of Antoine Clement by Alfred Jacob Miller Ca. 1837.

The later pistols often had square frames.

The Queen Anne pistols made by the high end English gunmakers mostly date to pre-1750, but patterns and styles continued for decades in the lower end markets and even later in the export markets.

Nothing wrong with having a pistol that dates earlier than your time-frame. A pistol that was out of style in England could have easily found its way to North America some years later. Better than having one made later than your period.

Phil

 

[Elnathan]

I've always liked this one:
https://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2014/02/musket-bore-american-flintlock-trade.html

 

[NorthFork]

Good points on the Queen Anne. I'll give it some more thought. Thanks!

 

[plmeek]

I like that one too, Elnathan.

It really stirs the imagination. Who built it? Why? Where? It certainly appears to qualify as a frontier made gun.

It is also interesting that even though it was apparently made with military parts, it was not built in the style of a military pistol. It's also interesting that it wasn't built in the style of an American Kentucky pistol, though it appears to be American made.

It obviously has the architecture of an English trade pistol. Whoever built it, they had a specific style in mind that they were copying.

To me, the only thing that dates the pistol to the 1820s is the shape of the grip. The auction description said, "having a slightly bulbous and heavy, 'cane-handle' type grip". I've also seen that shape grip called a "bag" grip, and it did come into style in England post-1800.

The lock itself looks much earlier than ca. 1820, to me, but that's understandable if it was re-purposed.

Phil