Antique Percussion Pistols for sale

Pair of Silver Framed Boxlock Percussion Travelling Pistols with Silver Inlaid Butts by Harvey of Plymouth

A very good quality pair of Silver Mounted Boxlock Percussion Travelling or Ladies Muff pistols by Harvey of Plymouth, circa 1830.  Octagonal 2.5” turn off blued barrels engraved at muzzle with line engraving at breech, top flat signed HARVEY - PLYMOUTH, crisp post 1813 Birmingham Proofs with crisp edges - minor scratches. Solid Nickel Silver frames with scroll engraved actions merging with barrel engraving, sliding safeties, drop down triggers, crisp proof viewers marks. Strong working actions. Rounded butts are profusely engraved in silver wire with various flowers and vacant silver diamond shape escutcheon. No losses to silver wire inlay, excellent wood to silver frame fit with no shrinkage. Dolphin head engraved hammers. Overall length 6.75”.

Gunmaker : John Harvey, 10 Lockyer Terrace, Union Road, Plymouth, circa 1830-1835, thereafter Harvey & Son.

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.

A very early 80 Bore Kerr's Patent 5 shot Single Action Revolver circa 1859 marked to the 1st Sussex Artilllery Volunteers.  5.5 in. (14cm) blued octagonal sighted barrel with five groove rifling. Blued grooved top strap, border engraved blued frame marked 'KERR'S PATENT NO 46' with London proof marks. Strong traces of original blueing and case hardening to barrel/frame with crisp edges. Matching serial numbered cylinder with London proof marks - some traces of original finish and some staining where pistol has been left in a case. Border engraved back action lock signed 'LONDON ARMOURY. BERMONDSEY'. Plain trigger-guard with border engraved butt cap engraved - 1st SUSSEX ARTILLLERY VOLUNTEERS No 4. Rammer with locking catch. Grips are original with some handling marks but virtually no shrinkage. One of the earliest known Kerr's revolvers and a very early number for the Sussex Artillery Volunteers batch. Pistol would grade up with careful cleaning as strong traces of bluing remain under the patina. A very original and early Kerr’s revolver.

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.

Additional notes:

This revolver incorporates British Patent no. 2896 of 17th December 1858 and 242 of 26th January 1859. The butt shape appears to be unique to the first 100 or so revolvers. 

This is one of the earliest Kerr's revolvers. It was previously thought that the earliest cased example was in the Val Forgett collection sold through Rock Island Auctions in 2007. However, the oldest genuinely cased Kerrs with matching armorial on case and 80 bore revolver is serial number 42 which was made for Admiral Sir Alexander Milne who was Commander in Chief North America and West Indies Station during the American Civil War.

It is clear from various articles and opinions on the early Kerrs revolvers and the Sussex Artillery that there are as many opinions as there are variations in Kerrs revolvers. For example, one article states that the 100 issued to the Sussex Artillery were in .44 calibre (54 bore) with serial numbers in the range 87-187. That is clearly wrong but the article was probably based upon a Sussex Artillery marked 54 bore Kerrs with a serial number in that range. Another online reference from a highly knowledgeable and respected collector recalls a Sussex Artillery marked Kerrs serial number 123 but in .36 calibre (100 bore). It is now clear that the 100 issued to the Sussex Artillery were not consecutively numbered and were made in 54, 80 and 100 bore variants. See previously sold examples in our database for other Sussex Artillery Volunteers examples,  

During the 1860's, Shoreham Fort was garrisoned by the 1st Sussex Volunteer Artillery of Eastern Division, Royal Artillery, whose headquarters were in Brighton. They were formed just before 1860 as Rifle Volunteers from the local rifle clubs and were joined by artillery volunteers following the invasion scare of Napoleon III. The Sussex Volunteer Artillery was considered to be the cream of Volunteer Artillery units and in 1865 at the Shoeburyness National Artillery Meeting it won the Queen’s Prize and the Lord Palmeston Prize for accurate shooting.     

This is a very good quality Volunteer Lancers pistol closest in style and specification to the 1858 Pattern Cavalry Percussion pistol. Smoothbore 9” barrel .700” bore in excellent condition (proof marks are probably under the barrel which has not been removed). Plain tang. Flat border engraved lock of regulation specifications signed T. RICHARDS, LONDON. Regulation specifications brass mounts comprising butt plate, plain trigger guard, stirrup ram rod and sidenail cups. Lanyard ring to butt plate. Full stocked in walnut. 15.25” overall. Very good condition.

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.

French M1842 Percussion Gendarme Pistol. The 5 inch, 22 bore smoothbore barrel dated 1845, sharp markings with initials  MB below the bolster and barrel bearing the touch/proof marks Crown/M and Crown/S. Tang marked M.1842. Back action lock strongly marked 'Mre. Rle./de Mutzig'  the Manufacture Royale de Mutzig. Steel furniture bearing inspector's marks. Walnut stock bearing Royal Cipher of the Mutzig Factory, storekeeper's mark and various inspector's marks. Stock is good with normal handling marks, mainly to reverse side. Overall very good and all original including ramrod. In untouched sleepy condition with lovely patina. Overall length 10".

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.

A rare combination weapon, this is a Burmese Dha combination pistol and sword. 30 bore barrel, 9.25 “ long, smoothbore with two brass band decorative rings gives the appearance of a pistol carbine but it conceals a 15.5” long sword which fits into the stock and is joined to the barrel. To remove the sword, the percussion hammer has to be cocked then the barrel lifts upwards and forwards, with the barrel then used as the handle of the sword/saber. The working percussion lock is identical to the FROST collection example and is struck with a clear inscription and makers mark. The wooden stock is in good condition and has decorative engraved brass sheathing with further brass panels along top and bottom of stock, nearly identical again to the FROST example. All original brass furniture including two sling swivels, ramrod pipe, fore end cap, sideplate and triggerguard. Ramrod is missing but these are a simple steel rod with flared end. Overall length 26.5”. 

Only a handful of these Burmese Combination Dha appear to have survived. Apart from the ex Frost collection example in his book, there is a plainer example in the William Fagan Ltd collection, a further one illustrated on pinterest and another that went through auction in California in 1998. 

BLADES AND BARRELS, Six Centuries of Combination Weapons, by H. GORDON FROST, pages 136-138, plates 217 and 218 shows the near identical example of this rare Burmese combination pistol and sword. 

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.

Cased pair of best quality Cessier patent under hammer pocket pistols by Jean-Baptiste Cessier of St Etienne., circa 1820. 1.5” turn off 120 bore damas frisé barrels. Rounded case hardened under hammer actions with case hardened triggers and hammers. Tang signed in fine gold script ‘J Bte Cessier a St Etienne’. Dark horn grips. Pistols 6.25" overall length. Slightly later period mahogany case with close fitted blue velvet interior containing a combination barrel wrench and bullet mould. High degree of original finish remaining on both pistols. Mechanics in first class order. One pistol is in near mint unfired condition, the other has had minimal use with a small piece of horn missing on one side by the frame and the horn grip slightly distorted with age. Gold inlaid makers signature on both pistols in perfect condition with no losses. 

Jean-Baptiste Cessier (1781-1855) was apprenticed to Nicolas Noel Boutet at Versailles. The quality of his best work reflected his training. After returning home to St Etienne, Cessier continued as a Master Gunsmith producing mainly underhammer pistols of his own 1816 patent for a single trigger system. Pocket sized under hammer pistols by Cessier are extremely rare. Around 1840 he made a famous gun, now in the Museum of Art and Industry with a carved French Walnut gunstock, ‘Atlas carrying the Universe’.

The price includes UK delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.