CASED JOHN MANTON POCKET PISTOLS £4,750.00
A RARE PAIR OF CASED BOXLOCK PERCUSSION POCKET PISTOLS BY JOHN MANTON & SON CIRCA 1820-25
A Cased Pair of 48 bore John Manton & Son Percussion Pocket Pistols. Pistols with 1.6" blued turn off smooth bore barrels which have post 1813 Birmingham Proofs and finely engraved at muzzle and breech. Round frames also with Birmingham proofs with quality scroll engraving, signed ‘Jno MANTON & SON, LONDON’ to left hand side, hidden drop down triggers, sliding safety, dolphin head engraved hammers. Finely chequered and figured walnut bag shaped grips (a few handling marks) with vacant silver escutcheons. Scroll engraved silver buttcaps. Excellent mechanisms. Overall length of pistols 6".
In their mahogany fitted case with lift handle to top (warping to case lid), brass key escutcheon (key absent), case size 9" x 7.25". Lined in green cloth (excellent condition - probably relined at some point) with Manton label to lid (some staining but complete), small bag flask by John Dixon and Sons marked J D & S (some dents and damage to brass spring lever), 48 bore mould, some lead bullets, an ebony cap box, turnscrew and cleaning hair. Lidded compartments with bone ( NOT ivory ) lifters.
Genuine pocket pistols such as these made by John Manton & Son are very rare. This pair circa 1820-25 are in excellent condition. No serial numbers are visible but this is not unusual as these type of pocket pistols in this period were invariably made in Birmingham for all the best London makers and then the best makers such as Manton would add their signs of quality to make them stand out from the crowd such as the wood quality/grain, wood to metal fit, engraving and finish.
PRICE £4,750.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 334D
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
PAIR OF GOLD SIGNED POCKET PISTOLS BY CESSIER £2,950.00
VERY FINE CASED PAIR OF 120 BORE CESSIER PATENT UNDER HAMMER POCKET PISTOLS BY J B CESSIER À ST ETIENNE
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’.
PRICE £2,950.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 319H
The price includes UK mainland 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 WESTLEY RICHARDS 100 BORE POCKET PISTOLS
A CASED PAIR OF 100 BORE PERCUSSION BOXLOCK POCKET PISTOLS BY WESTLEY RICHARDS
A very good cased pair of small Percussion Boxlock Pocket pistols by Westley Richards of London. 100 bore and only 5" long overall with 1.5" octagonal screw off barrels with engraved band to muzzle. Birmingham Proofs with frames and barrels marked 1 and 2 respectively. Finely engraved actions signed WESTLEY RICHARDS on left side and LONDON to right side with Dolphin engraved hammers, sliding safety and hidden folding triggers. Rounded chequered butts with vacant oval silver escutcheons. Silver spurred buttcaps finely engraved with cloudburst. Contained in their original antique green velvet lined mahogany case, complete with accessories including fitted barrel key removal tool, lead bullets, patches, percussion caps and in a lidded compartment with a bullet mould, flask (spring AF), cleaning rod and cap box. Marine ivory key escutcheon. A crisp pair of very small pocket pistols by a quality maker.
A sign of originality and condition with these cased pocket pistols is that the lead bullets fit snugly (as intended) in the breech when barrel removed and allow the barrel to be screwed back on without the bullet impeding the process. Then try to fit the same bullet in the muzzle end without removing the barrel and it will be fractionally too large. This is a good sign as bullet is a tight fit within barrel and is only expelled when there is a powder charge behind it otherwise the bullet may simply roll out of barrel! Basic but surprising how many pocket pistols fail this test. This pair does not fail.
See the current Westley Richards website for history of the company and photographs of a similar larger pair of pocket pistols.
SOLD
M1822 FRENCH PERCUSSION PISTOL £475.00
FRENCH MODEL 1822 PERCUSSION SERVICE PISTOL MADE AT THE MANUFACTURE ROYALE DE MUTZIG
This 1822 Percussion Service Pistol was a conversion from flintlock to percussion by the Mutzig factory in the French town of Mutzig, located in the Château des Rohan (The Castle of Rohan). This 13th century castle became a small arms factory after the French Revolution. In 1799, it was bought by the arms manufacturers, brothers Coulaux of Klingenthal, Bas-Rhin, who, on April 20 1801, opened their weapons factory within its walls. The .69 musket bore barrel is 7.9" long with various markings. Lock is marked 'Mre. Rle. de Mutzig'. With regulation brass mounts with inspectors marks.There are numerous stamps on the left side including MUTZIG and inventory number 1125 which is replicated on the buttstrap and barrel. Overall length 14.5".
Untouched condition. Cleaning will reveal more markings. Stock is good with handling marks but no repairs or splits. Cup top ramrod is missing but replacements are not hard to find.
PRICE £475.00
Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing this item - quoting reference: SKU 324D
The price includes UK mainland delivery. No licence is required to possess this item in the UK if owned as a curio as part of a collection or display.
