Antique Percussion Pistols For Sale Page 2

A 54-Bore Double Barrelled Percussion Travelling Pistol by James Webb, Salisbury, circa 1850. With 3.8" smoothbore hexagonal barrels in fine condition with notched rear sight and silver bead front sight, traces of original finish. Barrels signed JAMES WEBB SALISBURY to central rib, scroll engraving towards breech and engraved muzzles, Birmingham proofs under each barrel, captive ramrod, under barrel rib which has most of its original case hardened finish. Case hardened breech, boxlock action with dolphin engraved hammers each with sliding safety, actions finely engraved with strong original case hardened finish to tang. Double triggers with scroll engraved trigger guard showing traces of original blued finish. Silver escutcheon to shoulder of virtually unblemished chequered Walnut butt - superb quality. Overall length 9".  A tactile and fine quality pistol by an excellent provincial maker.  

James Webb (1813-1872), Gunmaker of 38 Catherine Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire where he was in business 1843-1872. 

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 good quality Cavalry Officers pistol by Gameson of London dated 1842. Heavy octagonal damascus twist carbine bore .650 barrel, 8" long. Front blade sight with V notched rear sight. Platinum line to breech. Engraved breech and tang matching lockplate. Captive swivel ramrod. Barrel marked GAMESON LONDON towards breech on top flat. Barrel engraving towards muzzle on top flat reads PRESENTED TO THE BEST SHOT OF THE SURREY YEOMANRY CAVALRY JUNE 1842 BY LIEUT COL THE EARL OF LOVELACE. 'Best Shot' in the regiment shooting prizes are usually rifles. It may well be that this rare cavalry officers presentation pistol was a prize for pistol shooting mounted. A very rare example of a shooting prize.

All original quality lock with engraved Dolphin hammer, matching scroll engraving to lockplate which is marked GAMESON. Silver barrel bolt escutcheons. Walnut stock with finely chequered grip. Silver escutcheon with crest of demi lion couped (unresearched). 13.75 " overall length. A real untouched sleeper. Walnut stock with original varnish has no cracks but does have normal handling marks. Good profiles around lock and reverse side. Crisp grip chequering. Wood to metal fit excellent. Even dark grey patina to all metal parts. Good lock action. Barrel has never been touched so heavy Damascus twist has etched pattern into barrel. 

The Surrey Yeomanry Cavalry was raised in 1794, but disbanded in 1828. A Southwark Troop was raised in 1831 and became a full Regiment in the same year. That too was disbanded in 1848. Lieut Col The Earl of Lovelace (see engraving) was the Commanding Officer of the Surrey Yeomanry Cavalry in 1842. William King, Earl of Lovelace, was originally eighth Baron King of Ockham (1805-1893). He was created Earl of Lovelace in 1838. On 8 July 1835 he married Lord Byrons only daughter, the exceptionally gifted Ada Lovelace. She was a mathematician best known for incisive notes and comments on her close friend Charles Babbages analytical engine. The family seat of the Earl of Lovelace was at Ockham Park, but he acquired East Horsley Park, in East Horsley, a few miles to the south, in 1840. Lovelace spent thirty years transforming the building into a Rhenish Gothic castle. It was renamed Horsley Towers after he added an extraordinary tower in 1858. The building still stands at the south end of Ockham Road South. Lovelace pioneered the use of wood formed after being steamed - he reported this to the Institution of Civil Engineers and Isambard Kingdom Brunel expressed approval of Lovelace's Great Hall built in 1847 using bent beams. He had excellent bricks made and won the medal for brickmaking at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Lovelace was Lord Lieutenant of Surrey in 1840, FRS in 1841 and FICE. Lovelace rebuilt a number of buildings in the village and elsewhere in his characteristic style. He also built a number of characteristic horseshoe shaped bridges for transporting timber. Lovelace attended nearby St. Martin's Church, where he is buried in a mausoleum he had built some 20 years previously in the NE corner of the churchyard. In 1919-1926, Horsley Towers was bought by T. O. M. Sopwith, the yacht and aircraft designer.

Please note: For UK buyers only the price includes a hand coloured original woodcut engraving from The Illustrated London News dated 17 June 1854 depicting the Inspection of the Second Royal Surrey Militia at Guildford Friday 2 june 1854 Commanded by their 'noble Colonel The Earl of Lovelace. This was the re-established regiment in 1852 following disbandment of the Surrey Yeomanry Cavalry in 1848.

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 fine quality Irish percussion 30 bore travelling pistol by W & J Rigby of Dublin made circa 1830-1840. Heavy damascus twist barrel and rib signed Dublin on top flat. Captive ramrod. Figured walnut finely chequered stock with vacant silver escutcheon under butt. Finely engraved action signed W & J Rigby with platinum breech plug. The Rigby action has the usual three bents. Steel shoulderstrap lifts by means of a latch to reveal a magazine containing two balls and percussion caps. Measures 6.25" overall. 

Sleeper in very good condition. Mechanically sound. Minor stock chequering wear but no stock shrinkage. 

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.

This pistol is unusual and interesting as it is the 1853 EIC Pattern Percussion Cavalry Pistol but fitted with an ENFIELD marked lock dated 1844. This may have been an experimental fitting as the lock is marked with the Crown over V.R. to the rear of the lock similar to the subsequent Enfield pistol pattern 1856 lock as opposed to the 1844 Enfield lock fitted to the 1844 Cavalry Carbine which had the Crown over VR marking under the bolster, thus probably  eliminating a retrofitted Enfield lock to this particular pistol. Apart from the lock, this is a typical EIC 1853 Pattern .65 pistol with 9” barrel stamped with London proofs. Brass mounted full walnut stock, lanyard ring to butt and swivel rammer hinged to muzzle. Sidecups for lock screws as opposed to the sideplate of earlier models.

As the Pattern 1853 was an upgrade of the earlier Pattern 1840 with the New Series lock, the fitting of an 1844 Enfield lock with these markings is unusual to say the least. An interesting pistol worthy of further research, condition is uncleaned and original.

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.

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.

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.

An attractive good quality small pair of 180 bore percussion brass bodied muff/pocket pistols. Unsigned. Circa 1830-1840 with round blued iron turn-off 1.5" barrels, engraved bands at the muzzles, rounded borderline and scroll engraved frames with central dolphin-headed hammers and automatic blued concealed triggers, finely chequered walnut bag-shaped butts in excellent condition with virtually no shrinkage and excellent wood to metal fit. Silver lionshead mask butt-caps and initialled oval escutcheons to wrists. Working actions, one trigger at fault needing adjustment. Overall length 5.1".

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 good quality Cavalry/Lancers pattern percussion pistol made by Edward P Bond circa 1862. Closest in shape and style to the 1858 Pattern Cavalry pistol, this private contract pistol was made by Edward P Bond for use by an officer of Sepoy/Native Cavalry in Baroda - probably the Baroda Residency due to the quality of the item. 15 ½” overall, 9 1/8” round, .65 carbine smoothbore barrel with London proofs and further markings of HOOPER SQUARE, LONDON on top of barrel and inspectors marks linking the barrel and tang as well as N.S. over BDA within an oval. Additionally, there is a triangular mark overlaying the part of the address. New Series type flat border line engraved lock plate, signed EDW.D  P.  BOND. Excellent quality lock internals. Rounded border engraved hammer. Walnut fullstock with captive swivel rammer, regulation type mounts, comprising butt cap with lanyard ring, brass trigger guard, flat fore end cap,  ramrod pipe and single sidenail with brass cup. Engraved brass plate to side with initials which could be the officers initials or the unit initials. Further research required.

This is a rare item for the collector of EIC and similar pistols as I have only seen the NS and BDA markings before on 1853 pattern cavalry swords. Condition is excellent, consistent patina and traces of original finish, strong markings and very good stock with minimal handling marks. 

Edward Philip Bond is noted in Blackmore, Gunmakers of London 1350-1850, as Contractor to Ordnance 1856 and East India Company 1844-1853. He is recorded at Hooper Square 1862-1870.

Baroda was an Indian princely state, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty from its formation in 1721. Following the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805, the Gaekwads of Baroda made peace with the British, entering into a subsidiary alliance which acknowledged British suzerainty and control of the state's external affairs in return for retaining internal autonomy. A wealthy state due to the lucrative cotton trade as well as rice, wheat and sugar, it was one of the largest and richest of the hundreds of princely states existing alongside British India.

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.