Need Help With I.D. of 1800s Pistol!!

[Maverick]

Need Help With I.D. of 1800's Pistol!!

I went to check out the local auction in my town and they (for once) have a very intresting antique on the block. It is deffinitely a Pre-Civil War piece and my best guess is around the 1812 Era. I however, cannot figure out exactly what it is. I am extremely proficient in firearms history, but this one baffles me! I never seen one like it. I am considering on obtaining this little piece, does anyone have any idea what it can be?

I have this question posted on a firearms forum as well, I just thought I would post the same question here as it seem that the members of this forum take historical artifacts seriously.


http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/showimage.cgi?lid=143972&type=fl&in=22

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[hasbeen]

Re: Need Help With I.D. of 1800's Pistol!!

It appears to be a double barreled pocket pistol .Single barreled pistols of a similiar design were more commom.
1830 is a more likely date,they were popular until about the Civil War.
hasbeen

 

[Maverick]

Re: Need Help With I.D. of 1800's Pistol!!

Thanks for the replies! I did notice it was a double barreled pistol, I just didnt know if it was a early make of a pocket shotgun, or if it fired 2 musket balls. Yes, it is deffinitely a percussion cap weapon, I was hoping to figure out a ball park of makers for that era who made such a thing, without it, no one will know what the heck I am talking about....hence, I wont be able to find out the value. I guess my best bet is to take a gamble and get it anyways and then find out from the markings, the history and value. If it turns out to be a old paper wieght, well, it would be a very cool one to display. Anyhow, thanks for the attempt on the identification of this pistol, I know I didnt give you guys much to go on, so I figured it was a shot in the dark (no pun intended). I am very glad that the 2 of you have agreed that it is a 1830's piece and that should lead me somewhere on my search. Thanks again, and happy hunting!

 

[Maverick]

Re: Need Help With I.D. of 1800's Pistol!!

Hey there Doc, nope, this doesnt have the ramrod, I have been looking all over the web at these kinds opf guns. What has turned up was pistols of a much larger variety. There are a few that were the same size as the one I am showing, but they are far different looking from each other. I am thinking this was a more obscure and lesser made weapon from some smaller lesser-known company. For example, you'll find Colts and Remingtons all over and they are valuable because they were brand names that were involved in history, however, a lesser known weapon involved in history wouldn't grab attention as much because it wasn't a famous name brand. I guess the more things change, the more it stays the same.

 

[Lahontaa]

Re: Need Help With I.D. of 1800's Pistol!!

Hello. I am a first user and found this string via google. Interestingly (to me) I have a very similar question and a very similar pistol. I primarily collect Amerind items but I purchased two "pocket pistols" as part of a collection purchase. One is a double barreled that has a brass (?) hinge in the bottom of the grip to store what appears to be a lead shot and the other is a single barrel. I will try to figure out how to post pictures here to see if anyone might be able to help me with either ID, age, value (monetary) or otherwise. Thank you in advance for any assistance.

PS Can anyone tell me how to put pictures in this forum? I click on the insert photo and then what