Old flint lock pistol

[Jblack]

I am posting this for a friend so any questions about it I will have to relay to him to get the answers, this was given to him by his grandfather but he does not know the story behind it, he would really just like some information on it and possibly an age . thank you for the help, in advance .

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

Not a flint lock. It's a later percussion lock. 1840 to 1860 ish, maybe? Any markings on the lock would be helpful.

They were pretty common and whether made by Deringer or not known as derringers (two "r"s) or "muff pistols".

What does the back side of the lock plate look like? It appears to have no operating mechanism.

 

[Jblack]

Not a flint lock. It's a later percussion lock. 1840 to 1860 ish, maybe? Any markings on the lock would be helpful.

They were pretty common and whether made by Deringer or not known as derringers (two "r"s) or "muff pistols".

What does the back side of the lock plate look like? It appears to have no operating mechanism.

Thank you for the quick reply, I will try send him these questions and maybe he will be able to answer, but I think you probably nailed it already, It always amazes me the love and knowledge of history on this site, the more and more I swing my coil and did the more history I learn, myself.

 

[tamrock]

It looks like old parts were fitted to a later wood stock to me. Not all original state I'm thinking. Could have also been a flintlock before and converted to a percussion cap as it seems the engraving around the nipple is cut off from the original design.

 

[patiodadio]

Hard to tell from the pics but it looks a lot like a 1960's - 70's kit gun. Can't be sure without seeing better pics of the lock.

 

[BosnMate]

The picture is of the actual Deringer that Booth used to kill President Lincoln. I think you have some original parts, but I think the stock was made by an amateur.
Note the parrot beak grips in the above photo, and compare that stock to what you have. In your photo, I also see some gaps in the wood to metal fit. I don't
think it's a conversion from flint to cap lock, mostly I've never seen a back action flint lock. There has to be a frizzen spring on the front part of the lock plate if it
is a flint lock. Interesting side note. I built a Lincoln Deringer from a kit one time. When it was done I loaded it with something like thirty grains of 3F under a patched
lead ball. I got back about 6 feet and fired it at a 55 gal. drum I was using for a burn barrel. I aimed at near the top of the barrel, and the ball dropped nearly 3 feet
in six feet. Put a heck of a dent in the barrel, but did not punch a hole. So the movie scenes you see where the card player shoots his deringer through the table is
pretty much Hollywood hokey pokey.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I can't get a good enough look from these pics since I can't enlarge them, but from what I can see, the barrel at least looks to be genuine...

 

[Jblack]

Thank y'all for all of your comments I will try and get him to send me some better pictures, I know the pistol is in horrible shape I am not sure if he has all of the parts to it of not