OVERVIEW - MILITARY PISTOLS 1600 - 1800 
        Copyright R.H. McCrory 1995

We discuss here the subject of this program.  Part One 
deals with the overall material in a general manner.  Part 
Two discusses each pistol specifically.


PART ONE - GENERAL INFORMATION

PISTOLS 1600 TO 1800

Our purpose here is to briefly discuss and illustrate
the development of English pistols, mostly military types,
beginning with the earliest identifiable specimens, through 
the period of the American Revolution.  We show specimens 
representing types of which enough examples exist to 
substantiate the probability of their being typical of their 
periods.   Where no English specimens exist, and in one 
instance for comparison with continental competition, we 
include a contemporary continental piece.

While the earliest mechanical ignition may or may not have been 
the wheel lock, the earliest dated and confirmed specimens
are wheel locks.  These are thought by some to be the outgrowth
of clock making technology in Germany.  Logic can make a good 
case that since people had been making fire by striking flint and 
steel for centuries, it would follow that a mechanical striking or 
snapping action should have been the first mechanical ignition
type.  It may well have been, considering the early existence of 
miquelet (or similar) types and the Scandinavian snap lock.

We subscribe, however,  to the generally accepted chronological 
order of development that, after the glowing match, the first form 
of mechanical ignition was the rotating wheel lock which appeared 
in the early 1500s.   For those new to this subject, the wheel 
lock operates on much the same principle as today's cigarette 
lighter which has a rough, hard steel wheel rotating against a 
flint (actually a piece of iron pyrite) .

The wheel lock was followed by the snapping or striking types 
such as the  snaphaunce which appeared about the same time or 
shortly  thereafter. Next, around 1630 came the flintlock.   As for
terminology, we use Hammer or Cock to mean the member in which
the flint is clamped and is driven by a spring to strike the Steel 
or Frizzen. The striking and scraping effect produces sparks which 
are directed into a small amount of gunpowder contained in what
we call the Pan.   The pan is located adjacent to the barrel which 
is loaded with its charge of powder and ball.  A small hole permits 
the ignited powder in the pan to ignite the charge in the barrel 
and fire the piece.  The function of the pan is the same with the 
match lock and wheel lock types.

Snaphaunce is used to mean a lock with a frizzen which does 
not serve the additional purpose as pan cover.  A flintlock 
does have a combination frizzen-pan cover.  A pan cover is a 
necessity to keep the priming powder from falling out or being 
blown away when the arm is not ready to be fired.  All types have
a pan cover of some description.  The match, wheel and snaphaunce
locks have pan covers that slide or hinge into and out of position.
The dog lock type has an external hook or latch as a safety device 
used on some locks to physically hold the cock near the half-cock 
position.  A variety of dog lock types exist. 

The evidence of the use of the wheellock in England in the 
1500s and early 1600s consists mainly of richly decorated
pieces owned by aristocratic figures of the period.  There is
every reason to believe that in this period in England the
wheellock was not considered a military weapon for use by the
rank and file inasmuch as there are no surviving military
specimens.  There are several examples of snaphaunce types that
are reasonably well authenticated as being English and dating
around 1600.  Some people make a case that the snaphaunce was an
English development.  We believe the typical English pistol of
the 1600-1630 period was the snaphaunce which was superseded by
the primitive flintlock by about 1650.  Evidence of this comes 
from two variations which have survived in fair numbers. 
Although basically the same in design and construction, one has
a 'dog' latch safety with a straight lock plate.  The other has
a bulge on the lower edge of the lock plate similar to a wheel
lock and omits the dog latch.  By about 1650 an advanced form of
English flint lock appeared with a simplified and cleaner
exterior treatment, usually  incorporating the dog latch.  This
advanced English lock is shown in our illustrations as the Dog 
Lock, which although advanced in English terms, was soon replaced 
by the even more advanced French flint lock that had been around 
for at least a decade.

Very few surviving examples of wheellocks can be credibly 
considered to having been used in England in the 1630-1650 
period.  Although some few pieces have been so authenticated 
and are generally similar in stock design to contemporary 
English flint lock types, evidence is lacking as to their 
actual origin.  The possibility exists of locks having been 
imported which were stocked with English barrels.  The locks  
are practically identical to continental locks of the same
period.

The true flint lock with characteristics that remained 
essentially unchanged for two centuries is considered to have 
been conceived in France about 1630.  It was the prototype 
adopted by the rest of Europe, and later, England.  They were 
being made in England by about 1660 after which time the 
English lock was obsolete.  It is worthy of note that the dog 
latch safety device is seen on flint locks in England after 
1700, particularly on shoulder arms.  Indeed, the dog latch 
survived in Scandinavia into the percussion era, post 1820.  

The identification of a piece as being "military", prior to 
about 1685 depends on it being simple, undecorated and of a 
size to be considered a horse pistol.  These pistols had 
barrels of 14 to 16" and bores of around .55 to .60 caliber,
whether the pistol was of wheel or striking ignition.  In the
early use of pistols, cavalrymen carried two holstered pistols
on their saddles and used them by riding up to within pistol
range of opposition groups, firing their two shots and then
retreating to reload.  To fairly establish a piece as actually
having been used by, or at least issued to, the military takes
authentic documentation of the individual piece.  Specimens of
the 1600-1650 period are so rare, however, that documentation 
or no, they are highly desirable as collection pieces..

After about 1685, English military pieces have a crowned 
JR, WR, AR or GR on the lock plate.  These signify British 
monarchs James, William, Anne and George.  Pieces are
occasionally seen that are missing the royal cipher but that
otherwise are near identical to known authentic pieces.  These
can be fairly considered to be military, owing to the practice
at the time of arming some troops from private sources, aside
from a possible maker's error in failing to mark the piece. 

In the earlier period covered here, 1600-1650, almost all the 
English military pieces are incredibly crude in workmanship 
and finish.  Pieces of the same type may bear only superficial 
resemblance to one another although apparently intended to be 
made to approximately the same pattern.  Later in the century 
finely crafted and silver mounted pieces are being made in 
England for officers and gentlemen of means. These contrast 
sharply with the simple and comparatively crude military pistol 
in both cosmetic appearance and essential workmanship.

The development of the military pistol in the early decades 
of the 1700s continued in several intermediate steps until it 
had taken on the form we see in the 1730s piece.  By about 
1730 it evolved to a high standard of basic quality and, as 
military pieces go, decoration as well.  Furnished with
attractive molded brass fittings, it was very sturdily
constructed and was probably more reliable under field
conditions than the contemporary officer's pistol.  An effective
system of quality control in manufacture had been achieved by
developing the prototype and having a number of pieces as nearly
identical as possible made in government shops.  These became
pattern pieces, one of which was furnished each contractor to be
copied by the score or by the hundreds.  Each pistol felt much
the same as another in the hand and, at arms length, looked the
same.  While interchangeability of parts was more than a century 
away, quality was indeed good considering the technology of the 
time in what was as near as they got to mass production.  

The Sea Service or naval pistol was never as ornate as that 
used by land forces.  This was due to economy and the navy's 
view of the minor importance of the pistol's role in armament.  
It was of severely plain utilitarian design with plain flat side 
plate, no lower ram rod pipe and without the spurred butt cap.  
A belt hook was attached opposite the lock.  The lock had a flat 
lock plate and hammer or cock.  Some early specimens are seen 
with the molded trigger guard finial like the Dragoon pistol.  
This too is simplified in later pieces.

Although the twelve inch barrel Dragoon continued to be made 
up into the 1760s, (and the 12 inch Sea Service pistol into the 
1800s) the 1760s see another period of modification and change.  
A few ten inch barrel pieces exist of much the same design and 
quality but somewhat lighter in construction than the early 
twelve inch piece.  The transition goes to a piece with a nine 
inch barrel, which with a number of variations continues to be 
the standard until the percussion period.  Simplification sets 
in to produce a starkly functional piece.  The convex lock plate 
and hammer become flat after a few years. Likewise the molded 
side plate is flat and the lower ram rod pipe disappears in favor 
of just a hole for the ram rod tunnel entrance.  

Early in the twelve inch barrel period, certain technical 
improvements appeared such as the reinforcing bridle from pan to 
frizzen and an interior bridle supporting the tumbler and sear.  
These continued into the nine inch period except for some rather 
late Sea Service pistols which omit the pan bridle.  The nine inch 
Dragoon was almost as simple as the Sea Service but with a 
generally higher standard of quality.  

Pistols are found that closely resemble the military pieces but 
without military markings.  Some combine both land and sea 
characteristics and, in workmanship, may run from fair to 
excellent.  It is possible to date them within a span of about 
twenty years by the maker's name and comparison with military 
types of known date.  Details such as shape of lock plate, whether 
flat or convex, shape and type of cock and other details that 
varied as arms evolved.  It is more difficult to assess the role 
of such pieces.  Some such early pieces could be military from the 
time when regimental commanders were permitted to arms their units 
from private sources.  Many other groups were armed outside the 
English military structure, such as merchant ships, exploratory 
expeditions, trading companies and private estates.

The Turn Off pistol, often called the Queen Anne type, is an 
almost exclusively English type.   It was an arm for gentlemen 
of wealth and never a military piece.  Turn off means that the 
barrel is in two pieces threaded together at the powder chamber
and is turned off or unscrewed to load. A few pistols of that
functional description had been around for about half a century.
Early in the 1700s, however, in the reign of Queen Anne, it was
developed into a type of its own.  

We wrote this almost as though the French, Italians and 
Spanish did not exist.  They  were active in a big way.  We 
mentioned the French origin of the flint lock.  The French 
developed a wheel lock much different from the Germanic type. 
It had a small lock plate with the main spring extending back 
into the wood of the grip, anchored by a pin.   The crank shaft
extended through the stock and used the side plate as a bearing.
In Italy the wheel lock was very much same as the Germanic type.  
They also made flint locks and miquelet types.  They developed 
their own version of the snaphaunce, not a lot different from 
the English type in concept but carried much further in 
refinement and used into the 1800s.  The  Spanish Miquelet lock 
originated possibly in the 1500s and continued in development 
and use into the percussion period.  Further exploration of 
these types will have to wait for another time.


SPECIAL INFORMATION ON THE EARLY PIECES 1600 - 1650

One purpose of these drawings is to illustrate typical pieces 
for study by those seeking to restore pieces or construct 
reproductions, particularly the early pieces up to about 1650.
The information sheet gives dimensional and configuration 
details to support this purpose.  With the many variations and
exceptions that exist in this broad subject, brevity mandates
many generalizations.  For those who wish to explore the subject
in more detail, sources for further study are listed below.

Why were the early pistols made with grips that seem so
thin and so straight?  Could it be an attempt to make them like
a more familiar weapon, the sword?  As plain and simple as it
was, the mid-seventeenth century military pistol has a certain
style.  Its lines seem to flow and it feels good in the hand,
almost too slim, in that all unnecessary wood was carved away. 
Although large in dimensions, they are surprisingly light.  The
average weight of several typical pistols was 37 ounces.

Military pistols of 1640-50 in general, both English and
Continental, were simple and similar except for their locks. 
The complexity of the wheel lock required that it be finely
crafted in order to function,  but the rest of the pistol was
bare essentials.  Even so, the Continental wheellock pistol,
German or Dutch, was a cut higher in general quality than the
English lock pistol.  The English lock was simple enough that
the parts could be roughly forged, filed enough to fit and
function, assembled and issued.  Reliability of function was 
all that appeared to matter, with little effort expended on
smoothing or polishing the exterior.  

The profiles, lengths of barrels and bore sizes were similar.  
Bores range from about .55" to .60, with the English types 
being .58 to .60 and wheel types covering the range. Barrel 
lengths commonly range from 15" to 17", with the English
pieces near the lower end of the range.  Overall lengths range
from 23" to 25", consistent with barrel length.  

Barrels are smooth bored and are found half round, half 
octagon and some with a double octagon transition portion.
Some have full octagon barrels.  Lock inletting was of the
simplest, all the necessary wood was scooped out to make room
for the interior parts.  No attempt was made to fit the wood
inlet to the shape of the internal parts as is seen on later
arms.  English pistol butts tend to be elliptical while
Continental ones are usually oval in cross section, most with a
plain iron band.  Some German ones are seen elliptical with a
shallow metal butt cap dished out of thin metal, minus the
aforementioned band.    

Most trigger guards for the wheellock shape have the rear end 
terminating in a screw which enters the wood by rotating the 
guard.  Thickness of the trigger guard is about 1/16" maximum 
until it swells to screw into the stock.  The front end is 
attached with a small wood screw.  Straight lock trigger guards 
may attach the same way or with a nail or screw on both ends.  
Often the front screw is the same that holds the barrel tang.  
The stock at the muzzle has a simple sheet metal band wrapped 
from below and turned inward over the wood into the barrel 
inlet.  The ramrod pipe is also sheet metal, bent around a form 
with the ends brought together.  A slot is cut through from the 
ram rod channel into the barrel inlet, the ends of the pipe are 
pushed through the slot and spread in the barrel inlet.  
Thickness of the ram rod pipe and muzzle band material is .025"
or less.  Wheel lock triggers usually have a return spring made
integral with the trigger.  Others have a spring riveted to the
trigger guard which curves behind the trigger, terminating in a
forked end pushing the trigger forward.  All have the trigger
pivoting on a pin above the lock.  English lock types do not
employ a trigger return spring.  

There was other commonality of construction in these pistols.  
All were iron mounted.  All had the hole in the barrel tang 
threaded to receive a screw entering from below.  Wood screws 
had round heads, about 50% higher than today's common wood 
screw.  No flush or countersunk screws were used.  Screws used 
on metal (for frizzen springs, etc.) are similar to today's
flat or filister head (called cheese head in the UK) but again a
bit taller.  Screw heads are not necessarily perfectly round. 
Screwdriver slots are about twice as wide as for a screw of
similar size today.  Nails are often used instead of screws in
wood.  Nails are more or less square both in shank and head. 
The head can be a bit rounded at the edges and corners,
especially where the hand touches, such as a trigger guard
finial.  Lock mount screw heads are of a shallow round head
type, less than the screw shank diameter in height and about
three times the diameter of the shank. 

How were these pistols finished originally?  The wheellock 
types, and I have seen some in almost perfect original
condition, have smoothly finished but not polished metal parts. 
Wood to metal fitting is usually good and the wood surface is
finished rather smooth, although often with grain raised over
time.  Almost black from age and oxidation, the wood was 
probably oiled or coated with whatever was the equivalent of
varnish at the time.  The wood grain surface can usually be seen
through the surface finish.  European stockers appear to have
favored fruitwoods rather than walnut.  The English lock pieces
range from metal filed rather smooth but with no finishing, to
incredibly rough forged and filed surfaces.  No effort at all
was made to go any further than that which would reliably
function.  Even so, some have minor decoration such as the
little bulb behind the top jaw screw and the simple finials on
the hammer arresting bolster and on the frizzen spring.  The
English stocks have tolerable metal to wood fitting but the
exterior shaping usually shows unfinished shaping cuts as if by
a draw knife.  They favored walnut with what appears to be a
black paint finish of some sort.  It is probable that both the
English and the European pieces were issued and used with the
metal bare of any finish such as browning.

Snaphaunce Pistols are seen in the form illustrated in our 
drawing in sizes ranging from full military size pistols
of 16" or so barrel length down to 6" barrel, almost pocket
size.  There are examples (Brooker, below) with banded butt,
octagon barrel of 18" and semi-circular trigger guard.

Wheellock Shaped English Lock Pistols (again best photos in 
Brooker) had that lock plate shape in common with several
surviving examples of snaphaunce and French flint lock types
made in many countries.  It was a very short step from the
snaphaunce to combine the frizzen and pan cover to produce this
English lock.   They have similar mechanisms in which the sear
operates through a hole in the lock plate.  Other than the
twenty or so pistols discovered at Littlecote House where they
had been stored for three centuries, English pistols of this
type are very rare indeed.  In that group they were similar but
not paired.  One could remove the lower semi-circular bulge and
have a lock of authentic style for the period.  There is an
example of a long gun with lock of that shape shown in Blackmore
(in reference below).


English Lock Military Pistols of the type in our drawings are 
found in museums and collections.  There are enough of them 
that are similar enough to conclude that a loose standard 
must have existed as to bore size, barrel length and general 
design.  None are similar enough to be considered a matched 
pair.  This lock is often referred to as the 'First Type' of 
English lock.  

The Doglock Pistol in our drawing has what is often referred 
to as the 'Second Type' of English lock.  It can have either 
an external or internal frizzen spring.  It has an internal 
lateral sear mechanism, rather than the sear which functions 
through a hole in the lock plate.  It also has the 'Dog' 
latch, a hook catch which serves as a safety at the half cock 
position.  The example in our drawing is more an officer's
pistol than a common military.  The true military would have an
external frizzen spring, a banded butt like the 'First Type' and
a barrel length of 14"+ and be constructed in a more massive
manner.  The 'Second Type' English lock is a more descriptive
term than 'Doglock'.  The external hook safety catch was used
for another fifty years on flintlocks after the lateral sear had
been abandoned.  There are examples of percussion doglocks from
Scandinavia.

Military wheellock pistols survive in numbers 10 or more times 
more numerous than the types discussed above.  Most are 
Germanic, including Dutch.  It is difficult or impossible to
determine the origin of many wheellock military pistols but none
have been proven to be English.  Some existing pieces have been
proven to have been used in England and period portraits depict
subjects posing with them.  There is every reason to believe
that an English wheellock, made or stocked in England, would be
exactly like its Dutch or Germanic counterpart except for the
elliptical butt which would resemble the early English lock type.

SOME REFERENCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

I know of no current books that offer this type of information.  
The references below may be available from  bookshops, used 
book dealers or from libraries for those who seek to extend 
their investigation.

The best is British Military Pistols 1603 to 1888 by
R.E. Brooker Jr., published 1978.  This book has pages of good
photos and useful text, giving the best illustrated coverage of
the subject.  One of our drawings done in the Tower of London is
illustrated in Figure 10. 

Pistols of the World by Claude Blair, 1968, Viking Press, 
New York, has some of the same illustrations as well as many 
others which are not British and non military.  One of the
drawings in our set was done in the Tower of London and is shown
in this book as item 104.

British Military Firearms 1650-1850 by Howard L. Blackmore, 
1968, Arco Publishing Co. New York,  has considerable  text, 
drawings and some photos of guns and pistols of the 1650 period 
and a bit earlier.  Two of the drawings in our set were done 
in the Tower of London of pieces shown in this book on page 34. 

For those seeking more fundamental, broad spectrum information
we suggest The Age of Firearms  by Robert Held which is an 
entertaining as well as informative book. 



PART TWO - DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC PISTOLS

01 -  ENGLISH SNAPHAUNCE PISTOL - 1600-1620

The snaphaunce lock was alive and well in England by about
1590.  It may have been developed there.  While the wheel lock
was several decades its senior, and was in the midst of
improvement at that time, the English snaphaunce was fully
developed by about 1590 and underwent only minor cosmetic
changes until it was replaced by the English lock about 1640. 
Germanic Europe, and to some degree the Dutch, was infatuated
with the complexity of the wheel lock and continued its
refinement and widespread use well beyond 1650.  

The bulbous muzzle of our example was disappearing by about 
1600, which tends to date it close to the turn of the century, 
although it could be a decade or so later.  The earlier pieces 
tend to have flat faced hammers and frizzen arms while this 
hammer is convex from the lower jaw down to where it joins
the lower section.  The lower portion of the frizzen arm is
convex.  This pistol has several important characteristics that
are used to identify English snaphaunce pistols from Dutch and
others which may be similar.  These are: the 'Monster Head'
treatment at the tail of the lock and on the belt hook plate;
the 'Acorn' trigger; the large headed trigger pin; and the
simple parallel line decorations which appear in several places.

The 'Lemon' butt is seven sided, with the ridges  scored about 
1/32" wide and deep as illustrated.  The grip section is round 
at the butt and gradually changes to a flat on top and flat 
sides.  The lock and belt hook are fitted into simple flat plane 
areas, although the stock is much narrower at the bottom (see 
dimensions).  The side opposite the lock is more or less flat 
from the grip to the muzzle, with no profile of the lock as is 
seen on later pistols.  The trigger guard terminates in a screw   
at the rear which turns into the wood.  The barrel is rather 
crude.  The bore appears about 1/32" off center at the muzzle.  
The octagonal portion tapers with a 'swag' of 1/16" or so from 
breech to the belted area.  Note that the belt is only over 
the top three flats and the side flats continue beyond it,
fading to round.  The tang is about 1 1/2" long, tapering to a
'bullet' point.  The ram rod pipe is about .025" iron, bent
around a form, with ends pressed together.  The ends pass
through a slot in the ramrod channel and are spread inside the
barrel inlet.

Most of the surviving examples of these pistols are  either 
extremely plain military or utilitarian versions or are
highly decorated pieces.  Our piece is not decorated, probably
average quality for the period, but is a bit better than the
starkly simple military pieces.   For those who would construct
a piece of this type several authentic variations are possible. 
Full octagon barrels are known, either straight tapered or with
a flare of the muzzle of about 1/16" over the last two inches. 
The 'lemon' can be plain round.  Triggers can be ball shaped and
the trigger guard can be omitted on small pistols.  The lock
plate could be brass.  The size of lock shown could be used with
a barrel a bit shorter or up to about 14" long, assuming other
dimensions are altered in proportion.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia.  .56 at muzzle, tapering over 1 1/4" to
        a bore diameter of .46
2.  Butt  1 3/4
3.  Grip  1 1/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 3/16 
5.  Wood at Breech  1 11/16,  Note that this stock tapers in width 
        from top to bottom.  It is 5/16 narrower at the bottom.
6.  Barrel at Breech  31/32
7.  Front of Lock  1 1/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  31/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  15/16
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  7/8
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  25/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  3/8
13. Trigger Guard at Grip N.A.
14. Side Plate Config. Flat except where belt hook    
        attaches.
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat, see text.
16. Furniture - all iron
17. Barrel Length  17 7/8
18. Length Overall  19 3/8


02 - ENGLISH MILITARY PISTOL, ENGLISH LOCK WITH WHEELLOCK
SHAPE OF LOCK PLATE  1640-1650

In some early English locks the lock plate has the
shape of the wheel lock, a semicircular bulge on the lower edge.
It has been suggested that these locks were converted from
wheel type but evidence does not support this notion.  Of
several English pistols of this type examined, none had been
converted.  None had the inletting in the wood that would have
been required to install the interior wheel crank mechanism, nor
of modifications to the lock plate itself.  In the 1640s the
wheel lock was recognized by some as the 'standard of
excellence' and lock plates were configured in the wheel form to
pace existing opinion and expectation.  

Some years ago the equipment of a company of cavalry
was discovered on an English country estate, Littlecote House,
in Wiltshire.  It had remained undisturbed in an out-building
for three centuries.  There were numerous pistols, long arms,
edged weapons, uniform items, etc.  In photos of some 50
pistols, 18 have the wheel lock shaped lock and 32 have straight
lower edge lock plate.  These pieces, in use about 1650, have
the English lock, those with the wheel bulge being of the
earlier style, possibly 1640 or earlier.  Although of the same
general pattern, differences are seen in these pistols as to
curvature of the grip and size of the butt swell - hardly an
actual pair in the lot.

This is a drawing of one of the Littlecote pistols,
drawn in the Tower of London about 1974.  It is a functional
weapon with no effort expended toward finish or appearance. 
Heavy file marks are still present and the wood carries obvious
evidence of crude shaping as if by a draw knife.  Even so, these
pistols have a certain style and grace to them.  The example
available to us now is very similar but is a bit better
finished, without the tool marks on the metal, possibly made
better originally or improved by later cleaning efforts.  The
stock appears to be of walnut and seems to have been painted
black or coated with something that has turned black.  

Typical of wheel lock treatment, the lock plate is
inletted only forward of the wheel.  The aft three quarters just
sits flush on the flat surface with the wood above and below
meeting and blending into the narrow flat exposed surface
adjoining the lock plate.  This means that the width of the
stock just below and forward of the crane and crane spring area
will be wider than the flat area on which the lock plate sits. 
The opposite side of the stock has a flat surface with a profile
similar to the lock plate.  The trigger guard, in wheellock
fashion terminates in the rear as a screw entering the wood.  

This pistol bears a faint Crowned GP barrel proof
mark.  The barrel is full octagon and the tang is about 1 5/16"
long tapering to a flat end about 1/4" wide.  A wood marking of
a long 'V' extends from each side of the barrel tang at the
breech rearward, fading away about an inch behind the rear of
the lock.  This seems filed in with a round file and is about
1/32" or less in depth and about 5/32" wide.  On each side of
the described marks is a parallel incised line about 3/32" from
the wide mark.  No other marks or decoration are present.  The
muzzle band and ram rod pipe are thin, about .020".  The band is
bent around the wood with the ends turned inward and bent down
into the barrel inlet.  The ram rod pipe is a similar strip bent
around a form with the ends clamped together, inserted in a slot
up into the barrel inlet and spread to hold it in place.  The
band around the butt is less than 1/16" thick, with the wood
butt cap nailed on with either one large nail in the center plus
a small anti-rotation nail near one end, or with two small flush
nails.  The ram rod is centered at the muzzle but the groove
'drifts' to the left side about 1/4", apparently to avoid ram
rod interference with the main spring.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .60
2.  Butt  1 1/8
3.  Grip  1 1/8
4.  Rear of Lock  1 5/32
5.  Wood at Breech  1 7/32
6.  Barrel at Breech  7/8
7.  Front of Lock  1 9/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 7/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  1
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  29/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  1/2
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  N.A
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat
16. Furniture - All Iron
17. Lenght of Barrel  14 5/8
18. Length Overall  22 1/2


03 - ENGLISH MILITARY PISTOL WITH ENGLISH LOCK - 1640-1650

This is an example of the typical early or First Type
English lock.  The major improvement of the English lock over
the snaphaunce is that the frizzen and pan cover are the same
piece.  The separate frizzen (or 'steel' as it was called) and
sliding pan cover on the snaphaunce were simplified.  The idea
of the combined frizzen with pan cover was possibly borrowed
from the early flintlock that was being made in France at the
time.  The external hook or 'dog' catch that engages the base of
the hammer as a safety or half-cock is present on the English
lock but not on the snaphaunce.  The full-cock sear on both
operates laterally through a hole in the lock plate.  The
English lock may have both an internal half-cock and the 'dog'
catch.  Some have only the external safety and no half cock
position.  This particular one has both.  The lock plate of the
English lock and the geometry of the hammer to frizzen interface
are, of course, somewhat different due to the improvements over
the snaphaunce.

Our drawing was done in the Tower of London about twenty years 
ago, of the piece in the Tower collections.  The pistol bears 
the early 1637 Gunmaker's proof marks.  About one third of the 
octagon portion of the barrel has a transition section of 'double 
octagon' or sixteen sided treatment as it reaches the belted 
round portion.  The barrel tang is about 1 5/16" long tapering 
to a flat end about 5/16" wide.  A simple flat border is carved 
around the tang, about 1/8" wider than the metal, extending 
rearward as seen in the drawing, terminating with a flat end.  
No other marks or decoration are present although the side of the
stock opposite the lock is profiled to resemble the outline of the 
lock boss.

The top of all the grip area has a flat about 1/2"
wide extending from butt to the tang, where it gradually widens
and blends.  The trigger guard is nailed at the rear.  The butt
cap of wood is nailed with a large nail in the center and
probably a flush small nail near one end to prevent rotation. 
The butt band on pistols of this type is a flat strip of iron,
less than 1/16" thick bent into the desired shape and welded as
a band.  The muzzle band and ram rod pipe are about .025" thick.
The band is bent around the wood with the ends turned inward
and bent down into the barrel inlet.  The ram rod pipe is a
similar strip bent around a form with the ends clamped together,
inserted in a slot up into the barrel inlet and spread to hold
it in place.  Additionally, it is located so that the front
barrel pin passes through its tabs.

Considering this pistol as to its time and place, it
is quite competently made.  The lock and barrel are very well
made indeed.  The stock is simple and only as good as it needs
to be to carry the hardware.  Tool marks are quite visible as it
was carved or planed, with no effort toward producing a finished
surface.  The wood appears to be walnut, (having been painted
black, or) with  whatever coating having turned black, with the
lighter wood showing through in the worn high spots.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .59
2.  Butt  11/32
3.  Grip  1 5/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 1/2
5.  Wood at Breech  1 7/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  31/32
7.  Front of Lock  1 11/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 7/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 3/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  1
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  3/4
12. Trigger Guard Bow  9/16
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  1/4 - 3/16
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat
16. Furniture - All Iron
17. Length of Barrel  14 5/8
18. Length Overall  22 1/4


04 - GERMAN MATCHLOCK PISTOL - CA. 1650

With a wheel lock mechanism this would be a typical
military pistol of the period.  It is identical in all other
respects to the wheellock pistol.  As shown in the drawing, it
has a SVL mark on the lock plate.  The barrel also has a
different SVL mark under the wood.  These are marks found on
arms made in Suhl, Germany in the XVII Century.

The match lock was simple to make and therefore
unlikely to get out of order.  It was the standard military long
arm until the late 1600s, well into the flintlock period.  As
simple and practical as it was for use in organized foot
military operations, managing the glowing match cord made it
less useful for cavalry or any impromptu purpose.  It is
difficult to imagine a pair of smouldering matchlock pistols in
cavalry saddle holsters.  It is even more difficult to conceive
of how a matchlock pistol with a glowing and smoking match cord
might be carried on one's person.

One reason for the existence of such a pistol might
be for training purposes.  Soldiers experienced with the
matchlock musket could readily manage the matchlock pistol and
practice firing with it.  For the extremely high cost of one
wheellock, possibly a half dozen matchlock counterparts could
be acquired, with the additional saving of wear and tear on the
complex wheel mechanism.

This lock has only a very simple spring and slide bar
linkage mechanism from trigger to serpentine, with no room in
the wood inlet for ever having had a wheel mechanism.  The
sliding pan cover is identical to the wheel lock type.  The
wheel is only a dummy which does not rotate and is rounded on
the edges.  The square which would wind the wheel is also a
dummy which rises from the surface only 1/4" or so.  On this
example, the pan is a part of the lock plate as with the wheel
lock.  Earlier match locks had a simple long rectangular lock 
plate with only the serpentine (match cord arm) on it, the pan 
being attached to the barrel of the gun.

The grip just behind the trigger guard is almost
round and becomes more oval toward the butt.  The side opposite
the lock is flat with the profile of the lock outlined.  Typical
of wheellock treatment, the lock plate is inletted only forward
of the wheel.  The aft three quarters just sits flush on the
flat surface with the wood above and below meeting and blending
into the bevel of the lock plate.  This means that the width of
the stock just below and forward of the serpentine area, will be
wider than the flat area on which the lock plate sits.  The rear
end of the trigger guard terminates at the rear with a screw
into the wood.  The muzzle band and ram rod pipe are thin, about
.020".  The band is wrapped around the wood with the ends turned
inward and bent down into the barrel inlet.  The ram rod pipe is
a similar strip bent around a form with the ends clamped
together, inserted in a slot up into the barrel inlet and spread
to hold it in place.  The band around the butt is less than
1/16" thick, with the wood butt cap nailed on with either one
large nail in the center plus a small anti-rotation nail near
one end, or with two small flush nails.  The wood is a close
grained, light colored hardwood, painted black, with the wood
color showing through in worn spots.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .58
2.  Butt  1 9/32
3.  Grip  1 7/32
4.  Rear of Lock  1 11/32
5.  Wood at Breech  1 5/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  7/8
7.  Front of Lock  1 7/16
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock 1 7/16
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  15/16
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  7/8
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  11/16
12. Trigger Guard Bow  15/32
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  N. A.
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Convex
16. Furniture - Iron
17. Length of Barrel  17 1/8
18. Length Overall  24 3/4


05 - GERMANIC WHEELLOCK PISTOL - CA. 1650

This example is typical of mid-century military pistol in 
Northern Europe.  The term Germanic indicates probably German 
but possibly Dutch.  I have owned it since 1949 and the 
previous owner obtained it in Berlin prior to 1914.  It has some
faint engraving around the border of the lock plate, which is
out of character with a simple military pistol.  A wheellock
pistol stocked in English style would be almost identical except
the English pistol would have an elliptical butt about 1/2"
smaller in the long dimension.  

The grip just behind the trigger guard is round and becomes 
more oval toward the butt.  The side opposite the lock is flat 
with the profile of the lock outlined.  Typical of wheel lock 
treatment, the lock plate is inletted only forward of the
wheel.  The aft three quarters just sits flush on the flat
surface with the wood above and below meeting and blending into
the bevel of the lock plate.  This means that the width of the
stock just below and forward of the crane and crane spring area,
will be wider than the flat area on which the lock plate sits. 
The trigger spring is a part of the trigger, attached at the
lower end with the free end pressing against the wood up inside
the trigger inlet.  The rear end of the trigger guard terminates
at the rear with a screw into the wood.  The muzzle band and ram
rod pipe are thin, about .020".  The band is bent around the
wood with the ends turned inward and bent down into the barrel
inlet.  The ram rod pipe is a similar strip bent around a form
with the ends clamped together, inserted in a slot up into the
barrel inlet and spread to hold it in place.  The band around
the butt is less than 1/16" thick, with the wood butt cap nailed
on with either one large nail in the center plus a small
anti-rotation nail near one end, or with two small flush nails.

The barrel is half octagon, half round on top but below the 
wood it is all octagon.  I have rarely seen this on other guns.  
Usually wheellock pistols have part round, part octagon 
barrels, rarely full octagon and none I have seen are full
round.  The front sight on this barrel is brass, probably a
later addition in that most have no front sight.  

For those who may wish to build their own reproduction of a 
wheellock pistol there are numerous authentic variations in 
addition to those mentioned above.  The barrel might be a 
couple of inches shorter or a very little longer.  Bore could 
be a bit smaller.  This piece has two lock mount screws 
although many have three, some with the rear screw short,
engaging the mainspring crotch member.  The side opposite the
lock can be flat with the lock plate profile or be contoured and
blended.  For the European type, various fruitwoods are typical.
The English might have preferred walnut.

You may have the same problem the wheellock pistol makers had 
in the good ole days with the barrel tang screw interfering 
with the very wide main spring.  This was dealt with in 
various ingenious ways.  The screw, entering from below might
be filed flat where it passes the spring.  The screw might be
offset or entered at an angle.  I have seen one that had no tang
screw, the tang being secured by the center lock mounting screw
passing through a hole in the breech plug bit.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .60
2.  Butt  1 1/4
3.  Grip  1 3/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 5/16
5.  Wood at Breech  1 3/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  13/16
7.  Front of Lock  1 9/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 3/16
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  7/8
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  13/16
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  23/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  N/A
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  7/16
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat
16. Furniture - All Iron 
17. Barrel Lenght  15 1/2
18. Length Overall  24 1/4


06 - ENGLISH DOGLOCK PISTOL BY WOTSON  -  CA. 1650

This pistol is one of a pair in the Tower of London
collection.  I made this drawing there about 1974.  An almost
identical piece in private hands is the basis of this writing. 
The only differences noted are in a slightly different curvature
of the handle and in its marks and decoration.  The Wotson
pieces have a simple barrel transition from octagon to round and
the private piece has leaf-like decorative chiseling at that
point.   

These are most elegant and gracefully designed and
executed pistols, no doubt made for a person of means.  A
military pistol of the type would be of the same general shape,
somewhat more massive, of simpler execution and have an external
frizzen spring.  The butt would have a simple iron band with a
wood cap of approximately the same shape.  

The lock is the 'Second Type' of English Lock or
classic Doglock type.  The external hook or 'Dog' catch serves
as a safety at about the same angular rotation as the half cock
position.   The internal frizzen spring is an innovation not
seen on earlier English locks.  It has the sear with lateral
movement with both half-cock and full-cock sear engagements
inside the lock plate, whereas the earlier English locks had the
full-cock sear operating on the cock through a hole in the lock
plate.  The French had a well developed flint lock with vertical
sear by 1650.  The lateral sear, because of its compound
curvatures, was a much more difficult exercise to manufacture
than the simple and effective vertical sear.  It is probable
that the English clung to the lateral sear design out of
conservatism.  

This pistol is finely crafted in all respects that
apply to the piece as a weapon.  Lock and barrel are excellent
as well as their fitting to wood.  The engraving on the silver
is simple in execution.  The lock engraving is better, although
not as well done as on some other pieces of the period.  This
applies to both the Wotsons and the private piece.

Many indications of its lineage are present in this
pistol.  It is slim in the grip and the wood is only as thick as
necessary to contain the hardware.  Possibly to reduce the
weight of the ebony wood, the fore end ahead of the lock is
'pinched in' to give a concave or fluted effect as shown in the
drawing.   The silver muzzle band and ram rod pipe are about
.025" thick.  Typical of earlier pieces of the period the muzzle
band is wrapped around the wood with the ends turned inward and
bent down into the barrel inlet.  The ram rod pipe is a similar
strip bent around a form with the ends clamped together,
inserted in a slot up into the barrel inlet and spread to hold
it in place.  As shown in the drawing, the barrel bears a mark
resembling a small shield.

To build a reproduction, the wood can be walnut in
place of ebony and the furniture all iron with the butt
configured in the typical military style in vogue since the
1630s.  A plain elliptical iron band about 1/16" thick by 3/8"
(or a bit less) in width is covered by a simple convex wood cap
similar in shape to that shown in the drawing.  

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .60
2.  Butt  1 1/8
3.  Grip  1
4.  Rear of Lock  1 1/32
5.  Wood at Breech  1 1/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  13/16
7.  Front of Lock  1 1/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  15/16
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  29/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  29/32
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  21/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  17/32
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  9/32 average of taper
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat
16. Furniture - D.A.. Iron, Butt Cap, Pipe, Band Silver
17. Barrel Length  13 3/4
18. Length Overall  20 3/4


07 - ENGLISH MILITARY PISTOL - 1685-1688

This drawing was done in the Tower of London about
1974 from the pistol in that collection.  Made during the short 
reign of James II, this is the result of an early effort toward
standardizing the military pistol at the national level.  As
shown in the drawing, the lock bears the name 'Brooke' and the
Crowned J2R cipher.  This pistol is a typical piece of a pattern
that was also made by other makers which also bear the royal
cipher.  The barrel is marked RB, Crowned IR and Crowned Rose.  
The Brooke pistols have the 'fat' trigger as a characteristic
and the barrel is flared externally about 1/8" at the muzzle. 
The wood at the muzzle is also flared in proportion.  

The pistols of similar pattern by other makers may
have conventional backward curl triggers with an unflared
muzzle.  Some barrels are seen with a round transition section
two inches or so long, separated by turned moldings, between the
double octagon and the round barrel proper.  The ram rod
disappears into a plain hole in the fore end.  On some pieces
the hole is elongated into a "V" about an inch or so long which
leads back toward the trigger guard.

The barrel has a double octagon portion, which with
the flare,  are decorations of sorts.  The barrel tang is 1
9/16" long with parallel sides approximately the width of the
top flat of the barrel and squared end.  A simple wood boss
carving about 5/32" wide frames the tang, terminating in a
'teat' about 1/2" long and 3/16" wide projecting rearward.  

The plain lock mounted with three screws is very well
made.  Aside from the ram rod pipe, which has a molded or turned
decor, these pistols are severely plain.  The walnut stock is of
full dimensions, with a thick grip terminating in the almost
hemispherical butt cap which is held on by a screw.  The grip
blends forward into a boss into which the lock is inletted on
the right side and the profile of the lock boss is duplicated on
the other side  of the stock.  

The trigger guard of pistols of this and earlier
period seems to have been treated as a necessary evil or, at
least, an after thought.  Even on finely crafted pistols,
trigger guards are often just a plain flat piece of iron bent to
shape, with the necessary holes for screws or nails.  On this
pistol it is about as simple as it can be except for the
primitive arrow head finial.  Shape and decor, if any, will vary
from piece to piece.  

This massive pistol, although well made, seems crude
and clumsy when compared to either the earlier or later military
pieces.  There are a number of existing examples of military
type pistols of the period of somewhat smaller and lighter
construction that have the hemispherical butt cap, simple
trigger guard, etc., which do not have the royal Crowned J2R
cipher on the lock.  It should be noted that there are numerous
existing English non-military pistols of suberb quality made in
the 1680s.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .59
2.  Butt  1 15/16
3.  Grip  1 13/32
4.  Rear of Lock  1 3/4
5.  Wood at Breech  1 11/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 5/32
7.  Front of Lock  1 19/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 13/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 7/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  1 1/8
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  15/16, 13/16 at 1" from    
       muzzle
12. Trigger Guard Bow  5/8
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  5/16
14. Side Plate Config.  None
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Convex
16. Furniture - Brass, Iron T.G.
17. Length of Barrel  14
18. Length Overall  21 1/4


08 - ENGLISH MILITARY PISTOL - 1706

This well proportioned pistol was made during the reign of
Queen Anne and bears the Crowned AR on the lock.  AR is also 
engraved on both sides of the butt cap and appears as a
Crowned AR view mark on the barrel.  The lock bears the maker's
name T. Fort, with 6 below the name signifying 1706.  Pistols of
this pattern were made by several makers and follow the pattern
quite closely in the examples I have seen.  The markings are
quite similar, including the abbreviated date, seen as 6 or 06
or whatever year applied.  

It is an example of evolutionary step in that the butt cap has 
evolved from the hemisphere to a molded brass fitting with a
bit of a boss for the attaching screw.  The bulges on the cap 
are rudiments of the long spurs seen on civilian pistols of the
period and will appear later on military pistols.  A simple flat 
side plate or 'key' plate cast of brass is now present.  The 
trigger guard is shaped and molded with a decorative finial and 
is cast of brass, rather than the simple bent strip of flat iron 
found on earlier military pieces.

The shape of the walnut stock eliminates most of the excess wood 
and 'flows' with a minimum of attention to location of the 
hardware.  The boss for the lock inlet is minimal and is likewise 
duplicated on the back side.  A very simple carving frames the 
barrel tang.  The ram rod disappears into a simple hole in the 
fore end, without a rear pipe.  The front pipe is about .032" 
brass strip bent around a form with the ends pressed together 
to form a tab by which it is pinned into the stock.

The octagon portion of the barrel fades into a round section and 
then steps to a smaller diameter as it tapers to the muzzle.  

This is the first 'elegant' English military pistol in that it is
of clean functional design and has lost the ungainly appearance 
that characterized its most recent predecessors.  


WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .61
2.  Butt  1 15/16
3.  Grip  1 7/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 9/16
5.  Wood at Breech  1 9/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/16
7.  Front of Lock  1 7/16
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 9/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 5/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  29/32
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  23/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  23/32
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  7/16
14. Side Plate Config.  Flat
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Convex
16. Furniture - Brass
17. Barrel Length  13 7/8
18. Length Overall  20 3/4


09 - ENGLISH SEA SERVICE PISTOL - 1738

The English Sea Service pistol reached a standardized
pattern in the 1730s and changed very little for almost a
century.  This is an early one dated 1738 on the lock.  'Tower'
on the lock and the barrel marks are typical.  This lock has a
bridled pan while most early pieces do not.  Other maker's names
are often seen in place of Tower.  Most have Crowned GR on the
lock on the flat beneath the pan.  It may have been omitted on
this piece through error.  Although this piece has all the
attributes of the military sea service pistol, it may have been
part of ship's armament for some kind of expedition.  

I also made a drawing of a similar piece with the
maker's name Edge dated 1761 bearing the Crowned GR.  I chose to
duplicate the 1738 here because it is earlier and is a bit more
massive in various dimensions than the later pistol.  This is
typical of English military pistols made over a long period. 
Although of the same basic pattern and lengthwise dimensions,
the earlier version will be a bit fuller in width and thickness
and have heavier furniture.  The 1761 piece, typical of its
time, has no pan bridle nor a fence.  Although a simple pistol
in the beginning, the Sea Service is further simplified in later
models.  The somewhat decorative trigger guard finial, similar
to the land pattern dragoon pistol, changes to a simpler
bullet-like shape.  Even the carved 'apron' surrounding the
barrel tang finally disappears.

Some other variations are seen in the Sea Service
pistol through its long life as a military type.  Some pans are
rounded, some are angular.  Most frizzens are peaked or rounded
on the top while some are squared or more rectangular in shape. 
The engraved line or lines bordering the lock plate and hammer
may or may not be present. 

The British navy obviously gave weapons funding
priority to major items such as cannon.  Consequently, reliable
sidearms at the cheapest cost resulted, both in muskets and
pistols.  Whether the English Sea Service pistol was the best
military pistol of the period is arguable and it certainly was
one of the most cost-effective.  At the end of the century, the
Sea Service was almost unchanged, except for technical
improvements such as the fenced and bridled pan.  Other military
pistols of 1800 were much like the Sea Service had been since
the  1730s.  On most military pistols of 1800 the long spurs of
the butt cap had dwindled to lumps, now with a single ram rod
pipe, the ornate carving was gone and the molded side plate had
become flat. 

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .58
2.  Butt  1 27/32
3.  Grip  1 5/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 9/16
5.  Wood at Breech  1 17/32
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/32
7.  Front of Lock  1 7/16
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 7/32
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 5/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  31/32
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  11/16
12. Trigger Guard Bow  1 1/32
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  1/2
14. Side Plate Config.  Flat
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Flat
16. Furniture - Brass
17. Barrel Length  11 7/8
18. Length Overall  19 1/8



10 - ENGLISH HEAVY DRAGOON PISTOL - 1743

This pistol was made from the early 1730s for a
period of more than 30 years.  They are found with many maker's
names in addition to those with the Tower mark.  They will
usually be dated, as late as about 1761 when the practice of
dating lock plates was discontinued.  The pistol drawn here has
all the attributes that make the English Heavy Dragoon pistol
probably the most ornate and highest quality military pistol of
the period.  The brass thumb piece or escutcheon, the heavy
molded side plate, trigger guard and other furniture are
complemented by relief carving of the wood surrounding the lock
plate boss, the barrel tang and the boss which duplicates that
of the lock plate on the left side of the stock.  These carvings
extend an inch or so ahead and back of the lock plate and barrel
tang.  

This particular piece is marked Grise, which is
probably an engraver's error in spelling the name Grice, a
prolific maker of pistols and muskets.  The lock is marked WG
with the Crowned GP and scepters.  The wood at rear of the lock
bears the storekeepers mark.  The Crowned GR appears on the lock
plate. 

These pistols are found in pistol bore size, about
.60, and carbine size, about .65.  A carbine bore pistol marked
Tower 1739 is somewhat heavier in the width dimensions and has a
lock plate a bit wider.

Typical of English military pistols made over a long
period, earlier pieces will be somewhat more massive than the
later pistol.  Although of the same basic pattern and lengthwise
dimensions, the earlier version will be a bit fuller in width
and thickness and may have heavier furniture and more pronounced
carving.  Late in the model life of a piece, simplification
becomes even more evident, probably as an economy measure.  The
latest pieces omit the carving except for a small 'apron' around
the barrel tang.  In the late pieces, the original hammer with
the 'feather' riser behind the top jaw is seen replaced by a
simpler riser that employs a forked top jaw.  This treatment is
similar to that used on the Sea Service pistol except that the
hammer face remains round instead of flat.  

In addition to being a visually attractive piece, the
English Heavy Dragoon Pistol was very competently made.  Wood
and metal parts were very well fitted and finished for a
military piece.  Given less robust construction, reduced weight
and dimensions, it would be preferable to many non-military
pieces of the period and be more reliable under adverse
conditions.   

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)
1.  Bore Dia. .60
2.  Butt  2
3.  Grip  1 15/32
4.  Rear of Lock  1 11/16
5.  Wood at Breech  1 9/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/32
7.  Front of Lock  1 17/32
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 1/16
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 9/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  1 1/32
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  23/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  31/32
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  17/32
14. Side Plate Config.  Convex
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Convex
16. Furniture - Brass
17. Barrel Length  12 1/8
18. Length Overall  19 1/2


11 - FRENCH MILITARY PISTOL  -  MODEL OF 1733

The 1733 is the first regulation French military
pistol.  Prior to this model there was no standard pistol in the
French military.  It is contemporary with the British Heavy
Dragoon pistol in both general design and the period of
manufacture, from the early 1730s through the next 30 years or
so.

Although 1733 French specimens look alike, there is a
certain amount of variation within its basic design as a
military pistol with a 12" barrel.  The differences are found in
dimensions such as size of lock, width of barrel at breech,
width of trigger guard bow and bore size.  Therefore the 
dimensions below will apply only to the piece illustrated here.
Some were fitted with a short belt hook, possibly 20% of the 
specimens I have seen.   Carving of the stock around the 
barrel tang, around the lock and along the ram rod channel is 
omitted on some.  This is probably the result of the 
simplification that we find in later manufacture of most 
military arms made over a long period.  They are found with 
markings of St. Etienne, Charleville, Tulle and possibly other
arsenals.  I have seen only one with the Tulle mark and it had 
iron furniture rather than the usual brass - possibly a prototype.  

The French 1733 pistol saw much use in North America during the 
French colonial period and through the French and Indian War and 
American Revolution.  A rare pistol, specimens are mostly found 
in North America.  Very rare in Europe, as of the mid 1970s the 
French Musee de l'Armee in Paris had none to display.  As to 
rarity, I estimate one French 1733 to ten British Heavy Dragoons.

These pistols are less ornate than their British counterpart 
although no less competent as a weapon.  Quality, in terms of 
materials, fit and finish, appears to be on a par with the 
British piece.

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .71
2.  Butt  1 13/16
3.  Grip  1 3/8
4.  Rear of Lock  1 9/16  
5.  Wood at Breech  1 9/16
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/8
7.  Front of Lock  1 1/2
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 9/32  
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 3/16
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  31/32
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  7/8  
12. Trigger Guard Bow  11/16
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  15/32
14. Side Plate Config.  Flat
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.   Flat
16. Furniture - Brass
17. Length of Barrel  12 1/4
18. Length Overall  19 1/2


12 - ENGLISH LIGHT DRAGOON PISTOL WITH 9" BARREL 

This is the primary pistol used by the British in the
American Revolution.  As a type it dates from about 1760 and
became standard issue to replace the Heavy Dragoon pistol with
12 inch barrel.  There was a 10" barrel dragoon pistol made in
small numbers as an interim model which was a slightly reduced
version in most respects of the 12" piece.  For whatever reason
it was discontinued in favor of the simplified 9" barreled
dragoon.  This was at a time when most military services were
reducing barrel length of pistols.  

Simplified is the key word that applies to the 9" dragoon.  
From the beginning the English naval or Sea Service pistol 
for several decades had been severely simple.  Apparently a 
cost-effectiveness decision gave the land forces this 
simplified but effective weapon.  Although almost devoid of
cosmetic features, the 9 inch Light Dragoon pistol maintained
quality in those respects having to do with its effectiveness. 
If not the absolute high point in British flintlock military
pistol development, it was not surpassed by any later piece.  It
should be noted that there were some very cheaply made 9"
barreled military pistols but they are not standard and usually
differ from our illustrated example by having a butt cap that is
straight across formed of sheet brass in sort of a hemisphere,
rather than the lobed cast brass butt cap as we illustrate. 
Some of these cheap pistol bear proper English military markings.

As with earlier types, the Light Dragoon pistols are seen with 
various markings such as Tower, various contract makers names 
and Dublin Castle.  Early Dublin Castle pistols may have some 
of the cosmetic features of the old Heavy Dragoon such as convex 
molded side plate and a lower ram rod pipe.  Later they become 
like our illustration.

As with earlier types, some Light Dragoons are seen with 
regimental markings, some of which can be historically
connected with units serving in North America.  Early pieces
will have convex lock plates and hammers which become flat with
later production.  Pieces made in the early years of the 1760s
may bear dates but the practice of dating ceased after about
1763.  Other than the adoption of an iron swivel-attached ram
rod on late pieces, there was little significant change in the
Light Dragoon pistol until it was replaced by a percussion type. 

WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .66
2.  Butt  1 9/16
3.  Grip  1 5/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 19/32  
5.  Wood at Breech  1 17/32
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/16
7.  Front of Lock  1 1/2
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  1 1/4  
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  1 7/32
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  1 1/8
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  27/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  7/8
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  13/16 
14. Side Plate Config.  Flat
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.   Flat, Early may be Convex
16. Furniture - Brass
17. Length of Barrel  9
18. Length Overall  15 5/8


13 - TURNOFF PISTOL - "QUEEN ANNE" - CA 1740

The Queen Anne pistol gets its name from the reign of Queen Anne 
(1702-1714), early in the 18th century, when this type of pistol 
became popular.  There were earlier versions of the turn off pistol 
but the Queen Anne type became almost standardized for half a 
century in the sense of its construction with the combined lock, 
breech and barrel with only the grip being of wood.  

"Turn off" refers to the barrel which unscrews (turns off) to load.  
It is a step in the direction of breech loading.  When the barrel 
is removed, the chamber is filled with powder, the ball is placed 
over the powder and the barrel is screwed in place over the ball.  
The ball is a bit larger than the smooth bore and cannot roll out.  
This gives an added advantage of shooting a bit harder by virtue of 
the added pressure developed to drive the larger ball down the bore.  
A lug is seen on the lower side of the barrel which engages with a 
slot in a ring spanner to turn the barrel.  The spanner is sometimes 
made integral with one of the handles of the mold in which the lead 
balls are cast.

The Queen Anne was not a military pistol but it is almost exclusive- 
ly English.  Only a few continental examples exist.  The Queen Anne 
pistol must have been expensive to build due to the intricate forging 
and filing necessary to produce the unitized breech, lock and frame.  
Almost without exception they are found with engraving and with silver
furniture.  In all my years and dozens of Queen Annes I have seen, I
recall only one that was brass mounted and none that were plain or 
cheaply made.  The trigger guard is of iron, with silver butt mask, 
escutcheon and side plate.  Some are seen with stylized silver dragons 
or other inlays on each side of the barrel tang (which is not a barrel 
tang at all but is a fitting in that position to attach the wood stock).

Early pieces from the actual reign of Anne will have an octagonal 
breech, which becomes round shortly thereafter.  These superb quality 
pistols were made by a variety of makers and seem to be the weapon of 
choice of affluent Englishmen until late in the century.  They must 
have been extremely popular because they survive in fairly large 
numbers.  Our illustrated example is a bit larger than average size 
and they are found in smaller pocket pistol size. A few turnoffs are 
seen with spurred butt cap but these are a variation from the basic 
Queen Anne.

Before the Queen Anne, the turnoff existed from mid 17th century with 
a conventional lock, stock and barrel design with a shortened fore end, 
sometimes with the barrel attached with a linkage to prevent its loss 
when unscrewed.  Late in the 18th century the Queen Anne evolved into 
a more compact Box Lock turnoff design which became the principal small 
pocket pistol type up until the percussion period.


WIDTH MEASUREMENTS AND CONFIGURATION NOTES 
        (dimensions in inches)

1.  Bore Dia. .62
2.  Butt  1 5/8
3.  Grip  1 3/16
4.  Rear of Lock  1 9/32  
5.  Wood at Breech  1 5/32
6.  Barrel at Breech  1 1/32
7.  Front of Lock  NA
8.  1/2" Forward of Lock  NA
9.  1/2" Aft of Ramrod Entry  NA 
10. Forward Ramrod Pipe  NA
11. Barrel O.D. at Muzzle  27/32
12. Trigger Guard Bow  3/4
13. Trigger Guard at Grip  NA 
14. Side Plate Config.  Varied 
15. Hammer & Lock Face Config.  Convex   
16. Furniture - Silver
17. Length of Barrel  7 5/8
18. Length Overall  13 1/4
