This time I'm thinking of doing it backwards

[4ster]

So I've built my first rifle, its a reproduction of a British gun from the revolutionary war and shoots a .615 ball.  Now I'm thinking about the next gun.

In my past shooting life I have tended to shoot modern revolvers and ended up picking up a couple of lever guns in my revolver calibers.  Saved me reloading both rifle and handgun cartridges, and I just like lever guns.

So I am thinking of building a pistol that might have been carried by a soldier that carried my revolutionary war rifle.   If he carried a pistol at all, was it a common practice to carry one that shot the same ball as his rifle?

Steve

[rich pierce]

From what little I know, officers may have carried pistols but regulars and militia did not normally do so.  Good idea though and lots of fun.  I wish I had more caliber standardization.

[bob in the woods]

Most of what I've seen indicates that pistols of the Rev war era were mainly smoothbored.

[bgf]

Sounds like a great idea.  Pistols are small enough to focus on small details and still not take forever, and they are fun for plinking, easy on powder, and simple to clean while still satisfying the urge to make smoke; if it it is the same caliber as your rifle, then you already have all the accessories, which is a big plus, also.  They might not have been common, but I'm sure someone back then had one in his rifle's caliber for an emergency. 

[Ezra]

Twigg Officers pistol from TRS.  It's on my to do list.  Already have the assembled lock, well it's paid for anyway...still waiting...

http://therifleshoppe.com/catalog_pages/english_pistols/(732).htm


Ez

[Daryl]

The early martial pistols are probably some of the esiest of pistols to build. I think it's a grand idea.  A smooth .63 to .65 will allow the same ball to be used by varying the patch thickness. The larger size is due to a smoothbore's requirement for more windage, not having grooves to take up patch.

[Pete G.]

Incidentally, the pistol was the backup weapon for a sword or cutlass, not a long gun. Atlanta Cutlery is a good source.