North Carolina Bear Pistol

[davebozell]

Here is a cane-handled bear pistol that I recently finished.  I based it on a pistol shown in Dennis' Gillespie book.  There are two black and white photos of this pistol in the book.  The whereabouts of the original are unknown.  Mine is a 50 caliber with a plain, maple stock.  The barrel was profiled to be similar in dimension to one of Rice's swamped pistol barrels.  The lock is a modified Chambers Late Ketland.  The trigger guard was made from steel sheet and the butt cap was made from brass and copper sheet.  I was interested in the original since I haven't seen any contemporary examples. 

[Panzerschwein]

The topic of bear pistols comes up every so often here and I always enjoy them. Very beautiful!

[Daryl]

Very nice indeed, with the full length tang down to the butt.
I expect that design would have a lot of muzzle flip.

[Dennis Glazener]

The original shown in my book, belonged to Dr Don Schulte, now deceased. Don did have any idea who made it or any other info. If I remember correctly he had bought it at Friendship.
Dennis

[Panzerschwein]

From what I gather, these were used in combination with dogs and when a rifle would be too cumbersome to carry through thick bear brush.

The dogs would tree the bear, and the bear pistol would then be used with its long sight radius (some also had set trigger) to take an accurate shot to stun the bear so it would fall from the tree and then go to heaven.

A large caliber wasn’t necessarily required and I’ve seen reference to as small as 75 to the pound for bear pistols were used.

[Craig Wilcox]

I have been wondering where my wooden cane got off to.  Now I am stuck using this horrible steel tube thing.  That will teach me to not leave it in the cart at Walmart.

Really and truly, I like that cane-handled bear pistol.  If used in the traditional way, it will sure bring home the (bear) bacon.

These ML pistols are often under-appreciated.  The first deer I took down was with a Traditions "Kentucky" pistol in .45 cal at about 25 yards.  The ball went through both lungs and the heart, but didn't exit the buck.  I currently have two .54 cal smoothbore pistol barrels being inlet into some quarter-sawn stump sugar maple.  Nasty hard stuff, it is!

[oldtravler61]

  When I was at the Fall frolic. Charlie Burton had a barrel on his table. For exactly this purpose.  Do ok I brought it home.
Thanks for posting...  Nice pistol indeed...  Oldtravler

[Daryl]

I have been wondering where my wooden cane got off to.  Now I am stuck using this horrible steel tube thing.  That will teach me to not leave it in the cart at Walmart.

Really and truly, I like that cane-handled bear pistol.  If used in the traditional way, it will sure bring home the (bear) bacon.

These ML pistols are often under-appreciated.  The first deer I took down was with a Traditions "Kentucky" pistol in .45 cal at about 25 yards.  The ball went through both lungs and the heart, but didn't exit the buck.  I currently have two .54 cal smoothbore pistol barrels being inlet into some quarter-sawn stump sugar maple.  Nasty hard stuff, it is!

My .53 pistol shoots 55gr. 3F VERY well with a patched .526" ball. It is rifled, though, with a piece of rifle barrel, thus the heavy (for a pistol) charge. I would estimate a 6 to 7" pattern, with
the big ball striking exactly in the middle of the 3 satellite balls.
It is quite accurate with that charge, as well.
It also does really well, to 12 yards, using a buck and ball load with 3 .350" balls - held on top of the main ball with an extra lubed patch.