Colonial flintlock pistol, American

[debnal]

Here is a flintlock pistol I just acquired that may be of interest to builders and collectors. It was first gotten from Joe Kindig and was found in a chest of drawers in York, PA. The wood has been tested as “American Butternut’ and this, plus the total lack of markings suggests it was made in colonial America. In Smith and Bitter’s book, Historic Pistols, is a virtually identical pistol that is listed as a colonial pistol, York, Pennsylvania. It too was found by Joe Kindig in York. The architecture on the two pistols is exactly the same. The furniture is slightly different but overall they have a similar feel. My pistol has a 10 inch round barrel of .72 caliber. The lock is original flint and may be locally made. The pistol is in totally original condition with all of the original finish. The butt cap has long spurs along the grip. It has the overall appearance of a cavalry pistol. The most interesting feature is the sideplate. It looks like the type of sideplate that was used by Zorger or Fry, both from York. I remember reading somewhere that some of the rifle smiths of the Rev War period were told to stop making rifles and were to provide muskets and pistols for the cause. Perhaps someone can remember that reference. Is this a colonial American pistol? a Committee of Safety pistol? a Kentucky pistol? or a combination of all three? I do appreciate the knowledgeable comments from the experts who frequent this site.

[alex e.]

Well ,right in front of me on my desk is my modern made French styled trade pistol.it looks IDENTICAL.It mirrors it 100%.Triggerguard,pipes and stock profile.I like to lock on this one a lot.
That tiny "tit" on the frizzen finial is a distinctively  French feature.you do not really see it on too many other guns.
The side plate though  is confusing. a restock?
just my thoughts on it .

[JCKelly]

Similar pistols are shown in Battle Weapons of the American Revolution, by G.C. Neumann. You might look a pages 252 (French cavalry), 264, 267 and 272. The last three are American. The triggerguard tang on your pistol shows French influence, as alexsnr suggested. Kinda like a "Type D" tradegun", which only means that an American made it.

In my fairly ignorant opinion, I would call it a cavalry weapon/holster pistol, likely Revolutionary.

There is an rather arbitrary, but commercially significant, distinction made between an English style holster pistol, made in America, and a "Kentucky" pistol, made in, say, Pennsylvania by a guy who also made rifles. For discussion of this you might want to look in Norm Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms...and their values, 9th Edition, pp671-672 

I had occasion to look over such information a year or so ago when I bought an American (I think) holster pistol, civilian, circa 1760.

 My, l do like your pistol!

Butternut? Usually thought of as a Southern wood, personally do not know how far north it was used.

[Mike Brooks]

Butternut? Usually thought of as a Southern wood, personally do not know how far north it was used.

It grows here  naturally in Iowa.

[Dphariss]

I am assuming that it grows in PA too since a friend sent me doe Butternut hull extract for stock stain years ago.\

Dan

[hoochiejohn]

Butternut ( Juglans Cenerea) or " White Walnut " grows from Texas to Maine, inland to the Mississippi Valley.  Prevalent in PA...used to have a tree near the house when I was a youngen'...messy though, good dye!

[Levy]

I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at, but is that the iron remains of a sash hook utilizing the sideplate screw for attachement?  The iron appears to have a hook that goes into the wood to keep it (sash hook) from twisting in use.

Jame Levy

[California Kid]

I though the same thing, maybe a broken off belt hook? Hard to tell.

[Mike Brooks]

I though the same thing, maybe a broken off belt hook? Hard to tell.

That was my immediate guess.

[Dphariss]

Ditto the belt hook.

Dan