Mule ear pistol

[Steve Collward]

   Below are some photos of a single shot pistol with a mule ear lock stamped: S. Jackson/Palmyra, N.Y./Warranted.
Stillman Jackson (b. 1806, d. 1869) was a New York gunmaker who was in business from 1829 until 1855 in Palmyra, N.Y. (upstate town on the Erie Canal).
   This pistol is stocked in cherry, has a 9 7/8" octagon to round smoothbore barrel, apprx. .60 cal. The barrel is unmarked.
The furniture and trigger are brass. Overall length of this pistol is 14 1/2".
   I have seen several S. Jackson rifles; both full stock and half-stock.  These pieces have all had his name stamped on the barrel.
   I am uncertain if Jackson made this pistol, or if it was made by someone else, using one of his locks.
   Any comments or opinions would be appreciated.
Steve Collward
   
   

[Majorjoel]

Steve, I have seen several NY made mule ear rifles of the mid 19th century with only names on the locks. On these particular pieces I have  assumed that that was the maker of the whole piece. I've made this call after seeing several other rifles of the same maker. Guns by Charles Miller and William Garner for example.

[don getz]

A little difficult to say when this gun may have been built.   I feel the barrel came from what was a nice pistol at one time,
but was used, along with the lock, to come up with a "pistol"....kind of crude, don't you think?  Looks more like late 1800's to the early 1900's possibly,  even 30's or 40's.................Don