MBS "The Sparrow" Flintlock pistol kit?

[Hunterdude]

I have had this kit for a couple years, and thinking of building it this winter. Has anyone built one??
   I want the walnut stock to look weathered and very dark.
Also the German silver parts polish up nice, but then tarnish to kind of a chocolate brown over time, I like the tarnish down in the nooks and crannies, but want other area to shine, would paste wax preserve the shine longer?
   The photos are from MBS website, my pistol is still a box of parts.
      Also from my research the pistol in the movie is said to be an original from about 1760 made by Perry, in London. Does the architecture look about right? Any input about this pistol is appreciated.

[BillF/TRF]

Mine is a Chambers English Pistol.  The stock is walnut with Dangler's Dark Brown Stain rubbed back (with steel wool) to show some of the grain and Chambers traditional oil finish with Minwax finishing wax.  I believe Darryl also has a dark brown pistol.  Bill

[martin9]

To emulate the pistol in MBS' pics I'd use AF on the stock and a bees wax finish. I like historic house parts patina solution on nickel silver parts. You can just rub it back to the color you like. Doing it gently will leave darker color in the nooks and crannies.

[Hunterdude]

I really like how dark Bill's pistol is.

I assume AF= Aqua Fortis? If so, I have never thought to try it on walnut, but certainly can test it out on some walnut scrap. Thanks for the input so far!

[smart dog]

Hi.
The pistol used by Capt. Sparrow in the movies was built by Bill Kennedy I believe.  What the original was that it was based on I don't know.  The only Perry in my references working even close to the 1760s was William Perry of Birmingham and he sometimes marked guns "London".  However, my references show him working after 1776.  The styling of MBS' kit is hard to call.  If it was meant to be 1760s it would more likely have a pommel butt and a round faced lock although flat locks became popular late in the 1760s.  The styling looks more like 1780s to me but there were earlier pistols with ball butts particularly turn off and pocket pistols.  Larger horse pistols more often had pommels.  You should not need to polish German silver very much to keep it bright.  I does develop a yellowish tint.  Just keep an old sock handy dipped very, very sparingly in Simichrome polish and wipe the metal occasionally.  By using the polish very sparingly, you will avoid build up in the nooks and crannies.  You can pretend it is "paktong" the mysterious silver metal from China thought to be very rare until metallurgists discovered it was an alloy of copper and nickel and they invented cheap "German Silver" at the end of the 18th century.   These pistols would not have a dull "in the wood" oil look, rather an oil varnish with a bit of satin or higher gloss. Kind of like these:






























dave

[Daryl]

Mine is only really dark, in the scanned picture.

[Bob Gerard]

I like "The Sparrow" a lot and just checked MBS and didn't see it available as a kit. Maybe they discontinued it after you got yours. Looks like a handsome pistol!

[Hunterdude]

Bob, the "sparrow" pistol kit can be a little bit hard to find. If you go on MBS website and click "online catalog" you will get an index on the left side of your screen....look it over carefully and find "pistol" then right below it "custom" I do not think it was in with all the other pistols. You can not just add it to your cart, you have to call during business hours and ask if it is still available. It is my favorite style pistol of the kits I am aware of, I would love to know if MBS is still making the kit myself as I wish I had a matching pair! Let me know how it goes? I may try to make a link right to the kit if I can. -Ben

[Hunterdude]

Ok...I was a little off, open the "online catalog" then the menu on the left side of screen will be somewhat in alphabetical order...scroll down to "C" section and find the link "Custom" and the Very next line below Custom is "Pistol"...clicking on that should bring up "the Sparrow"


I will try to make a link, but no guarantee:

https://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/mbs3cart/agora.cgi?cart_id=5466206.15573&product=Custom

[Bob Gerard]

Hi Ben, thanks for the lead. I found them and have to loook them over. Heres the link I saw them at
https://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssupply.com/mbs3cart/agora.cgi?cart_id=5466206.15573&next=25&product=Pistols
I may go with another French Dragoon but with German Silver (mine is Brass). Just a small matter of no money now LOL.
Hopefully soon :-)
Best regards
ps: If you have a pic of the Sparrow 'kit'  you have it would be great to see,

[Hunterdude]

Glad you found it Bob, as I recall I spoke to Ryan and he built the pistol in the photo as a customer build request, then decided to offer the "parts set" as quite a few people where looking for a "pirate pistol" after the popular movie came out.
   I think you have choices like side plate and caliber and maybe even what kind of metal the parts are cast in.
    I will try to dig out my kit and take some photos, hopefully in the next day or so.-Ben

[Mike Brooks]

The classic era for pirates was over by 1720.  Nothing i have seen  here is proper pirating material

[James Rogers]

The side plate matches the movie gun but as has been said, the pistol is about as out of place for the true pirate era as the rifle made for Last of the Mohicans.

[Hunterdude]

I am not crazy about Disney movies or Pirates, also I would make a poor historian. Having said all that, I Do like the lines of this pistol.
   If someone would let me know what time period and where this pistol style may have been built? Or is is closer to a fantasy pistol?

[Mike Brooks]

The black one at the top is english, 1765 to maybe 1780 or so.

[Hunterdude]

The black one at the top is english, 1765 to maybe 1780 or so.

That's great, thank you!