Scottish Pistol Pair

Tordenskiold1721 · 30th April 2022, 10:09 AM

My knowledge of Scottish flintlock pistols and early Scottish snaphance pistols is very limited. I just picked up this pair in the Scottish style marked / stamped Tower.

Assistance in dating and identifying this pistol pair would be much appriciated:

Will M · 30th April 2022, 02:53 PM

They appear to me as somewhat crudely made reproductions. They would function well for re enactors props.

Tordenskiold1721 · 30th April 2022, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will M

They appear to me as somewhat crudely made reproductions. They would function well for re enactors props.

Interesting, were and when by who was this reproductions made ?

fernando · 1st May 2022, 10:53 AM

Well Tordenskiold, Will's prompt judgement sounds as if he is well under what goes on with this type of pistols.
Alli know about them is that they are not easy to find and not cheap at all ... specially being found in pairs,a greater added value.
Let us expect Will offers further details that explain their non genuinity; or that other members step in to opine in this subject.

Raf · 1st May 2022, 03:15 PM

Admittedly the quality doesn't look great and the stamped (?) Tower difficult to account for . But . A lot of Scottish pistols were in fact made in Birmingham . Bissel was prolific maker . Paradoxically a lot of modern reproductions copy Bissel type pistols from the 1770s because they are relatively plain and easier to reproduce than the engraved Scottish examples. The attached shows a late pistol by Bissel which like the pistols under discussion has a military style ring neck cock and the later style of cock spur. It's from Edinburgh castle so I think we can assume it's authentic. The two screws visible behind the cock of the pistols under discussion follow nineteenth century practice. Scottish style flintlocks with German silver stocks were being made in Birmingham the 1850s so we can assume these were regimental regalia following the fashion for all things Scottish in the early victorian period. What looks like a 2 on one pistol might have some regimental significance . On balance I can't see why these are not nineteenth century Birmingham made pistols possibly slightly out of period . Probably irrelevant but the old name for the Birmingham proof house was the Tower.

Fernando K · 1st May 2022, 05:19 PM

Hello
Would there be any test punch in the barrels? Would you need a photo of the interior of the lock
Affectionately

30th April 2022, 10:09 AM	#1
Tordenskiold1721 Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 71	Scottish Pistol Pair My knowledge of Scottish flintlock pistols and early Scottish snaphance pistols is very limited. I just picked up this pair in the Scottish style marked / stamped Tower. Assistance in dating and identifying this pistol pair would be much appriciated: Attached Images

1st May 2022, 03:15 PM	#5
Raf Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 252	Admittedly the quality doesn't look great and the stamped (?) Tower difficult to account for . But . A lot of Scottish pistols were in fact made in Birmingham . Bissel was prolific maker . Paradoxically a lot of modern reproductions copy Bissel type pistols from the 1770s because they are relatively plain and easier to reproduce than the engraved Scottish examples. The attached shows a late pistol by Bissel which like the pistols under discussion has a military style ring neck cock and the later style of cock spur. It's from Edinburgh castle so I think we can assume it's authentic. The two screws visible behind the cock of the pistols under discussion follow nineteenth century practice. Scottish style flintlocks with German silver stocks were being made in Birmingham the 1850s so we can assume these were regimental regalia following the fashion for all things Scottish in the early victorian period. What looks like a 2 on one pistol might have some regimental significance . On balance I can't see why these are not nineteenth century Birmingham made pistols possibly slightly out of period . Probably irrelevant but the old name for the Birmingham proof house was the Tower. Attached Images

30th April 2022, 02:53 PM	#2
Will M Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: In the wee woods north of Napanee Ontario Posts: 391	They appear to me as somewhat crudely made reproductions. They would function well for re enactors props.

1st May 2022, 10:53 AM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Well Tordenskiold, Will's prompt judgement sounds as if he is well under what goes on with this type of pistols. Alli know about them is that they are not easy to find and not cheap at all ... specially being found in pairs,a greater added value. Let us expect Will offers further details that explain their non genuinity; or that other members step in to opine in this subject.

1st May 2022, 05:19 PM	#6
Fernando K Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 669	Hello Would there be any test punch in the barrels? Would you need a photo of the interior of the lock Affectionately