KNEE PISTOL for COMMENT

[kahnjar1]

I seem to have had a bit of luck recently in acquiring some new additions for my collection.
The latest is a Turkish Knee Pistol. It is in good working order, but has some age issues, mainly the lock which I think is a period replacement. The rammer is "false" which is quite usual for these.
All comments welcome.
Stu

[kahnjar1]

After removing the barrel from the pistol the following is evident.
The barrel band is a very crudely made later addition, and should not be there IMHO, as the barrel itself is supposed to be attached to the stock with 2 pins. The front pin is missing though the barrel lug is present and unbroken. The rear lug is broken, but the broken piece appears to be still held in the stock by the original pin. The barrel has a hook breech which COULD possibly be a screw breech as marks are evident suggesting this.
Also the breech bears a mark which I do not recognise together with 4 dots. There are also 2 marks on the barrel one above the other. Again I do not recognise these marks, but perhaps one of our knowledgeable readers may be able to identify them.
Additional pics attached.
Stu

[Richard G]

The last two look like an attempt at a crown over crossed sceptres, which is a British proof mark. If this is so the previous stamp could be an inspector's mark. Certain aspects of this gun have a British feel, India might be a possibility.
Regards
Richarc

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Richard G

The last two look like an attempt at a crown over crossed sceptres, which is a British proof mark. If this is so the previous stamp could be an inspector's mark. Certain aspects of this gun have a British feel, India might be a possibility.
Regards
Richarc

Hi Richard,
Sorry but no these are not British marks. I have been doing a little research of my own and I believe that the barrel mark is in fact French. See attached pics. The "solo" mark (#5) is the one on the barrel. The mark on the breech hook at this stage remains a mystery, but it is as you say, it is likely to be an Inspectors mark of some sort.
Stu

[Richard G]

Stu,
I agree. If these had been British proof marks I would have doubted their authenticity.
I wouldn't argue with a French attribution as the origin.
Best wishes
Richard

[rickystl]

Hi Stu.

Congratulations. That is a very interesting Ottoman style Knee Pistol. And it appears to have seen considerable action back in it's day. Some observations:

STOCK: The stock on this one is plain, undecorated as many were. Note the thick diameter of the wrist/grip area. Common with these guns. I've never seen one of these pistols broke at the wrist area. I believe this was done by design. Makes the stock very strong in the grip area.

LOCK: Yes, the lock does look like a locally made, period replacement. Which would not be uncommon. The original lock probably became in-operable at some point and was simply replaced with one that was readily available versus having a new one made. The general style of the lock looks like it was trying to duplicate a late period English flintlock. However, there is no "fence" connecting the pan to the frizzen (a pre-1750 feature). So, just the local lock maker's interpretation I guess. Unusual.

BARREL: Now this is interesting. This is the first Knee Pistol I've seen with a hook breech. The European/French origin of the barrel makes sense. The style of lugs for the pins also looks European. The chisel work with remains of gold wash at the breach seem to be a common theme for these Knee Pistol barrels. I've seen these barrels pin-fastened, and others fastened with bands. And a couple that were pin-fastened with barrel bands just for decoration. With the marks on the barrel, all the evidence seems to point to a European barrel made for export. Which would not be a big surprise. But! the hook breech is an unusual and very neat feature for this gun. Nice find Stu.

This so called Knee Pistol design likely originated somewhere in Europe. But it seems to have never caught on. I've never seen a true Europen version. But it was most certainly popular in the Ottoman/Eastern markets. With so many examples still available today attests to this popularity. From highly decorated to very plain, and all points in between.

Rick