SOUTH INDIAN PISTOL

[rickystl]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Normaly these guns have a kind of blunderbluss muzzle...
Is it possible that the barrel was a replacement?
And Rick, what do you think about the barrel, is it Indian, or something else (Persian)?
Thanks

Hi Kubur.

I agree with Pukka here. It looks like a section of barrel that was cut short from both the breech and muzzle ends, and then re-breached. Curious the long breech plug tang. Sort of like a Caucassian pistol.
Of course we know in this area of the world how often barrels, locks, etc. were recycled to make anything that would shoot. You never see any two alike. But you can often trace the origins from the decoration. But not always. It seems some have a confluence of cultures in it's decoration. Probably due to trade and other influences.

Rick

[rickystl]

BUMP !!!!

I was going to start a new Thread, but then remembered fellow Forum member, Bandook had started this Thread on South Indian pistols. So I used the Search function which brought up his original post from this month - a year ago. So, I thought I would just continue the conversation.

Here is a recent aquisition I bought from Auctions Imperial about 3/4 auctions ago. Notice how similar this pistol looks to the one Kubur posted above from Oriental Arms. Even the lock.
When I received the pistol there were only two issues (that I knew beforehand)
1. LOCK: The top screw was slightly bent, and the frizzen was not quite flush while covering the pan. So the Locksmith made the fixes and tuned the lock. It now works/sparks great.
2. STOCK: The front ramrod pipe was missing as well as the ramrod. So I had a new pipe made to match the rear. It turned out to be an almost dead-ringer to the rear pipe. Had a new iron and wood rod made to match.

So this small bit of restoration has the pistol looking much better now. Thanks for looking. Picture heavy as usual. LOL

Rick

[rickystl]

MORE PICS........Check out how close the new front ramrod pipe matches the original rear pipe.

[rickystl]

ONE MORE OF THE NEW RAMRODS......It's a "false" rod and doesn't travel the length of the barrel due to the over-sized locks used in these pistols.

[Kubur]

Congrats Rick!
Very nice pistol
The butt is unusual for this kind of pistol, do you think its a late addition?

[rickystl]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Congrats Rick!
Very nice pistol
The butt is unusual for this kind of pistol, do you think its a late addition?

Hi Kubur

Thanks for your comments. The gunsmith did a good job. Turned out well.

The butt cap does look a bit plain for these pistols. If it was a replacement, it would have been done back in the period. It's not a casting. It's hand made and heavy. Would work well for a dual purpose club. LOL The patina matches the rest of the brass mounts. There is a tiny, period wood repair on the inside of the grip near the butt cap that was well executed. Maybe the cap was removed/replaced during the repair (?) But the butt cap is old, and was well fitted. So I believe it is legit.

Rick

[BANDOOK]

HELLO RICK
YES,THIS PISTOL YOU HAVE POSTED IS SIMILAR TO MINE,BUT WITH A FEW DIFFERNCES ESPECIALLY THE BALL BUTT WHICH ONE SEES IN CAUCASIAN PISTOLS
GOOD FIND
REGARDS
RAJESH