Steve Krolick at Novelty Ordnance has done another fantastic job of recreating another of the Civil War's rarest firearms. This custom built Virginia Manufactory pistol is sure to be the crown jewel of any Confederate Cavalryman's collection.
Steve addressed every detail imaginable when building this pistol.
The lock plate is marked "Virginia" in block letters and the tail of the lock is marked "Richmond" in an arc with the date "1812". This pistol is also fitted with a wooden ram rod; which is appropriate for VM pistols built between 1812 and 1813.
Steve made this match grade, .56 caliber smooth bore barrel specifically for this pistol. Slightly swamped and in perfect condition, Steve competed with this very pistol in a few ACWSA Skirmishes and took home a 2nd place ribbon on two separate occasions. That's right-this hand cannon shoots as well as it looks! These pistols are currently approved for use in the ACWSA and we are currenlty in the process of having them approved for N-SSA competition as well.
Original VA Manuf. pistols were built as flintlocks, but many were converted to percussion during the onset of the Civil War. Steve faithfully copied these original "Southern Style" conversions by fitting an original percussion hammer and threading and brazing a drum into the barrel. He then hand filed the drum square square, and installed a clean-out screw for easy maintenance.
Just like the originals, all major parts are serial numbered. This particular pistol is #53. Also like the originals, the left-side lock panel has the inspector's stamp "RI".
As these pistols were already considered antiques by the eve of the Civil War, Steve lightly patined the metal parts to make the pistol look like it had been carried through multiple campaigns over multiple generations.
Original VA Manuf. pistols used during the Civil War are extremely rare and considered very desirable by collectors. Don't let this one get away! Be sure to click "IMAGE GALLERY" to view all the pictures.
