Here's a beautiful, early flintlock pistol. This European pistol is completely unmarked save for an engraved assembler's mark "2" on the tang. The bird's head grip and square back trigger guard are both very Germanic features, and its lack of proof marks distinguish this gun as a civilian style piece made in the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation", before Germany was united into one country. Pistols from this reason are often an amalgam of different regional styles blended together on the same piece. This is because the various Noble courts that made up the German states in the region each had their own "gunsmith to the court" and these 'smiths enjoyed a certainly level of autonomy compared to other European craftsman; often traveling around to find work while incorporating different regional designs into their pieces along the way. This made for a unique and characteristically "German" school of firearm building that incorporated designs from Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands and combined them with it's own unique architectural style.
This pistol appears to have been commissioned by a German Nobleman. It is completely unmarked and vaguely military styled; although, its .45 caliber barrel is a bit small for combat use. It features a beautifully carved European walnut stock with wonderful relief carving around the tang and trigger guard. The stock has a wonderful patina and is still very sound. Its only defect is a small chip and cosmetic crack along the bottom edge of the lock plate tail. The crack, is very sound and cosmetic only as it does not effect the orientation or action of the lock.
The small round face lock is in great shape. The cock holds solid on both full and half cock and the frizzen spring retains a nice temper, throwing a nice shower of sparks. The lock components are all original.
The furniture is beautifully executed with engraved and chiseled embellishments on all the brass components. The ramrod fits beautifully and appears to be original to the pistol; although it's impossible to tell for certain.
This pistol is the oldest piece we've ever had in the shop. It's a beautiful example of an era of gun making that died away with the advent of modern machinery. This is a fine example of European craftsmanship and would make a great addition to anyone's collection.
