Original Item. Only One Available. This is something that we have not had before! During the American Colonial Period and following Revolutionary War, arms had been imported from various areas in Europe, including the German States, which had strong ties to the British Empire of the time. In addition to being the King of Great Britain and Ireland, George II and his successor George the III also held the title of Kurfürst von Hannover (Elector of Hannover), one of the German states, which were still part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. German arms and German mercenaries would be used by British forces during the war, and this lovely flintlock pistol could have been used by one of them, or just as possibly on the Revolutionary side.

What we have here is a distinctive German "left-handed" flintlock pistol from what was then the Electorate of Saxony (Kurfürstentum Sachsen). These were all made left-handed, and there was no "right-handed" version of these pistols. We have compared the pistol with other known examples, and the style and shape of the fittings is a perfect match. It is in the correct "10 bore" caliber (about 0.775"), and is all brass fitted, with the distinctive lock side plate retained by three screws. There are no markings on the pistol, as with other examples we have seen, and the lock matches as well, with a reinforcement "bridle" going from the pan to the frizzen and a "swan neck" cock. These were originally made with a brass bolster and lanyard on the end of the "long eared" butt cap, but they look to have been removed on this matured example.

The barrel and lock have a lovely matured patina, showing overall oxidation and past peppering, which we have left intact to preserve the history of the piece. The barrel has a brass front sight, and a groove on the barrel tang functions as the rear sight. The brass fittings display a lovely aged patina. We did check the lock, and it still works but is out of adjustment, as it hangs at half cock when fired from full cock, most likely requiring adjustment to the tumbler or sear.

The stock is lovely, showing carved raised areas that surround the lock, side plate, tang, and ramrod, as we often see on this era of flintlock. It has a lovely color, probably made from walnut or something similar, and has a lovely brown color. There are some cracks and missing chunks, as is expected from a military pistol that saw long service. It also looks like the end of the pistol grip is a separate piece of wood, but we do not know if this is from original construction or repair. If it is a repair, it was expertly done and also done very long ago, as the condition of the surface matches the rest of the stock completely.

A lovely example of a Saxon "Left-Handed" military pistol with a strong U.S. Revolutionary War connection. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1760
Caliber:10 Bore - Approx. 0.775:
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 17 ½ inches
Barrel Length: 10 ¾ inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

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