Item Description
Original Items: One of a kind Pair. This is a lovely matched set of British Flintlock Officers Pistols, made by London gunsmith William Brander circa 1775. Brander had been made free of the Gunmakers Company in 1748, founding his own business circa 1752. He would later pass his successful gun-making business to his son Martin circa 1782-1789. We have seen several examples of Brander pistols, and he looks to have made both extremely ornate examples, as well as more utilitarian examples such as these, which still have some lovely brass fittings.
The pistols feature 8" three stage iron barrels, with an overall length of 13 3/4”. The barrels bear matching Proof marks from the London Gun Company proof house on the left hand side: the correct Crown / GP black powder "gunmaker's proof" and ;Crown V "Viewed" proof. These surround a touch mark of ✶ / WB for William Brander. The tops of the barrels are also marked with LONDON, and both are smoothbore, with an internal diameter of about 0.62", or 20 bore. The polished iron lock plates are each marked BRANDER in block letters, and they are typical of late 18th century lock plates, with two screws behind the hammer, but still retaining the earlier "unbridled" frizzen.
The brass mountings on each consist of masked long eared butt caps, trigger guards, oval escutcheons, two ramrod pipes, and lovely perforated floral design side plates. There is some lovely engraving on the fittings, which is tastefully done and not overbearing. The trigger guards have stars on the bottom, and terminate in lovely "acorn" designs at the tips. The high quality English walnut stocks themselves both have a bit of curl to the grain, and there are lovely "shell" designs carved around the barrel tangs on both. The wooden ramrods each have horn tips and are in great shape.
Condition of the pistols is very good, with very minor wear and a great patina of age. The stocks do show some denting and stress cracking, common for any pistol of this age. One of the pistols does have a repaired crack through the wrist, which also looks to have broken the tang of the trigger guard, which shows a brazed repair, so it was definitely professionally done long ago. The locks are both functional, however the example with the repaired stock does not hold at half cock, while the other pistol has a fully functional lock.
A great matched pair of late 18th Century British Officer's pistols, ready to research and display!
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1775
Caliber: 20 Bore - about 0.62"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 8 inches
Overall Length: 13 3/4 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
- This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey
This product is available for international shipping.
IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.
These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.
Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.
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