Collectible Antique Handguns (pre-1899) or not requiring FFL

**NEW ADDITION** 3041 BELGIAN FLINTLOCK MILITARY PISTOL CIRCA 1800-1820- CHEAP! - Belgian proofed 8 inch barrel about .70 caliber. Illegible oval cartouche on left stock flat. Lock has crown over F, and barrel has two crown over LF markings. Excellent bore. Tumbler and sear engagement needs tinkering but they look undamaged. An affordable European Napoleonic era flintlock. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $475.00 (View Picture)

**NEW ADDITION** 2965 S&W MODEL ONE 2ND ISSUE “TIP UP” .22 SHORT REVOLVER - Serial number 55252, made early in 1865 during the final weeks of the Civil War. About 75,000 of these were made during the War, included among the total 134,000 of all variations made between 1857 and 1883. These were immensely popular as personal purchase items soldiers and civilians. They were the first really popular cartridge revolvers, even though the pipsqueak .22 short was not an optimum defensive caliber. S&W also made similar guns in .38 and .38 rimfire which were popular as officer sidearms, Note that the pin under the barrel is not an axis for rotation, but a fixed post for poking the cases out of the cylinder one at a time. Still, compared to percussion pistols, these were amazing new rapid fire technology, based on Rollin White’s patent for the bored through cylinder to work with rimfire ammunition. Since S&W had purchased White’s patent, they effectively cornered the market until it expired in December 1869. S&W’s purchase cleverly included a requirement that White defend the patent, so he basically went broke litigating against people making copies of the S&W revolvers, or other use of the bored through cylinder, while S&W got rich. Overall this one is fair, well worn condition. Bore is actually pretty decent, but the cylinder and adjacent iron parts are rough, and the cylinder stop does not engage properly. About 25% silver plating remains on the brass frame. The iron parts lack even hints of blue and are mostly just patina mixed with roughness. The left and right sides of the frame have geometric scratches, or maybe even Chinese or Japanese characters? Although chambered for .22 Short, that was weak black powder .22 short, and it is UNSAFE to fire any modern .22 ammunition in these. A good representative example of a historically significant firearm. $195.00 (View Picture)

**NEW ADDITION** 2606 U.S. MODEL 1819 .54 CALIBER FLINTLOCK PISTOL BY SIMEON NORTH- ORIGINAL FLINT! - Made in 1822, that is over 200 years ago! This is still in original flintlock configuration, never altered to percussion, so not a “reconversion” like so many. The 10 inch .54 caliber barrel is smoothbore, with oxidized bore, a bit rough but not pitted. Lockplate has sharp S. NORTH over eagle between U and S over MIDLTN CONN dated 1822 at the tail. Lock has dark gray-black case hardened finish mixed with patina. Barrel has inspector initials RJ over P proof mark over US. Robert Johnson, himself a gun maker in Middletown with government rifle contracts was contracted by the government to inspect North’s 1819 contract pistols. Final inspection was by Luther Sage, whose script LS in an oval on the left flat has an unfortunate ding obliterating the initials bu the oval is clear. Overall, this is a good solid example of this important U.S. martial pistol with no real pitting, but the exterior metal surfaces are a mix of dull steel gray and patina some light and smooth and a few heavier spots near the muzzle. All parts appear to original and correct except for the right hand swivel plate for the ramrod is a modern replacement. Hammer has wooden flint with leather pad to simulate the appearance with a flint in place. The back of the hammer has a shoulder which should rest (or be stopped) making contact with the top of the lockplate, but the corner on the plate has been worn to a bevel allowing the hammer to rotate further than it should, so the pistol should not be dry fired, and the hammer lowered carefully by hand. Probably by misbehaving juvenile pirates who should be forced to walk the plank for their careless firearms handling. The Model 1819 included a sliding safety which could be engaged at half cock, the first U.S. martial firearm with a mechanical safety other than just a half cock notch. Now, the bad part, the stock was broken long ago on a diagonal from the front of the trigger guard up through the forward lock screw hole into the barrel channel. It was glue repaired and not perfectly aligned, but while unsightly on the bottom, it looks pretty nice from the sides. A couple of minor age cracks along the grain but not structural. Comes with a clever display stand as shown in the photos. A good respectable example of a key U.S. martial pistol. ANTIQUE- No FFL needed. You don’t find 200 year old pistols in pristine condition any more, and the repaired break also busted the price of this good representative example down to a very affordable $1395.00 (View Picture)

1601 SCARCE U.S. MODEL 1855 SPRNGFIELD ARMORY PISTOL-CARBINE DATED 1855 - (No serial number.) Springfield made millions of rifles over their long history, but only made three pistol models. The first was the Model 1817 single shot .69 caliber flintlock with only about 1,000 cobbled together circa 1818, mostly from unfinished parts first begun about 1807. The third was the Model 1911 .45 automatic with about30,733 made 1914-1917. The second was this Model 1855 single shot percussion pistol-carbine with only about 4,012 made 1855-1857. The 1855 pistol-carbine is a great example of a government project- note very good for its intended purpose, and obsolete by the time it was finished. As part of the innovative Model 1855 arms family which introduced the .58 caliber Minie ball, this had the Maynard tape primer system similar to that on the Rifles and Rifle Muskets. These were intended for issue to mounted troops, as a pair to be carried in pommel holsters for use while mounted. (Thus called “horse pistols” as opposed to “belt pistols to be carried in a belt holster.) The 12 inch barrel weight makes these nearly impossible to hold and aim accurately as a pistol. When fighting dismounted, the detachable shoulder stock was to be installed, with better accuracy but the rear sight for 400 yards was wildly optimistic. (Notches also for 100 and 200 yards and a peep for 300.) One shoulder stock was supplied with each PAIR of pistols, and all were numbered to ensure matching with proper fit. This example is number “2” on the butt cap, and numbers were done in batches from 1 to 20. The .58 caliber Minie ball was a heavy kicker and unpleasant to fire from hand or shoulder. Perhaps they would have been better received if the Colt .44 caliber Dragoon revolvers had not been already widely issued before the 1855 Pistol-Carbines showed up, and after having seen a six shot revolver, the single shot pistol was nearly absurd. Despite the shortcomings for actual warfare use, these are really handsome looking guns, and quite popular with collectors, as some were used in the Civil War, and they mark the end of the single shot non-cartridge pistol in U.S. military use, although some rolling block pistols did see use by the Navy and Army in the 1860s-70s. This example has been in John’s collection for many years but needs a new home. Matching 1855 manufacture dates on lock and barrel. Excellent mechanics, and bore looks near new. Stock has assorted dings and may have been lightly cleaned long ago, with no sign of any wood damage behind the nipple area. The stock is age cracked along the grain near the bottom of the grip, as is the case with just about all of these as the wood shrinks over time but the metal parts do not, creating stress cracks. Exterior iron or steel parts are mostly dull steel gray mixed with scattered patina and fine salt and pepper roughness. This could be cleaned to bright, if yo prefer that look, but most collectors prefer antiques to be uncleaned. The 100/200 yard sight leaf has the left part of the 200 yard leaf broken off, but leaves move easily and most of these have much worse rear sight problems. The often missing sling swivel on the barrel band, and the swivel rammer are both intact and original, often not the case on these. Maynard tape primer door shuts and latches properly, and the feed mechanism inside is complete and functional. While not a mint example this is far above the usual condition of these scarce guns, and a nice example of one of three Springfield made pistols. Note that this is the pistol only, without the carbine stock. Twice as many pistols were made as stocks, and they are about impossible to find loose, and there have been some fakes/replicas made, so be careful if you try to find on. ANTIQUE, no FFL needed. $2995.00 (View Picture)