Product Details
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, USA
A RARE AND DESIRABLE .68 CAL FLINTLOCK SINGLE-SHOT SERVICE PISTOL, MODEL '1817 FIRST PATTERN', no visible serial number,
Manufactured 1817-18, with round iron 10-3/4in. barrel stamped '1818' (faint) forwards of the top-tang together with 'P' in an oval, an eagles-head device and the letter 'V' proof-marks, the top tang forming the back-strap, plain iron bevel-edged lock-plate with pointed tail (traces of colour), stamped with the U.S. Martial eagle device over 'US' forwards of the 'S' shaped hammer, the tail marked on three lines 'SPRING FIELD 1817', pointed frizzen (frizzen-spring missing), walnut three-quarter stock stamped with an oval martial mark on the left hand side and the letters 'R.O' near the pommel, iron furniture including heavy butt-cap, pillar trigger-guard bow, the trigger plate stamped 'E.A.', serpentine side plate (stock split forwards of front side-nail) and twin barrel-band nose-cap with applied brass boat-shaped fore-sight, complete with its original tapering hickory ramrod (worm screw missing from end), exposed iron surfaces with mild pitting, some worm-holes in fore-end near cap
Other Notes: In 1814, the Springfield Armory began production on the Model 1803 Half Stock Rifles that were being produced at Harpers Ferry. By 1816, due to problems with machinery, the production was aborted. Colonel Robert Lee, Superintendent of the Springfield Armory and Colonel Decius Wadsworth, of the Ordnance Office, began an initiative in 1817 to use the Model 1803 parts that were un-used for the Model 1817 Pistol. The only reason these pistols were manufactured was to rid the Armory of spare parts. The first 400 guns assembled utilised the locks from the 1803 Model rifle and the example represented here is one of these. In total only 1000 Model 1817 pistols were produced, and it is generally accepted that they represent one of the most desirable martially marked handguns available to the collector of US military handguns. This example is also believed to be the only 1817 dated example to have come to light, with the majority of the locks being dated either 1815 or 1818. Two pistols have also been found with holes in their backstraps that could potentially have been used for an extended shoulder stock although no stocks have ever been found.
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Estimate £3,000-5,000