firearms
I cover this area from mid-18th century to late-19th century, from flintlock to early cartridge guns. For me this is where hobby and profession meet, as I'm a black powder enthusiast (ex-fencer)! My particular interest is in American and British revolvers of the percussion era and, to a more general extent, in British and European service handguns from the 19th century. Good reference books include: English pistols and revolvers by J N George; Howard Blackmore's book on English service firearms of the 18th & 19th century. Museums with important collections include: the Royal Armouries, Leeds; the Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, London W1; Musee de l'Armee, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum, New York; Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna; and various other museums in European capitals.
Here is a selection of militaria from this category:
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.32 calibre 5-shot rimfire revolver - American
This contemporary copy of a Colt New Line pistol is a 'suicide' or 'Saturday-night special', the kind of gun that put Colt's production line in this area out of business because they could be produced so cheaply. Typically, this was packed as a back-up pistol or carried by gamblers and criminals. It would have taken a black powder load.
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Armourer's leaf spring clamp - French
This tool is designed to take the pressure off leaf springs when a flintlock is being stripped down for cleaning or repair. It has a further function as a screwdriver. A mainspring clamp is usually rather larger than this, which is almost certainly designed for releasing the frizzen spring. It could just possibly be of German origin.
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Miniature bronze model cannon barrel - British
This little piece is just over 6cm long and of approximately .22 calibre. It is a working model, fully bored through, complete with touch hole. The dark patina would suggest a river find and it might be much earlier than 1795. It represents a ship's deck gun or possibly a light field gun barrel.
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Miniature bronze model of Armstrong gun barrel - British
This model barrel is 8.5cm long and of approximately .177 calibre. Armstrong barrels were principally made for coastal batteries and men o' war from about 1860-85. Famously the CSS Alabama, a Confederate blockade runner in the US Civil War, was equipped with these.
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Austrian magazine pouch with magazines for MP38/40 - German
This is the Austrian conversion magazine pouch for the Schmeisser sub-machine gun, technically the Machine Pistol 38/40. The pouch was probably originally built in the 1930s for the MP34(0), the Austrian Steier sub-machine gun of that time, and is marked on the reverse with the maker Stolla Wien (Stolla of Vienna).
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