Horse pistol by Lacy & Co of London, British (c 1830)

Title	Horse pistol by Lacy & Co of London
Nationality	British
Period	c 1830

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This service-style weapon would have been privately made for an officer and have taken the standard paper pistol cartridge of the day. Typically, it would have been carried in the wars in India throughout the 1830s and beyond, Lacy at one point being contractors to both the East India Company and the British government.

It is a 16-bore pistol with a 8.75 inch-length barrel, made by Lacy & Witton who in 1836 became Lacy & Reynolds. Loosely speaking, it is based on a percussion version of the flintlock New Land pattern of the Napoleonic Wars.

The proof marks are Birmingham imitating London: V & P with a crown above, but the P without the curly tail, always a give-away on Birmingham barrels pretending to be London.

The stock is good quality walnut and would appear to have been button polished at some stage. The mounts are brass. I have examined the lock and all the components seem to be period. The action is sharp. There is a small age split to the woodwork just by the front end of the lock plate and there is a little wear to the finish of the woodwork on the right hand side at the muzzle. There is some medium corrosion on the last three inches of the outside of the barrel, on the swivel element of the ramrod and on the palm element of the ramrod itself. I have removed most of the active corrosion, but it could still be further cleaned up. Otherwise the weapon is in amazing shape and the bore is virtually mint.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.

[Firearms : Percussion Pistols : British : 19th Century]

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