Original Item. Only One Available. This is an impressive 18th-century Italian pistol featuring a highly figured and extensively carved stock with elaborate silver furniture, the trigger guard being the notable exception. The most striking feature is the long-eared silver butt cap, which terminates in a finely detailed grotesque mask. Additional decoration includes an elegant pierced foliate side plate and an ornate escutcheon set into the back of the grip.

The pistol is fitted with a 14 1/4" barrel and measures 21" in overall length. The barrel transitions from an octagonal section near the breech to a round profile farther forward. Extensive engraved decoration appears to have originally covered the breech area, although much of this detail is now faint from age, use, and past cleaning. A worn maker’s mark is also visible on the top of the barrel, but unfortunately it is now too faint for us to read.

The stock is made from beautifully figured wood that displays rich grain patterns and strong chatoyancy as it moves in the light. Carved floral decoration is present along the forestock and around the barrel tang, while raised carved borders accent many of the fittings. These details complement the elaborate silver furniture and demonstrate the considerable attention given to both the form and decoration of the pistol.

The nose cap is made from carved bone. The pistol is accompanied by a wooden ramrod with a bone tip and an iron clearing worm at the opposite end. Its construction and fit appear consistent with the pistol, and we believe it is original to the piece.

We checked the lock mechanism and found that it functions, although it will not hold at the half-cock position. No further mechanical testing was performed.

This is a particularly attractive example of 18th-century Italian gunmaking, combining a highly figured and extensively carved stock with elaborate silver furniture and numerous individually executed decorative details. The long-eared grotesque mask butt cap, pierced foliate side plate, ornate grip escutcheon, carved bone nose cap, and apparently original bone-tipped ramrod give the pistol substantial visual and collector interest. Although age, use, and past cleaning have softened much of the barrel engraving and rendered the maker’s mark illegible, enough detail survives to convey the quality and richness of its original decoration. Its substantial proportions and unusually elaborate construction make it an impressive surviving example of the Italian gunmaker’s art.

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: Circa 1780
Caliber: approx. .68 inches
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 14 1/4 inches
Overall Length: 21 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action.
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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.

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 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.