Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a rare Baker's Patent Nickel Silver Framed percussion revolver, complete with a fantastic custom case an accessories. Thomas Kerslake Baker was a gunmaker in Victorian England, and worked out of 88 Fleet Street in London. He is most known for is 1852 Patent of a "Longspur" cocking handle for single action revolvers, which did achieve some popularity at the time. Not only did it allow easy cocking of the revolver, it also has a cutout in the left side as well as a slight offset to the right, with a notch sight at the bottom of the cutout. This allowed accurate sighting of the revolver, something often not possible with this design of revolver.
This is exactly the type of hammer featured on this revolver, which is really a beautiful piece. It features a lovely Nickel Silver frame that has foliate engraving on both sides, and there is a lovely engraved accent on the rear of the grip frame as well, which surrounds the serial No 2194. We have seen some British pepperbox revolvers that have a similar style, and it's very possible that the action was adopted from one of those, as the action mechanics are completely behind the cylinder. It does not feature any kind of top or bottom strap around the cylinder, and the barrel is retained solely by two screws on the central "pillar" style arbor pin.
The revolver measures 11 1/2 inches in overall length, and has a lovely two stage octagon to round barrel, which still retains most of the lovely "niter blue" finish. This same finish is used on the rest of the metalwork such as the cylinder, hammer, trigger guard, and frame, but is not as well retained. As is correct the pistol is minimally marked, possibly so it could be customized later. It is however marked on the hammer with:-
BAKER'S PATENT
As there wasn't enough room on the hammer, the rest of the marking is on the top of the nickel silver frame:
REGISTERED
APRIL 24 1852
The underside of the octagonal barrel is marked with the CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / BPC "black powder proof" and CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V "viewed" marks from the city of Birmingham. There is also a 64 assembly number on the underside of the barrel between the proofs, which matches the number on the back of the cylinder. There are additional "viewed" marks on the cylinder, one for each cap nipple cone. This city was well known for its firearms industry, which supplied many guns to smaller gun shops and outfitters.
We tested the action, and it really is tight as a drum. We did not notice any deficiencies in cycling with indexing or the cylinder lockup. The bore is in very good condition, showing a partly bright finish and clear rifling, which looks to have about 12 grooves, popular with early percussion revolvers in England. It does show some past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away, but is really quite nice compared to most we see. The cylinder is in great shape, with the cap nipple cones all still present, though they do show wear. Due to the angle they are on, we have no way to tell if they are still clear.
To make this offering even better, it came to us with a fantastic custom wood case, which measures approximately 12 3/4" x 6" x 2 3/8", and has different compartments inside, all dark green velvet lined. These are for various accessories one might use with the pistol, including a small copper powder flask, a small multi-tool with flathead and spanner head ends, and another tool that we cannot quite identify. It also has a small oil bottle, a cap of caps, and a lovely iron bullet mold that still has a round bullet inside. We also noticed that one of the "arms" of the mold doubles as a ramrod. The case is lovely, and as an added treat, there is the original manual sheet for the Baker's pistol glued onto the inside of the lid, which gives instructions on loading and cleaning. Also, it actually still has a functional lock in the front, along with the key to use it! We almost never see these with functional locks. It shows wear to the interior, and definitely has held the pistol for quite some time!
Along with the accessories, there are also research pages and articles related to the pistol, which help detail some of the history. These were not made in any large number, and the highest observed serial was 2529, making this a very rare gun.
The revolver is exactly what a Victorian Gentleman might have concealed in his overcoat pocket to deal with the then all too common Foot Pads and Brigands. Nicely engraved decoration, and a fantastic look. One could see the owner keeping it in the case at home after it was serviced after each foray into the outside. Ready to research and display!
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1855
Caliber: 60 bore - approx .44"
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 5 5/8 inches
Overall Length: 11 1/2 inches
Action: Double Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver
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- This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey
This product is available for international shipping.
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.
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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.
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