Item Description
Original item. Only One Available. This is a very nice example of the father of American single shot martial pistols, the French M-1777 Flintlock Cavalry Pistol. This was the pistol the U.S. company of "Simeon & North" copied to create the newly independent United States' first martial flintlock pistol. These pistols are very rare on the market, especially ones such as this that are still in the original flintlock configuration. Most that we have seen were converted to percussion in the mid 1800s.
This model of pistol was adopted to replace the earlier M-1763 cavalry pistol, which was much more traditional in design with a full wood stock. The M-1777 would go on to see service from the U.S. revolutionary war right through to the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the battle of waterloo in 1815.
As originally produced, these pistols were brass mounted with wooden rear stock and a cast brass frame, with the trigger guard a separate casting. The lock area has a brazed on integral brass flash pan, with an iron frizzen and pan cover. Early examples such as this were produced with an iron belt hook, which was retained by a mounting screw under the brass frame, but later production pistols did not have them. Most M-1777 pistols encountered today were manufactured without the belt hook, or had the hook removed during the period of use.
This is a later produced example, and does not have the belt hook or the inlet on the bottom of the frame where it would have been installed. We were not able to see any maker marking on this example, which would usually be in an arc under the hammer, however it is very possible that it wore away. The right upper side of the lock is marked with a partial proof mark over 79, and the left side of the barrel breech is marked SIS 79 (or maybe STS79), which may be a serial number, or possibly a date. The tang of the barrel is marked with the M1777 model designation of the pistol.
The pistol is in very good used condition, and as with most we have seen there is a good amount of staining and oxidation on the iron / steel components, while the brass is still in great shape, with a lovely patina. There looks to have been a good amount of past peppering on the barrel, which was then cleaned away. The wooden stock is in very good shape, though there is some chipping on the left side just above the trigger guard, exposing the side of the action. The pistol also has the original ramrod, which are very often lost. The lock functions correctly, holding at half cock and firing at full.
A very nice unconverted example of the inspiration for many early U.S. pistol designs. Ready to research and display!
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1790
Caliber: .68" Pistol - Worn to about .69"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 7 3/8 inches
Overall Length: 13 1/4 inches
Action: Percussion Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
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