Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice late 18th Century example of an Italian Miquelet Pistol, just purchased from the estate of a collector. Measuring about 13 1/2 inches in overall length, the barrel is 7 3/4 inches long and half-octagonal, with a bore of about .73 of an inch. It is also smothered with maker and proof marks on the top of the barrel, which are partly inlaid with gold. There are also Fleur de Lis marks, and a CROWN / R marking, which is also present on the Lock plate.

The barrel also has a Cartouche over the breech in GOLD displaying the maker information:-

This is a known abbreviation for Fabbricato di Napoli, or Manufactured in Naples.

Complete with wood ramrod, and in just lovely condition overall. The miquelet lock has a functional half cock position, which is linked to the trigger. The lock fires from full cock, and the frizzen is intact and functional. The stock is in great shape, though there is a repaired crack straight through the grip. It has all brass fittings, except for the nose cap, which is brass with a horn or tortoise shell extension.

Very attractive and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: c.1790
Caliber: approx. .67" Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 13 1/2 inches
Barrel Length: 7 3/4 inches
Action: Miquelet Flint Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

History of the Miquelet Lock:
Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators, largely in the English-speaking world, for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets
and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, Ottoman Empire and throughout Spain's colonies from the late 16th to the mid 19th centuries.

The term miquelet lock was not recorded until the 19th century, long after the appearance of the mechanism in the 16th century, and is of uncertain origin. One commonly held view is that it was coined by British troops in the Peninsular War to describe the style of musket used by the Miquelet (militia) that had been assigned to the Peninsular Army of the Duke of Wellington.

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