Original Items: One of a Kind Matched Pair. Here we have a fantastic late production matched pair of .75cal "Musket Bore" flintlock pistols, made by John Harcourt of Ipswich in Suffolk, Eastern England. Harcourt is known to have worked in the Ipswich area circa 1797-1830, and his touchmark is recorded in the lovely reference book series Der Neue Stockel by Eugene Heer.

These pistols are in identical configuration and clearly made as a pair, and feature larger than normally encountered 10" octagonal barrels with inlaid gold lines and oval gold poinçon (touch marks) on the top of the barrel nocks form that reads HARCOURT / IPSWICH. Heer's book depicts Harcourt's normal poinçon as a lozenge, but other oval examples are known. The barrels feature small nickel silver front sights with notch rear sights, and are a gigantic .75" smoothbore in caliber.

The pistols feature flat lock plates with beveled edges and a rear step with a small teat at the very end. Both are stamped HARCOURT under the pan, and feature rays around lockbolt and at rear of step. The locks are definitely upmarket and quite advanced, with fenced waterproof pans, bridled pan covers, roller bearing frizzens, swan neck cock, and English push-on safeties. They are retained by a single lock screw in a small escutcheon, and both locks are fully functional, holding at half cock and firing at full. The only deficiency functionally is that the half-cock safety is frozen on one of the two.

The pistols feature full length walnut stocks with checkering on the grips, which is still very well retained. Both stocks are in very good shape, but do show cracks running from the lock screws to the breech, a very common place to see these. The pistols have all iron fittings, with the trigger guard displaying a panoply of arms and rolled edges, with a well detailed pineapple finial. One pistol has a solid iron ramrod underneath. while the other has a iron fit wooden ramrod, which has screw fittings on the ends for accessories. The pistols both display a lovely matured patina, with no major restoration work undertaken, just how we like to see them. The gold inlay is still bright and very well retained.

A fantastic matched pair of upmarket British Flintlock pistols from a known maker, ready to research and display!

Specifications (Both):-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1825
Caliber: .75" "Musket"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 9 inches
Overall Length: 15 3/4 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

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.