Original Item: Only One Available. This is a truly beautiful ornately decorated MIQUELET pistol, most likely a wealthy Gentleman Officer's pistol, with all polished steel mounts engraved inlaid in pure gold. The pistol made by a famous Spanish Maker who worked in both Madrid and Valencia from 1740  until 1760. Jusepe Bustindui was also the father of Juan Esteban BUSTINDUI, who continued in his father's trade from 1780 up until 1820.

Measuring about 14 1/2 inches in overall length, the barrel is 8 1/2 inches long and half-octagonal, with a bore of about .67 of an inch. It is also smothered with maker and proof marks on the top, which are inlaid with gold. There are also Fleur de Lis marks, a Christian Cross, as well as some lovely silver scroll “vine” inlays. The area where the barrel transitions to round is quite decorated.

The beautifully made lock is in the best Spanish Miquelet tradition, engraved with gold inlays and the Maker's name JPH / BUSTINDUI clearly engraved on the lower lock plate. The barrel also has a Cartouche over the breech in GOLD displaying the same Maker's information:-

There is another cartouche underneath it, though it does not have a "crown" on top. We believe it reads:

This may be another maker mark, or it may give further information on the pistol. We were unfortunately not able to find any information regarding this marking.

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. Formerly in an English Collection that had sourced the pistol from a family whose ancestor, an English Officer, had returned from the Peninsular War (1806-1813).  Ready to display!

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.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: c.1740-60
Caliber: approx. .67" Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 14 1/2 inches
Barrel Length: 8 1/2 inches
Action: Miquelet Flint Lock
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.