what are they??

[JTecalo]

I have these two box lock percussion pistols I am trying to ID for my in-laws.

They both have folding triggers and appear to be functioning pistols in that the nipples are clear to the bore and not just drilled out water pipe.

The round barreled gun is rifled and can unscrew. It has a metal butt-cap that opens to reveal a small storage area.

The octagon barreled gun is smooth bore.

Both guns are engraved but other than a number on the barrel, lock and hammer there are no other identifying marks. Wood appears to be walnut.

Any suggestions as to where I could take them to have someone look at them for him. I can travel from Monterey to San Jose.

They may be Pakistani fakes but I told them I would make an effort to find out

Thanks, Jim

rifled gun:






Smooth bore:

[pitfighter]

English style boot pistols - muff (women's hand-warmer) pistols - $150 - $250 each -
Not Pakistani, original, but many, many, many out there.
Single and double barreled.

[JTecalo]

English style boot pistols - muff (women's hand-warmer) pistols - $150 - $250 each -
Not Pakistani, original, but many, many, many out there.
Single and double barreled.

Thanks for the info Pitfighter.

I thought they were real but without a maker mark I was just going by the overall craftsmanship.

I figured they were worth 25-50 ea, one is missing a screw and one has a loose folding trigger. I like your figure better.

I'll probably end up owning them as none of the in-laws were interested unless they were high dollar heirlooms.

[fuegoboy]

They are Muff pistols of the period. The top or first pistol you've shown may be Belgian origin in .36 calibre (one of my resource books shows the same pistol with variation in the metal scroll work). The second (octagonal barrel) may be also be Belgian but it's difficult to tell.

Both look to be in good shape. Somewhere you may find a marque or stamp which would help identify them better.

Very nice pieces.

I have several "BP personal protection" pistols that fall in this category (.36 to .22 calibre). I like these because they are easy to display due to their small size.

Thanks for sharing them with us.

[JTecalo]

They are Muff pistols of the period. The top or first pistol you've shown may be Belgian origin in .36 calibre (one of my resource books shows the same pistol with variation in the metal scroll work). The second (octagonal barrel) may be also be Belgian but it's difficult to tell.

Thanks for sharing them with us.

Thanks Fuegoboy,
I looked pretty hard for a mark with my magnifying glass and a headband loupe and couldn't see anything but some numbers; the # 5 on one gun and the #3 on the other.

It haven't taken the grips off so there may be some marks hidden. Most of the pieces I saw online said no maker marks in the description so I figured this may have been pretty common to leave them unmarked.

I really would like to know when they were made more so than who made them. I figure sometime before the civil war. but that's just a guess.

thanks guys for the info!