.56 caliber. 10" wedge retained, partially ribbed barrel. SN: 227. Bright finish, brass furniture, walnut stock with a brass reinforcement band near the tip. Single shot muzzleloading smoothbore flintlock pistol made without sights, with a single iron pipe and a brass capped wood ramrod with a sheet iron jag at the end. Flat 4.75" lock with pronounced teat at the end and flat faceted reinforced cock. Lock with a rounded integral iron pan that is both fenced and bridled with a straight, tapered, squared frizzen toe and tear drop finial frizzen spring tip. The lock is clearly and crisply marked in three arched vertical lines at the tail "HARPERS / FERRY / 1807". The center of the lock is deeply and clearly stamped with a {Spread-Winged Eagle} over "US" under the pan. The lock appears to remain in original flint, although the top jaw screw and possibly the top jaw itself are replaced. The touchhole is well centered in the pan and correctly tapered, with internal endoscopic examination revealing no obvious indications of reconversion, modification or welding of the barrel. The left quadrant of the breech is marked with the serial number "227" and with a raised "US" in a sunken oval as well as a raised "{Eagle Head}/P" in a sunken oval. Strong traces of the trefoil "V/CW" (Charles Williams) cartouche are present on the counterpane. Top edge of lock plate with an "X" mating mark, which is also found under the barrel, under the breech plug and on both long mounting screws. The tang screw is mismatched and marked "XIII". A small "5" is stamped in the lower edge of the left grip, of the same size and style as the alpha numeric marks sometimes found on the opposite side of the grips of these pistols, as noted in Riley's US Martial Flintlocks.

The US Model 1805 Pistol was the first US martial pistol to be produced at a National Armory and for all practical purposes was the first truly "standardized" issue pistol for the nascent US military. The pistols were produced from 1806 through 1808 with 2,048 pairs being produced during that time, for a total of 4,096. Only a handful were actual produced and delivered to the storekeeper in 1806, with 2,808 made in 1807 and 1,208 made in 1809. A letter dated November 3, 1807 mentions adding a blade front sight to the pistols, with this pistol clearly made before that feature was added to the production. This is a lovely example of a rare and desirable US martial pistol that has survived in very nice condition. {ANTIQUE}

Very Good to Near Fine. Bore fair to good, heavily oxidized and moderately pitted. Metal lightly cleaned with a lightly oxidized steel gray patina and with some scattered oxidized freckling and some lightly scattered minor pitting. Markings in metal remain clear and crisp. Brass with an attractive golden mustard patina. Lock remains in original flint and remains mechanically functional. Wood remains fairly crisp with some evidence of a light cleaning, leaving the cartouche a little soft. There is a very small, exceptionally well executed repair along the upper rear edge of the lock mortise where is a tiny sliver of wood has been replaced and the repair is almost invisible. Otherwise the wood shows the usual scattered bumps, dings and minor mars expected on a pistol that is some 220 years old.