Antique Flintlock Pistols

The indelible image of a pirate is a scruffy cutthroat brandishing a cutlass and a flintlock pistol while yelling, "Arrgh, matey!" Their actual history is more involved. Muzzle-loading flash-powder weapons fired by a piece of flint striking cold steel, antique flintlock pistols are some of the most basic firearms in existence. French court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys created the first flintlock musket with a true flintlock mechanism for King Louis XIII shortly after he ascended the throne in 1610.

Despite being bulky and notoriously inaccurate with a short effective range, the flintlock musket caused substantial casualties for more than two centuries. The shortest were less than 6 inches long and the longest stretched to more than 20 inches in length.

Used as self-defense weapons and as military arms, flash powder-fired flintlock pistols like the Ketland brass barrel smooth bore pistol were common in colonial America. During the Revolutionary War, British soldiers carried the New Model 1760 flintlock pistol, a design that was quickly copied by American arms makers. The Model 1775 .62 caliber single-shot flintlock pistol is considered by some to be the first U.S. Army-issued handgun. Flintlock pistols enjoy continuing popularity with both collectors and black-powder shooting enthusiasts.

Quick Facts

• An exceedingly rare U.S. Model 1799 North & Cheney flintlock pistol with a letter of authentication sold at a 2012 Rock Island Auction sale for $51,750
• A pair of George Washington’s flintlock saddle pistols, later owned by Andrew Jackson, sold for $1,986,000 at Christie’s in 2002. The pistols are now displayed at Fort Ligonier in Pennsylvania
• In October 2015, am American-made flintlock pistol and leather holster dating to the late 18th century sold for a steal at Skinner: $923
• Other types of pistols include <a href=”https://www.invaluable.com/dueling-pistols/sc-0E2XTYTMGG/”>Dueling pistols</a>, <a href=”https://www.invaluable.com/antique-percussion-pistols/sc-J0QLMOSVZN/”>antique percussion pistols</a> and <a href=”https://www.invaluable.com/colt-automatic-pistols/sc-NZT4XAEZK1/”>colt automatic pistols</a>. Most have their own unique firing characteristics which makes them very desirable for collectors worldwide.