2305

EXTREMELY RARE AND VALUABLE PAIR OF AMERICAN WALNUT STOCKED REVOLUTIONARY WAR RELIEF CARVED PISTOLS

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:17,500.00 USD Estimated At:35,000.00 - 65,000.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE AND VALUABLE PAIR OF AMERICAN WALNUT STOCKED REVOLUTIONARY WAR RELIEF CARVED PISTOLS
NSN. 9" rnd .67 Cal smooth unmarked bbls. American walnut stocks are nicely relief carved with superb high relief floral and leaf carving typical of the style of Peter Berry to rear of bbl tangs with small beaver tails to rear of lock and sideplate mortices. Wooden stocks have been identified by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory as American black walnut of the American Revolutionary War period as documented in their letter of June 20, 1966. Brass horned sideplates are typical of Berry's work and are identical to those pictured on the cover of The American Rifleman Magazine in July of 1972 belonging to Revolutionary War soldier Robert Roberts. Brass buttcaps extend nicely up both sides of grips and the trigger guards and ramrod ferrules are correct for American Revolutionary War style. These exceptionally rare and outstanding pistols rank among the most important pairs remaining in today's collections. This pair was obviously made for a man of importance, most likely an officer during the Revolution. They are completely American throughout and fashioned after a sophisticated English style of the period. Made circa 1770-1780. This pair of pistols won the Kentucky Rifle Associations "Best Pistol" Silver Award in 1977. Peter Berry is listed as a gunsmith in the tax records of Heidelberg Township, Dauphin County, in the years 1786-1789. Berry died in 1795. Peter Berry carved beautiful designs of sea scrolls with some flowers in high relief on his rifles similar to the flowers carved in the tang carving on these pistols. This pair of pistols were pictured in the first edition of the Texas Gun Collectors Associations Antique Arms Annual publish in 1971 in an article entitled "Matched Pairs of Flintlock Pistols" by Tom Seymour. This is truly a spectacular pair of early American Pistols! PROVENANCE: Frank Sujansky Collection. CONDITION: These pistols are completely untouched condition throughout displaying outstanding American workmanship by a fine Pennsylvania maker. Metal has nice, even age brown and pistols are mechanically sound.  One stock is excellent throughout; the other had been cracked through high on handle at rear of lock during it's period of use and was repaired in period with two very narrow inletted iron strap repairs to make it sound. There is a chip under lock at center which has not been restored or redone so that the pistols can remain in their as found "attic" condition. 4-49446 RG51