2595

RARE EARLY HALL BREECHLOADING FLINTLOCK PISTOL

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD
RARE EARLY HALL BREECHLOADING FLINTLOCK PISTOL
PLEASE NOTE (10-11-13): This gun is an excellent reconversion to flint. Around 1970 it was sold by Jack Malloy who acquired it from John Williams, who originally acquired it from Jackson Arms in 1963. This exact gun is illustrated on page 45 on “Maine Made Guns & Their Makers” by Dwight DeMerritt, Jr. The illustrations show the gun as percussion and also as flint. SN 36. Cal .49 at muzzle -.50 at breech. 5 ½ “ oct bronze bbl is smoothbore and has iron front sight set back 9/16” from muzzle. Bbl is mounted to a pair of 9” long iron supporters and aligned to receiver with a 1- 1/2 “ long bronze tang piece held by a horizontal screw and a vertical screw. 6-1/2” long receiver marked only “36” on right side of receiver pivots on a single screw 1-1/2” in front of back supporter screw and aligned by a pair of iron chocks and held down with an iron spur latch. Bore of receiver is .52 Cal and measures 2-1/2” deep to an iron plug inserted during manufacture. Cock and frizzen are iron and made in the style of Hall’s Patent Drawing (1811) indicating earliest of manufacture. Receiver is elevated by moving the iron spur latch which has pressure from an internal leaf spring allowing the breech to automatically elevate for loading (a feature eliminated on later mass production guns). Catch plate is iron with an integral shoe that engages spur latch in ready to fire position. Furniture consist of 7/8” German silver nose band and trigger guard having a worn engraved finial and floral motif on bow. Maple stock measures 14” long with 2-1/2” area of pistol drip that is nicely checkered with a double border incised carving bordering top and bottom ends of checkered area. Note: Hall pistol with number 35 stamped on the right side of the receiver in the Smithsonian collection possibly making these either a pair or consecutively made pistols. PROVENANCE: Frank Sujansky Collection CONDITION: Generally very good. The iron supporters are dark patina,lightly pitted overall with medium pitting at breech joint indicating it has been fired. Likewise the Bronze receiver and Bbl indicate it’s been fired with numerous light dents on top from tapping to loosen up a stuck breech, quite common with Hall’s. The bore is very dirty indicating no one has cleaned this piece. All springs and screws appear to be original with light to medium pitting and only the top jaw is a replacement. The German silver furniture shows wear and use but all intact with 75% of the engraving visible on the trigger guard. The Maple stock is in overall very good condition having the normal age related nicks and scratches. There is an old repaired crack extending from the nose band through to the finial of the trigger guard that is sound. 4-49492 PAS99