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LOT 96
Factory
Panel Scene
Engraved
Lindsay “Young-America” Two-Shot Pocket
Percussion Pistol - Serial no. 436, 38 cal., 4 inch irregular bbl.,
blue/silver finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in the early 1860s,
only a few hundred of these rare pistols were manufactured by
the Union Knife Co. in Naugatuck, Connecticut based on John P.
Lindsay’s patent. Union Knife Co. also produced a couple hundred
larger pistols in .41 caliber and .45 caliber, and Lindsay also had 1,000 superposed
Model 1863 rifle-muskets built on contract for the U.S. government. Lindsay was
inspired to produce a multi-shot weapon after losing his brother to an Indian attack
while he was armed with a conventional single shot musket. He was able to kill
one of his two assailants, but once his musket had been discharged, it became little
more than a club or pike. The second attacker, likely further enraged by the loss of
his ally, overpowered, killed, and scalped him. Lindsay
apparently truly believed that the availability of a
second shot would have spared his brother’s life. These
“superposed load” weapons were notoriously unreliable
and never truly caught on, despite being experimented
with from as early as the 16th century. This example has
a brass half-moon blade front sight on a blued barrel
with octagon front section and reinforced squared
breech section, grooved top, an engraved lion and eagle
around a stand of arms with an American flag and the coat of arms on the left side, “PATENT’D. FEB. 8 1859/
PATENT’D. OCT. 9. 1860” and the serial number on the bottom, and “LINDSAY’S/YOUNG-AMERICA/MAN’F’D.
BY/J. P. LINDSAY-MAN’FG CO./NEW-YORK” surrounded by scrollwork on the right. The “gunmetal” (bronze alloy)
frame has a groove between the hammers for a rear sight, leafy scrollwork with punch-dot backgrounds on
both sides and along the back strap, and has the matching serial number on the left side under the grip at the
toe. The matching serial number is also marked in pencil inside each grip panel.
CONDITION: Very good, retaining strong traces of the original blue finish with the balance on the iron a mix
of grey and brown patina and some very light surface pitting. The brass shows an attractively aged patina.
The engraving is crisp overall. The grips are fine with some minor dings. When both hammers are cocked they
both drop when the trigger is pulled, otherwise mechanically fine.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000
LOT 97
Factory Engraved W. W. Marston Breech
Loading Single Shot Percussion Pistol -
Serial no. 46, 36 cal., 3 5/8 inch octagon bbl.,
blue/brass finish, walnut grips. This early 1850s
pistol is based on William W. Marston’s patent no. 7,443 from June 18, 1850, for
a piston breech firearms design. It has a six-groove rifled, octagon barrel with
a brass post front sight, “W.W. MARSTON/PATENTED 1850” and “NEW-YORK”
stamped on the top flat, “CAST STEEL” on the upper right flat, and the serial
number on the bottom. The serial number is also repeated on the bottom of
the brass frame at the breech, on the butt under the left grip, and handwritten
on the back of the grips. The frame and hammer have scroll engraving.
CONDITION: Very good with period reblued finish mixed with dark patina on the
iron, attractively aged patina on the brass frame,
minor oxidation/pitting, and mild overall wear. The
refinished grips are good with a repaired crack in each
panel and mild scratches. Mechanically fine.
Estimate: 1,800 - 2,750
LOT 95
Rare Engraved Marston Breech Loading Single Shot
Percussion Pistol - Serial no. 374, 31 percussion cal., 7 1/2 inch
octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in the
early to mid 1850s with a total production of only approximately
1,000. The top barrel flat is marked “W.W. MARSTON/PATENTED
1850” followed by “NEW YORK” and the matching serial number is marked on the bottom barrel
flat and bottom of the frame at the breech. The iron frame is engraved with the standard light
floral scroll designs and the hammer has a simple pattern. The action is operated by a lever in
front of the grip and a unique Marston patent leather base, paperboard bodied cartridge was
used. Dovetailed small blade front and notch rear sights, all blue finish and fitted with smooth
varnished walnut grips.
CONDITION: Very fine. The pistol retains 50% plus bright original blue finish with a crisp brown patina present on the
balance. The grips are also very fine with
75% original varnish, showing a few minor
dings and some minor wear on the lower
edges. The markings and engraving are
clear. Mechanically fine.
Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 94
Rare Civil War Era “Martial
Size” J. P. Lindsay Two-Shot
Superposed Load Pistol - Serial
no. 27, 45 cal., 8 1/2 inch part round
bbl., blue/bright finish, walnut grips.
This is among the rarest of Civil War
era American percussion pistols. Only 100 are estimated to have
been manufactured by the Union Knife Company in Naugatuck,
Connecticut, in the early 1860s for John P. Lindsay per “Flayderman’s
Guide”. Lindsay was a former employee of the Springfield Armory
and reportedly lost his brother to an Indian attack and sought to prevent other families from
suffering the same loss. His brother had been armed with a conventional musket and was able
to neutralize one of his two attackers, but, with his only shot spent, his second, likely furious,
assailant was able to overpower him, kill him, and take his scalp. Lindsay believed a second shot would
have saved his brother’s life and thus set about finding a way to provide one. His answer was three sizes of two-shot
pistols and the Model 1863 rifle-musket. Firearms with multiple loads in a single barrel had been experimented with
since at least the 16th century, but they were never widely adopted because they were potentially dangerous to
their users. The bullet from the second load was supposed to provide a gas seal and thereby prevent both charges
from going off at once; however, if the wrong hammer released or there was a gas leak, both charges could ignite
at once creating at minimum excessive recoil and very likely exploding or otherwise disabling the weapon. Multiple
discharges were apparently not uncommon with the Lindsay Model 1863 rifle-muskets issued to the 16th Michigan
Volunteer Infantry at Peebles Farm, Virginia, in 1864 either due to errors in safely loading the weapons in the heat of
battle or because of weapon malfunctions. This attractive example has the standard brass “knife blade” front sight on
a barrel with round front section and reinforced rear section marked with the matching serial number on the bottom
and “LINDSAY’S/YOUNG-AMERICA/PATENT’D. OCT. 9 1860.” on top at the breech. The “gunmetal” (bronze alloy) frame
has a notch between the two hammers for a rear sight and the matching serial number on the bottom at the breech
and left side under the grip at the toe. The matching serial number is also marked on the grips.
CONDITION: Fine with 50% original blue finish, some pitting visible on the breech section, attractively aged patina on
the fine brass action and trigger guard, and mild overall wear. The grips are also fine and retain 80% of their original
varnish finish and have small dents and scratches and lower edge wear.
Mechanically fine. This is a solid example of the “martial size” Lindsay
superposed pistol. These are hard to acquire, especially in fine condition
such as this example.
Estimate: 6,000 - 9,000
Serial Number 27