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LOT 1070
Well-Published American Philadelphia Marked “Kentucky” Flintlock Pistol Formerly in the William M. Locke Collection - NSN, 41 cal., 9
inch octagon bbl., bright finish, maple stock. This rare
American flintlock pistol is featured on page 411 of “The
William M. Locke Collection” by Frank Sellers and also
in plate 149 of “The Kentucky Rifle” by Capt. John G. W. Dillin. It is a very high quality American pistol. It is dated to c. 1810-1825 based on the lock. Charles Bird (1778- 1849) of Philadelphia was a prosperous businessman active in the hardware trade starting in 1802, and records indicate he and his partners operated as Charles Bird & Co. c. 1810-1825. The smoothbore barrel has a dovetailed
brass blade front sight with some filed accent lines, and a notch rear sight is part of the standing breech. The lock has some floral engraving and is marked “C BIRD & Co/ PHILADA/WARRANTED” (“B” has a die break making it look like a “P”). The furniture is
brass. The trigger guard has a pineapple finial and a floral bloom engraved on the bow. The pommel cap also features a floral bloom. The full-length maple stock has a bird’s
head grip profile and shows signs of having a dark red “violin” type finish. A hickory ramrod is fitted underneath.
CONDITION: Very good The attractive stock was revarnished many decades ago when the pistol was part of the Locke collection and is otherwise very good with strong areas
of the original dark red finish in the protected areas, some nice figure showing in the worn areas, general mild scratches and dings, a tension crack at the rear lock screw, a tiny repaired flake at the tip of the upper tang, and generally mild wear. Mechanically fine.
Provenance: The William M. Locke Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK THE WILLIAM LOCKE COLLECTION BY SELLERS & KENTUCKY RIFLE BY DILLIN
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
SIMILAR EXAMPLE PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK THE WILLIAM LOCKE COLLECTION BY SELLERS & HISTORIC PISTOLS: THE AMERICAN MARTIAL FLINTLOCK 1760-1845 BY SMITH & BITTER
LOT 1071
Revolutionary War Era 18th Century Brass Barreled Flintlock Officer’s Pistol - NSN, 62 cal., 8 1/8 inch round bbl., bright finish,
walnut stock. This pistol is nearly identical to the example on pages 28-29 of “Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock, 1760-1845” by Smith & Bitter, page 420 of “The William M. Locke Collection,” and item 32 in “The New England Gun” by Lindsay and now part of the
National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian. That pistol has been attributed to Asa Waters I (1742-1813) during the American Revolutionary War based on the “SUTTON”
mark on the barrel and “WATERS” on the lock. There has sometimes been confusion over the
years regarding Asa Waters and his family of gunmakers in Massachusetts in the late 18th and early 19th century and John Waters, Waters & Co., and Waters, Gill & Co. of the English gun trade c. 1766-1788. This
and other pistols in the U.S. marked “WATERS” are very English in design and have curved “PRO” and “VED” proof marks on the left side of the barrels at the breech which are also found on pistols made by Water & Co. in England, guns by the Probin family gunmakers, and others in the English gun trade. The Waters in England also frequently used the classic Georgian grotesque mask design for the pommels, including multiple silver examples with Birmingham hallmarks. It has been said that Asa Waters was copying these English markings, and English firearms were naturally popular in the colonies.
This pistol lacks the “SUTTON” and “WATERS” markings and shows no signs of having ever had a marking on the top of the barrel. The
bridleless lock may have had a marking at the center that was filed off. The brass, smoothbore barrel has English style curved “PRO” and “VED” private proof marks on the left, and engraved sight flat on top, and engraved iron tang. The lock also has some scroll engraving. The furniture is brass and includes a scroll and martial trophies pattern side plate, trigger guard with shell finial and star pattern on the bow, wrist escutcheon with coordinating star and floral patterns, and a classic grotesque mask pommel. The full-length stock has wire inlaid scroll patterns around the barrel tang. The ramrod has a horn tip.
CONDITION: Good with aged patina on the brass barrel and furniture, crack in the side plate, mottled gray patina along with mild pitting on the iron, repaired ramrod, and mild overall wear. The refinished stock is also good with repaired cracks and splices in the forend, some chips at the edges, a crack in the left flat, and mild dings and scratches. Mechanically fine.
62 Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500