Original 19th Century Cossack Inlaid Miquelet Lock Pistol with Bone Ball Butt c.1800-1810 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. A most impressive Cossack IVORY BALL butted Migulet lock Pistol with ball trigger, decorated Silver mounts with the stock covered in leather. Measuring 18″ in overall length with a 12″ barrel attached by two silver barrel bands, the pistol even comes with its slim iron ramrod.

The lock is covered with heavy silver inlays to match the trigger mounts and there is a gold escutcheon on the lock that appears to be filled with Islamic writing. The slim barrel appears to be Wootz Damascus steel and is decorated with some chiseling and silver wire type inlays. The Ball butt is of an Ivory like bone, which has a wonderful aged patina of stress cracks from drying out over two hundred years. This has left it with an almost coffee-stain color achieved only with age. It is probably some type of “ivory”, but with a solid center, it definitely isn’t elephant, which is hollow. It could possibly be from a sperm whale tooth, and is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

This really is a wonderful Cossack Pistol worthy of the finest collection. Ready to display!

History of the Miquelet Lock:
Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators, largely in the English-speaking world, for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets
and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, Ottoman Empire and throughout Spain’s colonies from the late 16th to the mid 19th centuries.

The term miquelet lock was not recorded until the 19th century, long after the appearance of the mechanism in the 16th century, and is of uncertain origin. One commonly held view is that it was coined by British troops in the Peninsular War to describe the style of musket used by the Miquelet (militia) that had been assigned to the Peninsular Army of the Duke of Wellington.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: Early 1800s
Caliber: .50″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 12 inches
Overall Length: 18 Inches
Action: Miquelet Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country’s antique gun laws prior to ordering.