Original 19th Century Ottoman Empire Silver Inlaid Miquelet Flintlock Pistol with Ball Trigger – circa 1850 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice OTTOMAN Empire Turkish miquelet flintlock pistol, most likely made circa 1850. The lock definitely appears to pre-date that, probably originating from the mid 1700s, and probably from a musket based on the size. The pistol definitely has some interesting characteristics that we don’t usually see, such as the rectangular bottom of the butt, as well as the white metal stud attached to it.

The pistol follows the typical Ottoman style, with no provision for a ramrod, which was kept on a strap around the neck. It has some lovely silver wire inlay on the bottom of the fore stock, around the barrel tang, and on the rear wrist of the stock. There also is silver inlay on the hammer of the lock and on the lock plate, as well as traces of silvering on the barrel. The lock is currently very difficult to cock, and looks to have seen long service during it’s 200+ year long life.

Most unusual, ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1850 with earlier lock
Caliber: approx. .63″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 17 1/4 inches
Barrel Length: 11 1/4 inches
Action: Miquelet Flint Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

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.

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