Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a fantastic officer’s private purchase P-1796 Light Dragoon pistol, the standard pistol in use during most of the Napoleonic wars. This pistol definitely dates to prior the Battle of Waterloo, and was made by famed gunsmith DURS EGG of LONDON. At the time officers were required to purchase their own arms, and there were none better than Durs Egg to supply one. Around the brass pommel the pistol is clearly engraved with:-
L’t. A. BACON, 10TH. REG’t of HUSSARS.
Then officially known as the 10th (The Prince of Wales’s Own) Royal Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars), this unit was present at WATERLOO where Lt. Anthony Bacon was wounded. This pistol was almost certainly carried by Bacon during the Napoleonic wars, and possibly on the field at Waterloo itself!
After Waterloo, he served in Portugal and was badly wounded in a last charge led by the gallant Major Howard and lay all night on the field of battle. He was appointed CAPTAIN in the 13th Light Dragoons in 1818, appointed MAJOR in the 17th Dragoons in 1825. In 1832/1833 he served in the Portuguese Army and was COLONEL COMMANDANT of their Cavalry. He died in July 1864 after a very successful military career.
The pistol is a standard full stocked flintlock pistol which conforms well to the P-1796 standard, used by British Dragoons across the empire. It features a brass barrel of 9″ with an overall length of 15 1/4″. The lock plate is military marked with Crown over G. R. under the hammer and D – EGG across the tail. The barrel itself is marked faintly with D-EGG = LONDON on the top, and has the CROWN / GP “Gunmakers” proof and CROWN / V viewed markings of the London Proof house on the left barrel facet. There are also some other markings which we cannot make out, but one is 10, so it may be the company markings for Lt. Bacon. The stock is furnished with all brass mounts, complete with its brass tipped ramrod.
The stock is in good condition, with a nice color, though there are definitely some repairs that were done long in the past. The brass fittings have been lightly cleaned to bring out their full beauty. The other metalwork has a lovely polished steel / iron patina. The lock is in good shape and functional, holding properly at half cock, and firing at full.
A well researched named flintlock Dragoon/Hussar Flintlock Pistol that almost certainly saw service at WATERLOO in 1815. Ready to display!
Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1800
Bore Diameter: .67″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 9 inches
Overall Length: 15 1/4 inches
Action: Flintlock Side Action
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.