Original English Relic 1840 Percussion Pistol by Mortimer of London Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Such a shame, Mortimer of London, one of England’s finest gunmakers and just look what has happened to this once lovely pistol! H.W. MORTIMER Gun Maker to His Majesty King George III, in his day one of the foremost and now most collectible of London Gun Makers.

This Percussion pistol dates from the 1840 to 1860 with saw handle grip like late model dueling pistols found in the basement of the Old Palace of Lagan Silikhanna in Kathmandu and just recently unpacked after 12 years. This is a testament as how not to treat fine firearms!

The lock is missing, the butt cap is absent as is the throat pipe for the ramrod. The wood is scruffy and has multiple chips and abrasions, the octagonal barrel and steel trigger guard are covered in rust and generally speaking the pistol could be described as a complete mess. However the barrel bears a silver inlaid oval escutcheon engraved: MORTIMER, LONDON and a silver band to breach and oval escutcheon, unmarked, on the wrist of the stock.

This was once a splendid weapon, undoubtedly one of a pair, that was probably purchased by the Prime Minister, JANG BAHADUR who ruled Nepal 1846-1877, on his celebrated 1851 State Visit to London and Queen Victoria when he ordered millions of percussion cap guns from JAMES PURDEY London’s most renowned Shotgun Maker for over a 150 years. His affection for England was well known and in 1857 he sent 10,000 Gurkha Troops to assist the British East India Company in the great Sepoy Rebellion better known as the Indian mutiny and there are still Gurkha Regiments in the British Army today.

This pistol is a very old lady that has seen much better days but maybe now a restoration project for some worthy enthusiast.