Original 19th Century Balkan Embossed Brass Clad Miquelet Lock Rat Tail “Pirate” Pistol – circa 1800 – 1820 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. These were often referred to as Miquelet “Rat Tail” Pistols because of the shape of the stock. These were the traditional muzzle loading pistol of the Balkans and Greece in the early to mid 1800s. Designed to be worn in a sash around one’s waist, the weapon is very streamlined in appearance. The stock on this example is almost entirely clad in lovely embossed and engraved sheet brass. The Miquelet ignition system is a hangover from High Quality Italian pistols of the 17th and early 18th centuries.

This is a particularly nice example retaining ALL its brass cladding, all complete and simply great. The engraved and embossed designs are lovely, and it has an inlet for a faux ramrod under the barrel, which is missing. At sea the ramrod was usually carried on a strap around the neck. We looked, and there are virtually no openings in the cladding, which means that the ramrod channel is the only place you can see the wood of the stock.

The back of the wrist has some nickel or lead nail inlays, which could possibly be tarnished silver. The top of the barrel is decorated, though the design is now somewhat worn. Unlike most miquelets we see, the lock on this example is still fully functional! It is a bit finicky, and sometimes hangs at half cock, but usually we can’t even get these to move.

These are just the weapons carried by Brigands and Pirates of the Mediterranean Sea that caused so much trouble to the Europeans in the early 1800s. Most decorative, with an intriguing ignition system, 21 ½” overall, this is one of the nicest examples of a Miquelet “Rat-Tail” pistol we have ever had, and one of the few where we can get the lock to work!

Ready to Display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1800 – 1820
Caliber: .59″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 21 ½ inches
Barrel Length: 12 ½ inches
Action: Miquelet 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.

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.