Original British Napoleonic P-1796 .75 Bore Heavy Dragoon Flintlock Pistol by Ketland & Co. Marked to the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a substantial P-1796 Heavy Dragoon pistol, with a massive .75″ bore, the same as the standard musket of the liner during the Napoleonic wars. This pistol definitely dates to prior the Battle of Waterloo, and is marked to the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons, today known as the Royal Scots Greys. The regiment’s history began in 1678, when three independent troops of Scots Dragoons were raised. In 1681, these troops were regimented to form The Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons, numbered the 4th Dragoons in 1694. They were already mounted on grey horses by this stage and were already being referred to as the Grey Dragoons.

In 1707, they were renamed The Royal North British Dragoons (North Britain then being the envisaged common name for Scotland), but were already being referred to as the Scots Greys. In 1713, they were renumbered the 2nd Dragoons as part of a deal between the commands of the English Army and the Scottish Army when the two were in the process of being unified into the British Army. Under this name they served during the Jacobite Rebellion in Britain, and then the War of the Austrian Succession, as well as the Seven Years’ War.

After this, the regiment was engaged entirely in home service, and did not take part in the American revolution or later War of 1812. Following the French revolution in 1789, they participated in campaigns in the Low Countries against French forces until 1795, after which they returned to England. They did not participate in the peninsular campaigns of the Napoleonic wars, and were then reduced in number due to the end of the peninsular campaign.

This then changed after Napoleon escaped from Elba and began rebuilding his forces. The regiment was expanded to have 10 troops of cavalry, a total of 946 officers and men, the largest the regiment had ever been until that time. Six of the ten troops were sent to the continent, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel James Inglis Hamilton, to join the army forming under the command of the Duke of Wellington. The Scots Greys, upon arrival in Ghent, were brigaded under the command of Major-General Ponsonby in the Union Brigade, with Royal Dragoons and the Inniskillings Dragoons.

The Scots Greys, with the rest of the Union Brigade, missed the Battle of Quatre Bras despite a long day of hard riding. As the French fell back, the Scots Greys and the rest of the Union Brigade arrived at the end of their 50-mile ride. On the morning of 18 June 1815 at Waterloo, the Scots Greys found themselves in the third line of Wellington’s army, on the left flank. During the battle, the regiment was originally held in reserve, but later took part in a famous charge during the battle, the subject of several paintings and many accounts.

There is a good chance that this pistol was carried by a dragoon during the Napoleonic wars, and possibly on the field at Waterloo itself!

The pistol is a standard full stocked heavy flintlock pistol which conforms well to the P-1796 standard, used by British Dragoons across the empire. The Lock Plate is marked (CROWN) / G.R. under the pan, with KETLAND & Co. across the tail, for the famous Birmingham-based gunmaker. These markings indicates that the pistol was purchased directly by the regiment, and not through the British Army supply channels, which was fairly common. There is a CROWN / 3 inspector marking under the pan, indicating that the lock was “Viewed”

The barrel bears the correct CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS proof markings for manufacture in Birmingham, England by Ketland, and there is also a CROWN / 4 inspection proof as well. The trigger guard is regimentally marked 2 = R = NB = D’S, for the 2nd Regiment North British Dragoons. Under this it is marked B / 16, for “B” company, 16th Man.

The ramrod is iron, and not of the ‘swivel” type later introduced as the New Land Pattern, which was based on East India Company innovations. The pistol has a 9″ long .75″ bore barrel, and the minimally fitted stock looks just lovely. There are some cracks near the muzzle end of the fore stock, and possibly a grafted in repair. There is also some cracking around the brass side plate. The lock is in good shape and functional, holding properly at half cock, and firing at full.

A highly desirable Flintlock Heavy Dragoon Pistol from the Napoleonic Wars, ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1800
Caliber: .75″ 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.