Original Item: Only One Available. Belgium as we know it today was only established in 1830, when the population rebelled against Dutch rule. Prior to that, most of the country had been known as Flanders and other local areas, which were possessions of Spain, France and Holland over the prior several hundreds of years. Belgium was an Industrial powerhouse with its great capacity coming from the City of Liège, where gun making was a key industry supplying Military Weapons all over Europe.
The Flintlock pistol offered here was most likely manufactured in Liège in the late 19th century for the Netherlands Navy. Pistols of this type were in wide use in Belgium itself, as well as other Countries and the Civilian Market. This is a substantial brass mounted walnut stocked completely standard Military Flintlock Pistol of the day. The design was robust, and saw use for decades, particularly during the Napoleonic wars.
It is marked clearly on the top of the barrel with ALKMAAR – ANTWERPEN, and also has a unit marking of G = Z. 12 on the bottom of the trigger guard. Aside from this, the only other marking is a small proof mark on the lock just to the left of the flash pan. Antwerp is today a major city in Belgium, and possibly where the pistol was sold. Alkmaar is the name of a Dutch Fourth Rate ship of the line, launched in 1782, and later captured by the British at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797. This pistol may have been captured with the ship, and then was pressed into service on the HMS Alkmaar. Definitely some fantastic research potential in this pistol.
The pistol is in very good condition, showing a lovely patina of age. It has been lightly cleaned and polished to put it into its best light. The lock functions correctly, holding at half cock and only firing at full cock. There are no major breaks or damage in the stock that we can see.
Fully cleaned and ready to display and research!
Specifications:
Years of Manufacture: circa 1790
Caliber: .67″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 9 Inches
Overall Length: 15 1/2 Inches
Action: Flintlock
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.