Original French Napoleonic Battlefield Pickup Fire-Damaged High Art Flintlock Pistol c.1800 Original Items

 Original Item: One of a Kind. After the Battle, the British victorious, the French in disarray or dead, the scene was horrific. Heaps of dead and dying Horses and men, everything in flames from the brutal British Cannon fire, the carnage was complete……………………

Well that maybe the story behind this French Flintlock Pistol, recovered from the fire after the battle and treasured by one of the victorious.

This magnificent French Flintlock Pistol circa 1800 started life as an item of very high quality and great beauty. It was made after Emperor Napoleon had returned from Egypt, and everything Middle Eastern became the rage. This pistol, so beautifully carved with stands of arms and floral decorations then smothered in gold and heavily inlaid with silver wire, was clearly the property of some high ranking French Officer who insisted on having only the best things in life. This pistol was just that! Even the flash pan lining is gilt!

Tragically this pistol lay on the battlefield together with his owner and suffered the worst that fire could do to it. The fore end is all gone, the silver wire melted and ran all over the grip. What remains is what you see, the butt cap partially now covered in molten silver, the trigger guard, somewhat distorted and the lock mechanism and very ornate barrel were only slightly affected. Both lock and the rear half of the barrel are very heavily carved with floral and military designs embracing the style of the Orient. The front half of the 9 1/2″ cannon shaped barrel still retains its heavy GOLD inlay which almost looks like the day it was made.

To see such waste of a truly beautiful Flintlock pistol is a crime but history is what it is and this is the hand we have now been dealt. So who is the dedicated restorer who will accept the challenge to undertake this restoration and return this high quality pistol to what it once was.

See the photographs and let your imagination fly! Ready to display or restore.

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1800
Caliber: .63″ Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 16 inches
Barrel Length: 9 1/2 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.