ANTIQUE 19TH CENTURY LADIES FLINTLOCK MUFF PISTOL
I bet that title got your attention!
No, this isn't a joke, but a legitimate name for this type of pistol. First, a brief explanation: as well as its crude meaning in modern English, in this context, 'muff' refers to a type of hand-warmer that was very popular with women in the Victorian period. These pistols, designed to be compact and easily concealable, could be hidden within the hand-warmer to surprise an unsuspecting mugger. They were in fact carried by women and men alike, but a lack of pockets on women's clothing of the period meant a hand muff was one of the few places a woman could conceal such a weapon.
This unmarked example is in stunning condition. Brass engraved fittings. Chequered Walnut hand grips with no cracks. Removable barrel with original removal key. Action works perfectly in fact the whole pistol is in virtually unused condition, comes in a mahogany box. You will not find better.
From the Eighteenth Century on there were huge numbers of small, concealable pistols manufactured in England and on the Continent. The smaller ones were described as "Muff Pistols" because they were often concealed in a lady's muff, although they could also be slipped inside a Gentleman's pocket (and Gentlemen used muffs too).
Keeping a loaded pistol in one's pocket can be as dangerous to the user as to an assailant, so even the earliest gunmakers went to great lengths to make effective safeties. The safety consists of a sliding bracket which surrounds the hammer and ends in a small pin which fits into a socket at the base of the frizzen. In its forward (safe) position, it prevents the frizzen from opening, even if the hammer should accidentally fall. It also prevents the frizzen from being knocked open while in the pocket and spilling out the priming powder. Below the bracket, on the underside of the top strap just behind the 'box' of the frame is a hook which is attached to the safety. When in the safe position, the hook slides under the back of the hammer and prevents it from being further cocked or from being accidentally knocked out of the half-cock position. The trigger is still (largely) within the frame so that it can't be snagged or pulled as the pistol is withdrawn from concealment.
Once the safety has been slid backward to the 'ready' position, which unlocks the frizzen and frees the hammer, allowing it to be fully cocked. When the hammer is fully cocked, which automatically drops the trigger. The pistol is now ready to go!
If you are pulling a pistol from a pocket, you certainly don't want to snag any part of it. Not only can this slow you down, but it may cause an accidental discharge. The trigger is particularly susceptible to this, and on tiny pistols there is really no place for a large trigger guard. The gunsmiths of the 18th Century devised a clever mechanism for solving this problem - the drop-down trigger. At its bottom is a small protuberance (or tail) which will engage the two-part trigger as it is cocked.
When the hammer is pulled back to half-cock, the sear, which has its own spring, engages the half-cock notch, and the 'tail' is now just touching the back of the trigger. At this point however when the pistol is drawn to full-cock, the 'tail' on the hammer forces the trigger to swing down until the boss slides over the hump of the 'snap-over' spring, popping the trigger fully down. Since the sear and trigger are now locked together, pulling the trigger releases the sear and fires the pistol. This is a simple and neat little mechanism!
The barrels and frame bear Birmingham Company proof marks. At this time in history, Birmingham was a center for the 'mass production' of less expensive arms, while London was known for producing higher quality weapons.
*Please Note
This pistol is legal to own in WA however if you wish to purchase this pistol outside of WA please check that you meet your state's regulations on ownership.
Australia Post does not allow transportation of pistols however I can send this with Pack and Send anywhere in Australia for $90 insured and to be signed for.