"Fake" military pistol for the colonies
 

The foto shows a former percussion pistol M 1849 made by Pistor/Schmalkalden for the two Husar-regiments of Hessen-Kassel. After 1866 these pistols have been withdrawn and the former Hessian now Prussian cavalry units got Prussian pistols M 1850. The old Hessian percussion pistols were in the 1880s sold to the market, partly converted to flintlock pistols (what they never had been before) and sold to African colonies. The other foto shows the 1849 pistol in its original version.
corrado26

Flintlock was popular where powder and ball was plentiful but caps were not.
I had a Belgian 1777p flintlock made mid 19th century for the same remote locations.
To take a percussion firearm and convert to flintlock the pistols must have been plentiful and out of date as you mention.
Collectors have to know their stuff or one could spend a premium for a flintlock that never was (officially).