[Jim McDougall]

One of the most curious and relatively little known distinctly American pistols is the odd looking underhammer percussion pistol termed as a 'boot pistol' or 'whip socket pistol'. Despite the 'boot' reference, this type pistol, at least the ones from Bangor as this one, were usually worn in a holster.

This is marked Wm NEAL BANGOR ME, which was William Neal of Bangor who worked at a shop near east end of Kenduskeg bridge from 1843.
These single shot pistols were begun around 1835 (probably Ethan Allen) and made until c. 1860.

While these single shot boot pistols were of varying styles, the ones by Neal seem to have been consistently this 'saw handle' type, and typically .31 cal.

The lumber industry in these times in Maine was rugged, as were the equally rugged lumber men who spent winters felling timber then later driving the huge logs down the Penobscot River to the mills at Bangor. Much in the manner of the wild mining towns from the Yukon across America's west, these conditions and the rough and tumble characters led to the familiar streets of debauchery with saloons, bars, brothels with Bangor's being the notorious Exchange Street.

This under hammer was made between 1843 and the death of William Neal in 1853. It is missing the trigger which would have been just behind the hammer bar.