Unusually Large Caliber (?) Percussion Target / Dueling Pistols c1860

Pukka Bundook · 10th March 2016, 01:01 PM

Good morning Dana,

Re. dating your pistols, I in no way meant to suggest you date them 'wrong' because of the type of hammers! I was merely saying that if it were not for the London address, I would have put them 10 or 15 years earlier than we 'know" they are, that's all.
It is this sort of thing that gives pause to many little points we may take for granted.
Have you dismounted the barrels? If so, the browning should show much better on the underside.
I am still certain that Dougall would never use any faux twist barrels. I have never even heard of such from this time period amongst better quality British gunmakers, and Dougall was right up there with the best.

To me, I see no reason to believe that these tubes are anything but good quality stub -iron twist barrels.
On the bottom flat, it is not uncommon to see stamped "Twisted stubs" or something similar denoting their make -up.

Pleased the Man-stopper search helped!
In this time period, when the Colt Navy and such were becoming popular, quite a few British officers were casting a jaundiced eye at the latter, as a protagonist could be filled with holes from such small calibre pistols, and Still chop the said officer down.
The solutions were large bore single or double pistols, that had at that time a name we can't use these days, but "man-stopper" holds the same meaning!

All the best,
Richard.

10th March 2016, 01:01 PM	#10
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Good morning Dana, Re. dating your pistols, I in no way meant to suggest you date them 'wrong' because of the type of hammers! I was merely saying that if it were not for the London address, I would have put them 10 or 15 years earlier than we 'know" they are, that's all. It is this sort of thing that gives pause to many little points we may take for granted. Have you dismounted the barrels? If so, the browning should show much better on the underside. I am still certain that Dougall would never use any faux twist barrels. I have never even heard of such from this time period amongst better quality British gunmakers, and Dougall was right up there with the best. To me, I see no reason to believe that these tubes are anything but good quality stub -iron twist barrels. On the bottom flat, it is not uncommon to see stamped "Twisted stubs" or something similar denoting their make -up. Pleased the Man-stopper search helped! In this time period, when the Colt Navy and such were becoming popular, quite a few British officers were casting a jaundiced eye at the latter, as a protagonist could be filled with holes from such small calibre pistols, and Still chop the said officer down. The solutions were large bore single or double pistols, that had at that time a name we can't use these days, but "man-stopper" holds the same meaning! All the best, Richard.