Horse Pistol

[Tinker2]

I have a BP horse pistol that is made for a butt stock. I don’t have it.
So I would like to make one. I don’t want to guess what it looked like
or more important how it locks on the gun. Any help in identifying the
gun or information about it would be greatly appreciated.

Overall length is 17.5” Barrel is 11” Hooked breach.
Lock is marked ???? Herzberg ??
the rifled bore mikes out at .665

 

[Selfdfenz]

http://www.horstheld.com/0-makers-C.htm

Scroll down.

Crause in Herzberg, a heavy cavalry percussion pistol with shoulder stock. The pistol in on the backstrap engraved
No. 46, additional inspections- and acceptance stamps on the 10½" barrel, iron- and brass parts. The caliber is circa .68 smooth-bore. While the metal are parts showing some wear, the fully shafted stock with inserted ramrod was cracked and is repaired.
The rare shoulder stock has on the tang the No. 48 in the same stile as the pistol, additional a few inspection stamps. Rare set.

You own me a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper.
Not shaken, not stirred.



S-

 

[Tinker2]

Just what I wanted

Selfdfenz

Thanks it looks like that stock would work for me. I have two of these
pistols and they are identical to each other. They are very similar
to the one you posted. Mine have a brass nose cap, no provisions for
a ramrod, two small disks for the side plate, a twist steel barrel, rifled
.665 bore.
If that is the serial number (46) engraved on the back strap then mine
are about one hundred guns newer.
Interesting that there is no provisions for a ramrod.

Thanks again, that is just what I wanted.

So how do you want your 6 pack of Dr. Pepper. You going to come
here or should I bring it to you?

 

[Selfdfenz]

You have some valuable items there.

Best of luck reverse engineering.

S-

 

[Cap n Ball]

"Interesting that there is no provisions for a ramrod."

To me they don't look like typical military style 'horse pistols'. I think they'd be a bit excessive for dueling purposes. Perhaps they were originally intended for hunting and came as a boxed set that included a ramrod. That would explain the barrels being rifled for greater accuracy as well as having provision for a hunter's shoulder stock. The lanyard rings in the base of the grip tell me that your pistols were most likely to have been used from horseback. I have two original calvary pistols in 58 and 54 caliber both are smooth bored and are fairly accurate up to about fifty feet if the target is the size of a horse.

Those are some really nice pistols you have there.

 

[4v50 Gary]

In the link posted by Selfdefnz, the shoulder stock has a sling bar which suggests it's for cavalry/mounted use.

 

[Cap n Ball]

Yep, I think your right Gary. It also says that the stock is fully shafted with ram rod. I guess when your the King of Hanover you can afford to equip your mounted soldiers with the best sort of stuff. At 68 cal and rifled those pistols are almost like small cannons. I wonder what the effective range would be.