Original Italian Miquelet Lock Overcoat Pistol with Flame Figured Stock - circa 1800

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely Italian Overcoat pistol from the very early 19th century, made with a traditional MIQUELET lock, a predecessor / alternative to the standard flint lock design in use throughout most of Europe. All brass fitted, it is quite well decorated, with engraved or embossed designs on most of the fittings, and it has a beautiful flame figured wood stock. The barrel is held in place with a tang screw and pins through the stock.

Measuring about 9 inches in overall length, the two stage barrel is 4 3/4 inches long and octagonal at the breech, with a bore of about .48 of an inch. There are some lovely engraved designs close to the front of the first stage of the barrel, and some engraving on the tang as well. There are no markings that we can see on the pistol, which is not uncommon for this era.

The pistol comes complete with an iron ramrod, and in very nice condition overall. The brass fittings have a lovely mellow patina, while the lock and barrel show a lovely polished steel patina, with just a bit of past staining visible. The stock is lovely, showing some great figuring that really flip-flops in the light. The miquelet lock has a functional half cock position, which is linked to the trigger. The lock fires from full cock.

A very nice example of an obsolete firing system, still in use into the 19th century. Ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: c. 1800
Caliber: approx. .48" Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Overall Length: 9 inches
Barrel Length: 4 3/4 inches
Action: Miquelet Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

History of the Miquelet Lock:
Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators, largely in the English-speaking world, for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, Ottoman Empire and throughout Spain's colonies from the late 16th to the mid 19th centuries. Later they were seen in percussion form, either as originally produced, or converted.

The term miquelet lock was not recorded until the 19th century, long after the appearance of the mechanism in the 16th century, and is of uncertain origin. One commonly held view is that it was coined by British troops in the Peninsular War to describe the style of musket used by the Miquelet (militia) that had been assigned to the Peninsular Army of the Duke of Wellington.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.