3371 FINE PAIR OF G. DAVISON FLINTLOCK PISTOLS WITH

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This item SOLD at 2023 May 14 @ 16:06UTC-4 : AST/EDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 5,000.00 USD
Estimated at 10,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD

CONVERSIONS TO RARE FORSYTH SLIDING PRIMER PERCUSSION SYSTEM WITH CASE AND ACCESSORIES. Cal. 52 smooth bore (both). NSN (both). This pair of good quality heavy barreled pistols were originally flintlock and made around 1812. Shortly thereafter they were fitted with Forsyth patent sliding primer systems. This was an improvement on the earlier and well known scent bottle design. It used a priming powder magazine accessed by egg shaped covers on a sliding reservoir. When cocking the hammer an attached link pulls the reservoir to the rear allowing a small amount of priming powder to enter a depression at the end of a drum conversion installed in place of the touch hole. In firing, the reservoir is automatically pushed to the front exposing priming powder to the firing pin on hammer nose. These pistols have 10" heavy octagon skelp twist barrels with under ribs. Patent breeches with gold lines at rears have deeply inset gold poincon marked "G. DAVISON" " ALNWICK". Breech irons with armorial engraving are fitted with "V" notch rear sights. Chamfered locks with rebated, truncated tails are fitted with back sliding safetys. Lock plates are engraved with feather borders and with maker's name and address. Hammers and reservoirs of conversion parts are scroll engraved. Drums and associated slide bases are temper blued. Trigger plates have stylized pineapple finials. Trigger guards have drum and flag engraving on bows. Half stocks with horn tips and steel capped checkered bag grips are of dense figured root walnut. Stocks attach to barrels with captive side bolts through octagonal silver escutcheons. Purpleheart ramrods with small brass tips (one rod has brass tail) mount through single plain pipes and well filed thimbles. Rectangular gold crestplates with cut corners at tops of grips are engraved with perched falcons. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: guns are housed in their original mahogany case with inlet brass corners and small flush mounted "D" ring circular handle. Central medallion is engraved with a monogram "FS"?. Interior of case is lined in light reddish patterned cloth, Davison label is in lid, case contains steel round ball mold marked "Davison" which has pivoting sprue cutter, two patch cutters; the larger is marked "Davison", the smaller "34". Rosewood and brass loading rod, black leather covered two compartment powder and ball flask by Hawksley. Two covered compartments with bone handles are present; one containing cut wads and a key with bone tag inscribed "DAVISON ALNWICK". CONDITION: very fine. Barrels retaining over 80% of what appears to be their original brown twist finish. A fair amount of case hardening color remains on patent breeches. Locks retain some color remaining after conversion; most original blue remains on conversion parts as well as trigger guards and buttcaps. Stocks retain most of their possibly original oil finish with a fair number of scratches and bumps. Bores are bright and shiny, mechanically fine except one pistol will not hold at full cock (probably gummed). Case exterior has most of its oil refinish over some cracks. Interior cloth is good, considerably stained and rubbed. Label is fair to good with minor chips, bumps and rubs. Accessories are generally good. A desirable pair of pistols; this variation of Forsyth's patent is quite scarce. (01-21942/MGM). ANTIQUE. $10,000-20,000.