Looking for details on antique percussion muff/boot pistol

[DMS1]

My dads had this for years, I’m looking for info on it if anyone knows, and what it’s value is. Over under twist barrel permission cap, some engraving and checkering. Drop down trigger (which hangs a bit when not cocked) dragon engraving on the hammer. There are some proof marks but no date or name that I can see.

















Looks kinda like this one I found:

 

[Stephen Nash]

Nice little pistol. The proof marks are for Birmingham. However, they only provide a date range of 1813 to 1855, which does not narrow things down. The lack of a maker's name is probably immaterial, as for such items the name would more likely be that of the retailer than the maker. This was made in one of several hundred Birmingham workshops in Birmingham's Gun Quarter (an area north of the city centre bounded by Steelhouse Lane, Shadwell Street and Loveday Street). A maker might have their own workshop or rent bench space in someone's shop; various workshops specialized in pistol-making, or they might be made when orders for long guns were slow. As with any gun made at the time, the individual parts (barrels, lock, action, furniture, nipples, breechblocks, stocks) were made by different persons (usually under different roofs), then someone else assembled them, someone engraved them, someone finished the metal parts, and someone did the overall finishing. It was not unusual that the final product does not carry the retailer's name, or that there is no serial number; this was long before any kind of 'factory' production, and there was little reason to number anything.

On the plus side your pistol is in reasonably good shape. It was not an expensive piece to start with, but the acanthus leaf engraving is pleasant and well thought out. The scaling pattern on the hammer is more likely to denote a fish (dolphins were a common motif used by Georgian and early Victorian makers, who considered them fishes). The wood is in fine order, and the metal has a nice patina. On the negative side, the screw heads are mashed, and the drooping trigger might denote an internal problem, such as a broken spring. As with anything from this period, it would greatly add in value if it was in its original case with retailer's label, barrel wrench and loading implements! As to value in Canada I cannot say, it falls outside of my comfort zone (British pin-fire shotguns), but you might like to find similar examples in Canadian auctions to see prices realized. Otherwise, it will be worth the highest amount that someone is willing to pay, as with most antiques. Personally, I think your pistol is quite attractive, hang on to it.

 

[Ashcroft]

Check carefully to see if it is still loaded, not at all unusual.

 

[vagrantviking]

That's a really quality item. I'm jealous! LoL
Thanks for sharing.

 

[DMS1]

Thank you for the great information!

Can I ask out loud, with the changing handgun rules (proposed), has there been any impact to antique status and transfers ?

 

[tiriaq]

It would seem not.

 

[scianna54]

The value on those is in a wide range. A dealer would probably give you $300 and then try to sell it for $1,500 after some fixing.

Value on the private market as is between $400 and $600.