1802 brought an end to the War of the French Revolution, a conflict that had raged from 1793-1802 and had embroiled much of Europe in war, with a coalition of forces such as Austria, Prussia, the Dutch Republic and Russia (among others) allied with the British against the French Republic and their coalition of allies that included Denmark, Norway and Spain, among others as well. This period of intense, nearly global warfare had severely taxed the British military and the Board of Ordnance, particularly in the production and supply of small arms to the troops in the field. The system of simplification of arms patterns that had begun during the multiple British conflicts that had taken place during the period of the American Revolution had resulted in the adoption of the India Pattern (known to collectors as the 3^rd Pattern) Brown Bess musket. These simplified arms were hardly as stylish and well-made as their Long and Short Land Pattern predecessors but were easier to produce in quantity and were robust, serviceable arms in the field. While infantry long arms had been semi-standardized based upon the India Pattern musket during the 1790s, the same could not be said of pistols.

During this period, numerous patterns of pistols were in use among British mounted troops, with some patterns utilized in very small quantities based upon the designs or preferences of their regimental colonels. The caliber of these guns was not completely standardized either. Some were “pistol bore”, nominally .56-.58 caliber (about 26 to 24 bore) and the rest were “carbine bore” nominally about .65 to .66 caliber (about 17 to 16 bore). This lack of uniformity in caliber alone raised the potential for ammunition supply issues in the field. One of the more common pistol patterns in use by the English as the War of the French Revolution ended was the Pattern 1793 Light Dragoon Pistol. A 10” barreled, carbine bore pistol that represented a transition from the earlier, more elegant patterns of the 1750s-1770s to the more utilitarian designs of the 19^th century. These pistols saw service side by side with current production Eliott’s Light Dragoon pistols, Nock Inside Lock Pistols and a variety older pattern handguns and small run regimentally specific arms. The end of war with France in 1802 gave the Board of Ordnance the time to take a breath and to look towards the future as they redesigned the British cavalry pistol.

The result of the slightly more than one year of peace, from the Treaty of Amiens on 25 March 1802 to Britain’s renewed declaration of war on France on 18 May 1803, was the New Land Pattern Pistol. The design was adopted just in time for the eruption of the War of the 3^rd Coalition, which again pitted Great Britain and its allies against Napoleon’s France and their allies. The new design was standardized, simplified and no longer as graceful as its predecessors. The pistol had a 9” round, “carbine bore” smoothbore barrel that was retained by a single wedge in the forend and a screw through the breech plug tang. The pistol incorporated the flat, short-sear, post-1777 India Pattern pistol lock with a fenced pan and a flat beveled, reinforced cock. The simplified walnut stock initially retained the basic carved apron around the breech plug tang, a feature that was soon eliminated, as were any significant moldings around the lock mortise. The simple brass furniture consisted of a lobed butt cap, a nose cap, a triggerguard and gripstrap reinforcement and a flat, geometric S-shaped sideplate. The pistol finally abandoned the loose wood or steel ramrods of earlier British military pistol designs and adopted a captive swivel ramrod that would be the bane of most British cavalrymen until the single shot pistol was removed from service. By about 1810, the pistol had evolved to include a stepped lock with a sliding safety to the rear of the hammer and a waterproof pan. Like most British military contractor provided arms, these evolutions took place over time with most of the guns featuring both improvements by the post-1810 period. By 1815 the browning of barrels was standard as well, but it was starting to appear by about 1808 on some guns. The very latest production period New Land Pattern Pistols produced from about the mid-1820s until the end of production introduced a lock that was rounded at the tail, finally leaving behind the pointed lock profile that date back well over 100 years. These flintlock cavalry pistols would be produced in large numbers during the Napoleonic Wars period and would remain in production until about 1835, when percussion ignition pistols would finally supersede the flintlock designs that had been in use for nearly 200 years. The New Land Pistol was not only used by the British military but by many of its allies during the Napoleonic Period, including the troops from Hanover and Portugal. By the end of the flintlock period, the British were also selling off obsolete New Land Pattern Pistols to many countries, including much of Latin America, Spain, Mecklenburg and Lubeck.

This example of a British New Land Pattern Cavalry Pistol is in FINE condition. The gun remains 100% complete, correct and original and remains in fine original flint configuration. The gun was probably made circa 1810-1815 and includes the waterproof pan that was standard by about 1810 but does not incorporate the safety that was also standard from about 1810 on. The stock is the simplified example without the raised “beaver tail” shaped apron around the breech plug tang. The pistol’s barrel is bright, as was standard prior to 1815, although some earlier production guns were browned as well. As is typical for most New Land Pistols of this period, the casehardened lock has been polished to bright. The early production period lock is pointed at the tail and features light, simple foliate engraving at the tail and on the hammer neck below the reinforcement. The tail of the lock is marked TOWER in a vertical arc and with the usual George III period {CROWN}/GR and with a small {CROWN}-{BROAD ARROW} beneath the pan. The lock has a {CROWN}/5 inspection on the interior, along with the contractor initials WS. The lower edge of the lock has the file slash mating mark |||| \, which is also found on the bottom of the barrel, on the necks of the breech plug tang and lock mounting screws, on the inner face of the cock, inside the ramrod channel, inside the barrel channel and on the end of the captive ramrod. The lock also has the assembly mark X| on the upper edge and on the bridle, as well as inside the lock mortise. The presence of two sets of mating marks that mate sub-sections of a pistol is not uncommon during this period. The breech of the barrel is clearly marked with British military proofs, consisting of a {CROWN}/GR/{BROAD ARROW} and a {CROWN}/{CROSSED SCEPTERS}. A gauge mark of 16 is also present on the barrel near the breech, indicating the bore is nominally .66 caliber. A small {CROWN} inspection is present at the rear of the breech plug tang and on the rear face of the breech plug. The touchhole is marked with a {CROWN}/11 inspection, the bottom of the barrel with a {CROWN}/2 inspection and the ramrod with a {CROWN}inspection with the inspector number illegible. The bottom of the barrel is also marked with the contractor’s name OSBORN & G (other letters illegible), which is the mark of Osborn & Gunby. The initials O&G, for the same firm, are found on the end of the ramrod as well. The Birmingham partnership operated circa 1811 to 1818 and in additional to being “Gun & Pistol Makers” were also “Sword Cutlers”. The firm worked as contractor for both the Board of Ordnance and the East India Company and like many of the Birmingham makers appears to have delivered both parts and completed arms to some of the London based contractors, as with this barrel and ramrod assembly that were delivered to Brander & Potts, the pistol’s maker. Illegible inspection marks are present in the ramrod channel and on the lower right side of the grip, above the triggerguard. These are illegible due to being stamped deeply into the wood, making the marks unclear. The right wrist of the pistol is stamped with a {CROWN}/GR/1806 storekeeper’s mark. As I have noted before, the storekeeper stamps appear to have remained in service for a number of years after their manufacture, as I have seen guns with a storekeeper’s stamp with a date that was clearly as much as a decade prior to the manufacture of the gun it was applied to. In this case the working dates of Osborn & Gunby indicate the gun was likely made sometime around 1811 or slightly later, even though the 1806 dated stamp was still being used. The block letter maker’s mark B&P is present on the counterpane, opposite the lock. This is the mark of long time London based Board of Ordnance contractors Brander & Potts, the maker of the pistol. The partnership of Martin Brander and Thomas Potts operated from 1802 to 1827 when Martin Brander died, and the firm was a major supplier to both the Board of Ordnance and the East India Company. All of these markings, with the exception of the couple noted above, remain very clear, sharp and completely legible.

As noted, the pistol remains in FINE condition. The 9” barrel is crisp with traces of old dried varnish that has discolored to a yellowish-brown color. The metal has a mostly dull pewter patina and shows scattered minor surface oxidation and discoloration with freckled patches of minor pinpricking and some very light pitting around the breech and touchhole area, as well as around the muzzle and muzzle face. The lock has a similar patina to the barrel and shows the same discolored traces of old varnish in the nooks and crannies.  The lock remains in original flint and is very crisp. It is mechanically excellent and functions perfectly on all positions. The .65 caliber smooth bore of the pistol remains in about FINE condition as well. It is partly bright with scattered patches of darker surface oxidation and some minor roughness mixed with some lightly scattered pitting. A good cleaning with a bronze brush would likely improve the bore to nearly excellent condition. The original swivel ramrod is in place and functions exactly as it should. The reverse of the rod with the threaded female socket for the attachment of cleaning implements fits the stock channel very tightly and requires some effort to pull the rod from the stock. The brass furniture has an attractive, mellow mustard patina and is very attractive. The stock of the pistol remains very crisp and sharp with fine lines and edges. The stock shows absolutely no signs of being sanded and is solid and full-length. The stock is free of any breaks or significant repairs. The stock does show a number of lightly scattered bumps, dings and marks from handling and use, but absolutely no abuse or unusual wear and tear. As with the metal, some old varnish is present, which likely helped to preserve the pistol in such nice, crisp condition.

Overall, this is a very crisp and attractive example of a British New Land Pattern Cavalry Pistol that was produced circa 1811 or so. The pistol is in a wonderful state of preservation, is completely correct and is well marked throughout. It would be a wonderful addition to any advanced collection Napoleonic arms and will certainly look wonderful in such a display, being a typical example of a Waterloo period or War of 1812 period English cavalry pistol.

SOLD