Scots pistol, flintlock, reproduction

[Woodsheal]

Reenactors take note!

This guy's having a sale on repro historic firearms (non-firing, unless you have the vent drilled). His price on the all-steel Scottish pistol is over $100 cheaper than you usually see:

http://wyldewares.com/specials.aspx

His photos are crappy. This is what the piece actually looks like:



These repros are inauthentic in that such pistols were always heavily engraved, something one could have done, however. They are imports from India and actually quite reliable - good, strong springs and they spark very well. I've owned one and was happy with it. BTW, they're .52 caliber....

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Reenactors take note!

This guy's having a sale on repro historic firearms (non-firing, unless you have the vent drilled). His price on the all-steel Scottish pistol is over $100 cheaper than you usually see:

http://wyldewares.com/specials.aspx

His photos are crappy. This is what the piece actually looks like:



These repros are inauthentic in that such pistols were always heavily engraved, something one could have done, however. They are imports from India and actually quite reliable - good, strong springs and they spark very well. I've owned one and was happy with it. BTW, they're .52 caliber....

What's the belt hook look like?

[JRB]

I'm not Brian but on all the reproductions I've seen the belt hook looks like an oversized version of belt hook found on most modern folding pocket knives.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

When I was in India a few years ago I visited a factory that was making Scottish pistols-- some were very plain, and others were profusely engraved. The two things that all had in common was a slender, historically accurate, belt hook, and CAST barrels. I, for one, would be cautious about drilling the touch hole and firing one of these pistols.

[BoldHighlander]

Another source for a pair of all metal Highland pistols, with the vent holes tapped & ready to fire is the Middlesex Village Trading Company.

They have the Scottish "Murdoch" Pistol - $325

and the Royal Highland Regiments Pistol - $325.

Another source, and dealer for MVTC, is the Itinerant Tinker. They carry the same two pistols but for a lower price:

Scottish "Murdoch" Pistol $279

& Royal Highland Regiments Pistol - $299

Royal Highland Regiments Pistol




Scottish "Murdoch" Pistol

[JRB]

Dixie Gun Works sells their Murdock pistols unvented but offers advice on load and ball size. A customer review on their site states, "...I drilled a 1/16" touch hole in mine, and have put maybe 50 rds through it. Functions great - not a single misfire. Trigger pull is outrageously heavy, but seems to be improving w/ use..." A cast barrel would make me uncomfortable but I would trust the Dixie Gun Works version.

[Piper]

I contacted the vendor in the original link, and asked some questions including shipping costs on the doglock blunderbuss and the 1640 musket. If I understand him correctly, he only recently started dealing directly with the manufacturer. He said that the barrel lengths vary a bit, and he doesn't know what they'll be till they arrive. A friend of mine has dealt extensively with Middlesex, and they've told him essentially the same thing. Also, caliber may vary slightly from order to order.
Regarding shipping, (again, if I understand correctly) on the blunderbuss and musket, he wrote that it would be $75 shipping from India, plus whatever shipping costs were from his location (California) to you. I would imagine there would be some slight charge for handling (repackaging and such) as well. Still not a bad price, but the shipping costs bring him much closer to the other vendors.

[Woodsheal]

These repros are safe to shoot, and are designed for that. The non-drilling of the vent is only to avoid any shipping restrictions re: actual firearms. Drilling the vent is a simple process with a hand-drill and a 1/16" bit. The barrels are thicker than on original pistols and can tolerate a "stout" load...!

[macwilkin]

There is a connection to American history in the Doune Pistols:

http://www.americanrevolution.org/pitcairn.html

Yet that may not be all to the story:

http://boston1775.blogspot.com/2009/...came-from.html

Yours aye,

Todd

[Bigkahuna]

Thank you Todd. That was a very interesting story. One that I had not heard before.