Caliber: 38-bore (about .49 cal)
S#: 8017
This beautiful pair of pistols have 10″ octagonal brown striped barrels with fine hair rifling, bottom ribs. Inset case-hardened patent breeches have platinum touch holes and two platinum bands. “John Manton & Son” and “DOVER STREET” is engraved on top flat, silver blade front sight and fire blued fixed notch rear sight. Breech tang engraved with globe, Britannia shield and scrolls. Finely engraved locks with feathered borders and scroll design, waterproof pans have inset platinum line at base aligning with platinum touch hole, rear mounted fire blued sliding safeties, engraved “John Manton & Son / PATENT”. Bridled roller frizzens are engraved en suite “Joseph Manton Patent”, top jaws relief engraved with sunbursts. Fire blued trigger guards terminate forward to engraved pineapple finials. Trigger bows have panoply of arms engraved with serial numbers in ribbons. Fine checkered burl walnut stocks have rounded butts. Silver inset thumb plates engraved with crest of “pelican feeding young in nest” above script initials “IS” or “JS”. Forestocks have horn tips, fire blued steel engraved rear thimbles. Barrels attach to stocks with fire blued keys through oval silver escutcheons. Wood ramrods have brass tips.
Status: Antiques
It says J.Manton London Fine Twist on the steel on top between the barrels. It has a gold shield like pc secured on the bottom near the back of the stock. The barrels are about 31' long; the total gun length about 47-1/2'. I cant find a serial number if there is one and not sure how to remove the barrels if nescessary. Joseph Mantion (1766-1835), his (half?) brother, was also a gun maker and by 1825 was considered better than John, taking his place as the recognized foremost gun maker in England. Joseph Manton apparently had no successors, but John had extablished a company, J. Manton & Son, which became J. AFAIK, the company is still in.
.jpg?w=400 "Joseph Manton Serial Numbers")
Joseph Manton Serial Numbers List
A CASED PAIR OF FLINTLOCK DUELLING PISTOLS BY JOSEPH MANTON, LONDON, SERIAL NO. 5658 FOR 1812 With rebrowned twist sighted barrels, case-hardened patent breeches each with platinum-lined maker’s stamp, platinum line and touch-hole, case-hardened engraved tangs and signed bolted detented locks, the former each incorporating a rear-sight, the latter each with roller and rainproof pan, figured.