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**SOLD** South Carolina Militia Marked U.S. Model 1816 Army Contract .54 Caliber Flintlock Pistol **SOLD**
Guns International #: 101997458 Seller's Inventory #: BP21-193
Category: Military Pistols - Antique - Antique Pistols - Flintlock
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Company: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Member Since: 4/27/15
State: Kentucky
Zip: 40503
Country: United States
Phone: (859) 276-1419
Fax: (859) 278-0838
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 184
Total Number of Listings: 14865
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Visa,Master Card, Discover,Check
Description:
This is a very interesting and all-original U.S. Model 1816 .54 caliber Flintlock Pistol that has South Carolina Militia history and was probably used as a secondary weapon by the Confederate side in the American Civil War. The Model 1816 Flintlock Pistol was made by the Simeon North firm in Middleton, Connecticut from 1817 until 1820 and was truly the first U.S. Military contract pistol to be delivered on a large scale. The total number of Model 1816 pistols produced was 19,374. The design history of the Model 1816 is a little complicated. This pistol was the essentially the genesis of the earlier Simeon North Army Contract Pistol of 1811, which contract stipulated 1000 pairs of .69 caliber flintlocks with pinned barrels and brass furniture. During the production run it was determined that the pinned barrel could be improved by using a double-strapped iron barrel band and "Wickham's Improvement" (a spring-loaded band retainer). The last portion of the 1811 pistols were manufactured in that way without pins. With the U.S. getting involved in the War of 1812 another contract was given to Simeon North for 20,000 more pistols of the improved Model 1811 design, now called the Model 1813 at a cost of $7.00 each. The excessively large .69 caliber of the Model 1813 was almost immediately problematic, so production was halted after only 626 pistols had been delivered for the pistol to be redesigned. The redesign of the pistol consisted of changing the caliber to .54 caliber and extending the stock beyond the barrel band. The contract was renegotiated for the remaining 19,374 pistols to be built in the improved design at $8.00 each and the U.S. Model 1816 Army Contract Pistol was "born". Simeon North would complete the entire contract with the last deliveries made on January 26, 1820. The Model 1816 proved to be an excellent pistol for the period, well-made, reliable, and reasonably accurate for a smoothbore. It would remain in U.S. service for the next two decades, serving the U.S. in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the Seminole Wars. Large numbers of them were also issued to state militias under the Militia Act of 1808, and a good number of them would see new life in service with the Confederate Army early in the Civil War in both it's original flintlock configuration and converted to percussion by southern blacksmiths. Due to the extended service life of these military pistols, the large number of conflicts during their service, the high attrition rate of pistols being lost or destroyed in combat, and the large number of percussion conversions, finding an all-original example with it's original flintlock still intact is a very hard thing to do. This particular example is especially interesting and special in that it was originally issued to the South Carolina State Militia and is marked as such on the top rear of the barrel, making it highly likely that it was also used by Confederate forces in the American Civil War. Given the look and patina of this Model 1816 it appears to have seen it's fair share of combat. All of the metal on this pistol is a brown-gray patina, including the lockplate which would have been case-colored originally. The barrel is stamped with a "P" over "US" on the left-rear side of the barrel, "S.Carolina" on the top rear of the barrel, and is stamped with an inspectors mark on the right side of the barrel above the flash-hole that is no longer legible. The far left-side flat of the barrel is stamped with a deep diamond-shaped stamp, meaning unknown. The bore in this pistol is rough, with pitting throughout but no bulges, splits, or repairs. There were two variations of the lock marking on the Model 1816, the early one with "S.North" in an arc over an American Eagle with "U" and "S" at either side and an upward arcing "Midln CON" address below the eagle, and the later version which was very similar except for a smaller die size and the lower address changed to "Midltn CONN". Although most of the lock marking is no longer visible on this pistol, it is definitely the earlier version as we can make out the address and it lacks the "t" and extra "N" of the later version. That dates this pistol to the first two years of production, 1817-1818. It is not uncommon for a combat-used pistol to have very little lock markings left as most were very lightly-stamped to start with when new. The lock itself is complete, original, and in good functional condition. It shows ZERO evidence of ever having been converted to percussion and then reconverted to flintlock. The original brass flash pan and steel frizzen is still in good shape, and all of the lock springs are still stout and functional both inside and out. The hammer still has both notches intact and will click into both half-cock and full-cock, however full-cock is a little temperamental at times and requires you to pull upward a little on the lock as you cock it. It goes to half-cock easily. The stock on this pistol is also in good condition overall, especially given it's history and age. The American Walnut is free from any major damage or repairs, but does show a lot of dings, dents, scratches, a few small minor cracks. The worst of the cracks are located on the left side of the pistol to the left of the upper sideplate screw. As you can see from the pictures, these are very minor and they feel stable with no wiggle. All of the original iron stock hardware is still in-place and is in solid condition, showing an aged patina consistent with the rest of the pistol. The "Wickham's Improvement" spring-loaded band retainer is still intact, and the two-strapped barrel band is still secure to the gun with the original brass front sight blade still in place. The triggerguard is free from any major damage and still tight to the lower tang, and the trigger still functions properly. The ramrod in this Model 1816 is tapered hickory and has a swelled horn tip, likely a period replacement as there is no threaded iron ferrule opposite the swelled tip. All in all, this is a very cool piece that has likely witnessed an immense amount of American history. This rare South Carolina-marked U.S. Model 1816 Flintlock Pistol would be a superb addition to any antique American arms collection or Confederate Civil War weapons collection.
SOLD
Antique: Yes
Rifle Caliber: .54
Manufacturer: Simeon North (Middletown, Connecticut)
Model: U.S. Model 1816 Flintlock Pistol
Serial Number: None
Barrel Length: 9 & 1/16th" Inches
Condition: Good
Bore Condition: Rough
Action: Muzzle-loading Flintlock Single Shot Pistol
Finish: Factory Case-Hardened & Browned
Sights: Fixed Iron Front Sight Blade on Barrel Band
Manufacture Date: 1817-1818 (Early