Flintlock - Forgotten Weapons

America’s First Contract Pistol: North & Cheney Model 1799

September 3, 2019 Ian McCollum 8

Lot 1421 in the September 2019 RIA auction. In 1798, the US Congress allocated a huge sum of money – $800,000 – to the procurement of military equipment to supplement the output of the Springfield […]

Prisons and Pirate Mutinies: the Duck’s Foot Pistol

August 30, 2019 Ian McCollum 27

Lot 391 in the September 2019 RIA auction. Duck’s foot pistols are one of the iconic classic “weird gun” categories. The one exemplifies the typical pattern, with four barrels arranged in a wedge, fired simultaneously […]

Durs Egg Ferguson – A Trials Breechloader From 1776

October 27, 2018 Ian McCollum 8

This Ferguson rifle sold for $96,000. Captain Patrick Ferguson was a British officer who designed and patented a breechloading rifle in 1776, which would actually see service in the American Revolution at the Battle of […]

Wilson’s Lorenzoni Repeating Flintlock Musket

November 23, 2017 Ian McCollum 17

The Wilson family was a gunmaking dynasty in London that began in 1730 when Richard Wilson was accepted as a Master Gunmaker by the Gunmakers’ Company. Wilson’s eldest son William Wilson would receive the same […]

Traditional Afghan Jezail (Video)

February 1, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1028/263 The Jezail is the traditional rifle of the Afghan tribal fighter, although it originated in Persia (Iran). Distinctive primarily for its uniquely curved style of buttstock, these rifles still maintain a symbolic importance although […]

Nock 6-Barrel Flintlock (Video)

November 16, 2016 Ian McCollum 11

Henry Nock was a highly respected and very talented British gunsmith, who manufactured a wide variety of arms including military muskets for the British Army. He is probably best known on the internet for his […]

Collier Flintlock Revolvers (Video)

November 9, 2016 Ian McCollum 23

Elisha Collier is probably the best-known name in flintlock revolvers – to the extent that any flintlock revolvers are well known. Because of the great cost and required skill to manufacture a functional repeating flintlock […]

RIA: London-Made Lorenzonis Repeating Flintlocks

August 26, 2016 Ian McCollum 24

A 7-shot repeating handgun before cartridges had been invented? Yep, long before. These two pistols are London-made examples of the Lorenzoni system, in which a gun was made with internal magazines of powder and projectiles […]

Firing a 10-Bore Flintlock Rifle (Video)

October 26, 2015 Ian McCollum 17

A while back I had the opportunity to hit the range with Mike Carrick, Q&A Editor for Arms Heritage Magazine (a very cool magazine, by the way). The main purpose of the trip was to work […]

Ferguson Breechloading Flintlock (Video)

May 11, 2015 Ian McCollum 27

Patrick Ferguson was a British inventor and Army officer who developed a breechloading flintlock rifle in the 1770s (his patent was granted in 1776). He impressed British Army ordnance officials with a remarkable demonstration of […]