Percussion Back Action pistol

Percussion back action pistol. The stock is fully stocked in plain smooth walnut. The curved butt has a plain rounded tip and has neither a butt mask or any other mount. The steel trigger guard is lightly decorated on its external face with engraved sprays of foliage. The fore-end steps up to accomodate the single ramrod pipe which has a slight baluster turn decoration and a V-shaped tail. The ramrod is missing. The lock is a percussion back action. The hammer has a knurled spur and both the lockplate and hammer are lightly engraved with foliage and both are blued. The barrel is a heavy smoothbore and of octagonal external section. There is a brass bead foresight and the calibre is approximately 0.6in. The lockplate is inscribed 'WESTON'. The barrel is inscribed 'Lewes' (in ;old English ; script).

This is a finely made weapon and may have been intended for target or duelling. The barrel is very heavy in comparison with the rest of the pistol but the balance is good. It is an early example of the sidelock percussion type which appeared during the early 1830's. The dates for Weston of Lewes are 1800-1832. This pistol was attributed to Captain Robert Knox (1640-1720) in the Society for Nautical Research Report 1934 but cannot have been his as it dates from the early 1830's.
R. Weston