Late 18th Century Brass Flintlock Pocket Pistol By Ketland & Co With A Fitted Sprung Bayonet
A large all brass flintlock boxlock pocket pistol by the famous maker Ketland & Co, London. With Ketland & Co signed in script surrounded by swags on the left side and London similarly engraved on the right side.
The steel sprung bayonet is held closed and released by sliding the trigger guard backwards. The roller bearing fitted spring then snaps the bayonet forward to engage with the locking lug at the muzzle. There is a side mounted button for releasing the bayonet from its forward position.
A great looking piece that retains its aged patina. I have resisted the urge to polish the brass back to its original bright finish, as so many other are. It has taken hundreds of years to look this way!
The barrel unscrews cleanly, the frizen is smooth, the mainspring is good and the action is crisp in both half and full positions.
There were several Ketland's, but Thomas Ketland of Birmingham (1760) opened his London location under the name Ketland & Co in 1785, which I feel its the style of this piece. It has a set of early Birmingham Proofs under the barrel (hidden by the bayonet).
This antique pistol is considered obsolete and non functioning, and is sold as a collectable item. This product is available for purchase in the UK without a license
