English Civil War Harquebuster's "Lobster Tail" Helmet circa 1640.

English Civil War Harquebusier's “Lobster Tail” Helmet circa 1640.
I am privileged occasionally to handle artefacts of historical significance that may send a shiver down my spine. This is one of those artefacts!
This is an English Civil War period iron Harquebusier's Helmet commonly known as a “Lobster Tail” helmet because of the truncated neck guard which looks like a lobster’s...  read more

Code: 50496

Magnificent Officers Presentation Pistols by T Mortimer Edinburgh

I don’t think I have used the accolade magnificent before in describing guns but quite simply, this presentation pair of belt pistols are magnificent.
This is a superlative cased set of 16 bore belt pistols with extraordinary provenance manufactured by the famous gunsmith Thomas Mortimer with a precise manufacturing date of 1849.
Thomas Elsworth Mortimer was born on 9 September 18...  read more

Code: 50680

Cased Pair of London Proofed 3rd model Thuer Derringers.

This is a good pair of London Proofed Colt 3rd Model Thuer 41 calibre rimfire revolvers in their fitted case. The case is lined with blue beige and contains six inert cartridges. The case lid has a vacant brass shield escutcheon. These popular derringers were manufactured by Colt for 40 years from 1872.
Oddly, they were advertised in the Illustrated London News before being advertised ...  read more

Code: 50685

Super Kerr Side Hammer Revolver US Civil Ware Era

This is an outstanding cased single-action, Kerr’s Patent single action percussion revolver made by the London Armoury Company of London. This company exported these sturdy, five-shot revolvers to the Confederacy in large numbers during the Civil War. Considered a secondary issue sidearm in the South, the cap and ball percussion revolver was also privately purchased by many Confederate officers...  read more

Code: 50686

"Dead Presidents" Shattuck Revolver

The Shattuck pocket revolver is seldom encountered as it was manufactured in very limited quantities and was one of the first revolvers with a swing out revolver ever produced in the USA. Patented on Nov 4, 1879 as stamped on the barrel, it was manufactured in rather small quantities by CS Shattuck of Hatfield, Mass.
Iver Johnson bought the patent for this system from Andrew Hyde after t...  read more

Code: 50696

Scarce Civil War Bacon 2nd Model Revolver

The Bacon Arms Company was established by Thomas K Baker (1813-1873) in 1859. Baker was a machinist. Bacon manufactured parts at first for another well-known gun maker, Ethan Allen, before establishing his first company between 1847 and 1850. The production was small and total employees never exceeded about fifteen, and it failed around 1856. In 1859 the second company was born, Bacon Manufact...  read more

Code: 50679

Rare WW1 Webley Prideaux speedloader with provenance.

One for the advanced Webley collector.
There are many quite good fake Webley Prideaux Speed loaders on the market and buyer beware!

The speed loader was designed to hold six .455 cartridges and dispense them instantly in seconds, possibly saving valuable seconds and the owners life!

The fake ones are incorrectly marked and if you look at them closely with P...  read more

Code: 50704

Scarce Bacon Conversion Revolver

Thomas K Bacon established his arms company in 1859 in Norwich, Connecticut and started manufacturing what were ostensibly copies of the Manhattan percussion revolver.

All the revolver manufacturers at this time were frustrated by the Rolling White breech loading cylinder patent which restricted the use of metal cartridges to the patent holder.

At the expiration of...  read more

Code: 50697

Early Smith & Wesson No 1. 1/2 revolver.

This is a Smith and Wesson Model Model No 1.1/2 2nd issue revolver in 32 rim fire calibre.
There early revolvers were the forerunners of the modern break action Smith and Wesson revolvers.
The second series of the Model 1.1/2 was an improved issue of the first model and had a more streamlined appearance. Internally it featured a cylinder stop in the top strap rather than in the b...  read more

Code: 50703

Norwich Arms revolver with Tiffany style grips.

This is a somewhat extravagant "Saturday Night Special" carried in the pocket in towns that prohibited the carrying of full sized weapons in town on weekends.

Read the publication "Saturday Night Specials" by Robert Sherrill for a fascinating insight into these antique firearms. There were literally hundreds of names marketed.

This revolver was made by the Norwich...  read more

Code: 50702