Original Balkan Circa 1820 Brass Clad Miquelet Pistol (Migulet)

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. These were often referred to as Migulet "Rat Tail" Pistols because of the shape of the stock. They were the traditional muzzle loading pistol of the Balkans and Greece in the early to mid 1800s. Designed to be worn in a sash around one's waist the weapon is very streamline in appearance. The brass covered a wood stock and is profusely decorated with engravings, embossing and low grade silver inlays. The Migulet or Miquelet ignition system is a hangover from high quality Italian pistols of the 17th and early 18th centuries. These are just the weapons carried by Brigands and Pirates of the Mediterranean Sea that caused so much trouble to the Europeans in the early 1800s. Most decorative, with an intriguing ignition system, 20" in overall length. History of the Miquelet Lock: Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators, largely in the English-speaking world, for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets and pistols. It is a distinctive f