EARLY KETLAND FLINTLOCK POCKET PISTOL CA.1790

Marked Ketland on left side of breech, London on the right, this turn-off pocket pistol is chambered in .44" caliber. Cannon-shaped stepped barrel is 4" long, pistol is 9.5" long overall. Breech is Proved and Viewed, breech and barrel are numbered 1. Cocking mechanism works fine, the sliding safety trigger guard also functions fine. When the trigger guard is moved forward, the safety is engaged, and cock does not fall when trigger is pressed. When the trigger guard is slid back towards the grip, the cocking mechanism engages and the gun fires. An experienced shooter could accomplish this operation in a mere second, with one finger, and without taking aim off his mark. Top of the cock is brazed to the lower jaw with copper, a nicely-done period repair. Vacant silver escutcheon is inset in the walnut grip. The Ketland family of Birmingham and London imported most of the firearms privately-purchased in America in the late 18th-early 19th centuries. When encountered today, the Ketlan