H69.19.3

• spanish

Pistols. Description: Pair of single shot flintlock pistols, each with wood stock and ramrod, steel lock trigger, and barrel, and carved brass triggerguard, butt plate, and mountings. Each barrel is half round, half octagonal and engraved and inlaid. The stock of 3 is cracked above lock plate on right side. History: Made in Spain. From the History Information Station Object: Single-shot Miquelet pistols made in Spain in the 18th century. These are 68 caliber, muzzle-loading pistols with walnut stocks, brass mountings, and breech sections decorated with gold filled scrolls. The butt caps are decorated with battle trophies. History: Ship's officers were issued a brace of pistols such as these. The name miquelet refers to their Spanish lock. This lock is part of an ignition system in which a spring-operated cock holding a piece of flint or pyrite strikes a spark from a piece of steel positioned directly over the pan holding the gunpowder. These pistols were loaded by pouring in a measured amount of gunpowder, dropping in the bullet, and ramming it firmly down in the barrel with a ramrod stick. Each of these pistols has a ramrod threaded through a pipe under its barrel. Museum Purchase