{"id":1579,"date":"2023-10-30T17:16:32","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T17:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1579"},"modified":"2023-10-30T17:16:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T17:16:32","slug":"collectible-firearms-for-serious-gun-collectors-133","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1579","title":{"rendered":"Collectible Firearms for Serious Gun Collectors"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Revolutionary War firearms rank among the most elusive firearms in the collecting pursuit. Surviving examples are rarely found outside of museums and dedicated historic societies, and Rock Island Auction Company’s December 8 – 10 Premier Firearms Auction<\/a> features an exceptionally scarce U.S. flintlock pistol from the American Revolution and other items from the era.<\/p>\n

In the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, the American colonies were ill-prepared to produce standardized military weaponry and equipment at scale. Committees (or Councils) of Safety were organized in the various states to address this issue. Most of these early American firearms have been lost to the ravages of time, and surviving examples with ties to America\u2019s fight for independence are holy grails for military arms collectors<\/a>, history enthusiasts<\/a>, and anyone interested in owning a crucial piece of the American story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Maryland Council of Safety Flintlock Pistol<\/h3>\n

One of the most desirable pieces for Revolutionary-era arms collections<\/a> in December\u2019s auction, the flintlock pistol pictured below follows the overall design of its contemporary, the British Light Dragoon pistol. Manufactured between 1775 and 1777, the pistol was stamped with the mark of Captain Thomas Ewing, an inspector for the Maryland Council of Safety and the commander of the Third Battalion of the Maryland Flying Camp mobile reserve during the American Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n

The Maryland Council of Safety issued pistols like this example primarily to militia officers, although some were also given to cavalry units and to the limited number of sailors fighting for the American cause. Then Captain Thomas Ewing was responsible for inspecting weapons that were intended both for the Maryland state militia as well as the Continental Army.<\/p>\n

This pistol, serial number 434, is nearly identical to pistol number 226 as illustrated and described on pages 16 and 17 of \u2018Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock\u2019 by Samuel Smith and Edwin Bitter. The authors identify the tulip-shaped symbol on the left side of the pistol as a Maryland proofmark of the Revolutionary period and provisionally that of Captain <\/strong>Thomas Ewing. A scarce few American-made pistols with a recognized individual maker\u2019s proofmark have survived.<\/p>\n

In addition to Ewing\u2019s inspection mark, the underside of the pistol’s barrel bears serial number \u201c434\u201d and the stamp of \u201cJGM\/ eagle\u201d inside a shield, denoting that before the firearm left the manufactory it was inspected by James Johnson, Superintendent of the Pistol Division and co-founder of the Catoctin Furnace<\/a>, a historic iron forge outside of Fredericktown. Current research indicates that serial numbers 226 and 434 are the only pistols manufactured by the Maryland Council of Safety that are known to exist today.<\/p>\n

The .64 caliber pistol is in exceptional condition for a Revolutionary War gun. Its smoothbore, round iron barrel is 9 inches long, produced in a pin-fastened British style with a series of rings at the breech. The stock is light-colored walnut with a pronounced \u201cbeavertail\u201d carved around the barrel tang. The pistol\u2019s hickory ramrod has a flared head and an iron tip with a worm on the opposite end.<\/p>\n

In a December auction packed with some of the finest firearms<\/a> of every genre, this Maryland Council of Safety flintlock pistol, one of only two known, produced during one of the most significant periods in American history would be a centerpiece in even the most advanced U.S. martial arms collections.<\/p>\n

A “US” Surcharged Maryland Committee of Safety Attributed Flintlock Musket<\/h3>\n

Offered next is a Maryland Committee of Safety-attributed musket. The Maryland Council of Safety directed and regulated the local militia, with the group\u2019s 16 council members appointing and commissioning officers and establishing a gunlock factory in Fredericktown, Maryland, in December 1775 to help answer the state’s desperate call for war manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Brown Bess Maryland Committee of Safety muskets were assembled using imported locks and barrels. These firearms resemble British Short Land Pattern Brown Bess muskets<\/a> at a glance, but feature a wrist escutcheon\/thumb plate secured by an exterior wood screw, which is considered a distinguishing feature of early Maryland-attributed muskets.<\/p>\n

More information on these fascinating Committee of Safety muskets can be found on pages 110 to 111 of \u2018The History of Weapons of the American Revolution\u2019 by George C. Neumann, page 161 of \u2018Muskets of the Revolution\u2019 by Bill Ahearn, and pages 114 to 116 of \u2018American Military Shoulder Arms Volume I\u2019 by George D. Moller<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Guns of the Revolutionary Period<\/h3>\n

Rock Island Auction Company\u2019s December Premier features numerous intriguing firearms from the late 18th century that highlight the variety of weapons available during the Revolutionary period.<\/a><\/p>\n

One such example, the New England fowling piece, was a popular hunting arm in the northern colonies that often doubled as a service weapon for American militiamen. Produced by Benjamin Homer and his son Benjamin Perrott Homer, both merchants in Boston during the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, these long smoothbore hunting guns were sometimes shortened and modified to take bayonets.<\/p>\n

During the American Revolutionary War, Verbruggen guns were in wide use with the Royal Army and Royal Navy in North America, and their bronze guns were among the most commonly recovered artillery pieces in the American fight for independence, including at the Battle of Cowpens and the Siege of Yorktown. The 3-pounders, nicknamed “Grasshoppers” or “Gallopers,” were particularly well-suited for warfare in North American and were specifically designed for use as light battalion guns to support the infantry and were able to be transported by a single horse or carried by men. This allowed them to be far more mobile and suitable for difficult terrain.<\/p>\n

Popularly known as the Kentucky Rifle or Pennsylvania Rifle, the American Long Rifle was one of the first distinctly American firearms. After the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the American woodsmen and their long rifles were recruited in local militias throughout the Colonies. Eventually, the Continental Congress approved ten official rifle units, including Daniel Morgan\u2019s famous riflemen. The example below was manufactured in the early post-Revolutionary period, an exquisite work from one of the most talented American craftsmen of his age.<\/p>\n

In the 18th century, the British Royal Navy began to standardize its firearms. The Sea Service pistol of .54 caliber was a reliable design that saw extensive use around the globe. In contrast to the less defined proof marks on American guns<\/a> of the era, the barrel markings on British pieces tended to be far more uniform. The example below, a British pattern 1756\/77 Long Sea Service flintlock pistol, would have been a common model during the French & Indian War and the American Revolution, but surviving examples are few and far between.<\/p>\n

Scottish belt pistols<\/a> were carried by men in the U.K.\u2019s Highland regiments in the latter part of the 18th century, including during the Revolutionary War. One of the most famous examples was the 71st Regiment of Foot<\/a>, the Fraser\u2019s Highlanders, who were raised in 1775 to help put down the American rebellion.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most famous example is the Scottish belt pistol is the pair of Pitcairn-Putnam Pistols displayed in the Hancock-Clarke House of the Lexington Historical Society<\/a>. Originally belonging to Major John Pitcairn, a Scot who commanded the advance British force that marched into Lexington in April 1775, these Scottish belt pistols were said to be recovered by American militiamen during the British retreat back to Boston and were presented to General Israel Putnam.<\/p>\n

Extravagant examples like this silver-accented Thomas Murdoch Scottish pistol, produced during the 1770s, were designed as more ceremonial pieces to compliment dress uniforms, but they were fully functional firearms that were carried in battle when the need arose.<\/p>\n

Revolutionary War Guns for Sale and More<\/h3>\n

After nearly 250 years, most firearms from the American Revolution have been lost to time. The Thomas Ewing inspected pistol and the \u201cUS\u201d surcharged Brown Bess musket offered by Rock Island Auction Company this December, both linked to the Maryland Committee of Safety, represent two of those rare survivors and are absolute cornerstones in early American martial arms collecting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Revolutionary period saw a multitude of unique pistols, carbines, rifles, and other distinctive firearms produced. The handsome lines and graceful aesthetic of flintlocks<\/a> manufactured during this era stand out against some of the more utilitarian designs that followed, and Rock Island Auction Company’s December 8 – 10 Premier Firearms Auction<\/a> includes some of the finest examples from this fascinating chapter in arms development.<\/p>\n

Making its debut this December, The Norman R. Blank Collection offers collectors a comprehensive look at the pinnacle of craftsmanship in the genre of high-art European antique firearms. From exquisite 17th century flintlocks and wheellocks<\/a> to exhibition quality percussion pistols from the early 19th century, Mr. Blank\u2019s collection is a tour-de-force of the era\u2019s most noted craftsmen, including Nicolas-No\u00ebl Boutet, Gastinne Renette, Durs Egg, Henry Nock, Joseph and John Manton, and numerous other elite artisans from the U.K. and Continental Europe.<\/p>\n

The Norman R. Blank Collection is one of the most exceptional assortments of high-end European firearm artistry ever offered.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter<\/a> to receive new gun blogs<\/a> and gun videos<\/a> on every era of American military firepower<\/a>. From the Civil War<\/a> to Desert Storm<\/a>, from the Kentucky rifle<\/a> to the M16<\/a>, we explore the evolution of U.S. martial arms.<\/a><\/p>\n

This will be the largest firearms auction in Texas history, and RIAC is giving it our famous attention to presentation. We’re creating the finest brick-and-mortar auction venue in America, it’s going to require the largest catalog we’ve ever created, and its remarkable items are going to go toe-to-toe with the finest auctions we’ve ever held.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n


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Revolutionary War firearms rank among the most elusive firearms in the collecting pursuit. Surviving examples are rarely found outside of museums and dedicated historic societies, and Rock Island Auction Company’s December 8 – 10 Premier Firearms Auction features an exceptionally scarce U.S. flintlock pistol from the American Revolution and other items from the era. Two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}