A Cased Pair of 40-Bore Percussion Duelling Pistols by Joseph Manton, London, No. 5135 fro 1810. Converted from flintlock, with browned twist octagonal sighted barrels, each with silver fore-sight and rifled with shallow spiral grooves, case-hardened breeches each with rectangular platinum-lined converter’s stamp of William Moore, London, platinum line and pierced platinum plugs, border engraved case-hardened tangs each with large back-sight and decorated with foliate scrollwork, signed border engraved case-hardened detonated flat locks, each decorated with foliate scrollwork and with a starburst in front of the dolphin hammer, the latter each signed by the converter, the inside of each lock stamped ’TB’, blued safety-catches, figured half-stocks each with dark horn fore-end caps and chequered rounded butts, border engraved blued steel mounts, comprising butt-caps each decorated with foliage and flower head centred on the retaining screw, trigger guards each with serial number in an oval against a martial trophy on the bow, trigger plates with pineapple finials, vacant silver escutcheons and barrel bolt escutcheons, and original horn-tipped ramrods: in original mahogany case, with accessories including brass-mounted three-way powder flask covered in red leather, steel oil bottle and bullet mould, the interior of the lid with the maker’s trade label for 1819-209, the exterior with circular vacant brass escutcheon centred on a flush-fitting circular brass carrying handle, complete with its leather travelling cover. 

MANTON 

Joseph

Brother of John, born 1766. Served apprentice with brother. His new method of rifling cannon and loading (with cup wads) tried but not adopted by Ordnance, 1790. Gunmaker, 25 Davies St., 1793-1807; 24-5 Davies Street; 1808-10; 27 Davies Street., 1811-18; 11 Hannover Square 1819-26; 315 Oxford St; 1820-6. Two workshops. Gunmaker to East India Co, 1796-9. Gunmaker in Ordinary to to George IV, 1820. 

Howard L. Blackmore (1986) Gunmakers Of London, 1350-1850. George Shumway Publisher. USA. 

Literature:

D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers: The Mantons 1782-1887, 1993, p.97

The conversion to percussion was carried out by William Moore recorded at 78 Edgware Road, London between 1828 and 1846. He was appointed Gunmaker-in-Ordinary to William IV in 1836.

Dimensions:

Bore: 40 Bore

Barrel Length:

Overall Length: