British Brass Barreled Flintlock American Trade Pistol by Ketland & Co.
NSN, .60 Caliber, 9 1/4" barrel with a fine, lightly freckled bore. This is a handsome pistol that has a "LONDON" marked barrel with an attractive pale yellow patina throughout, with a few hints of verdigris inside the bore at the muzzle. The lock has a flat, line-bordered plate marked "KETLAND / & Co." just ahead of the cock. The iron has a mottled gray and plum-brown patina with some minor pitting present in a few spots as well. The pin-fastened walnut stock has some minor handling marks and blemishes scattered about, with a small "RH" stamp on the left side near the wrist, and the escutcheon has engraved initials: "CTR." The brass-tipped ramrod is held quite firmly in place by two brass pipes, and the brass trigger guard has a small amount of decorative engraving, as well as a nice acorn finial. The action is fully functional and the pistol is in fine condition overall. These guns were made for the American trade by Ketland, who had a virtual lock on the American market for a few years after the Revolutionary War. The pistol is accompanied by an excerpt from an article on the Ketlands, and illustrates two very similar brass-barreled pistols. Antique