Duelling pistol
Encyclopedia
A duelling pistol is a pistol
used in a classical duel
. As a general rule, they are single-shot
flintlock
or percussion
black powder pistols which fire a lead
musket ball. Duelling pistols were manufactured and sold in pairs of identical appearance, reliability and accuracy.
pistols have a noticeable delay between pulling the trigger and actually firing the bullet. To fix this and other disadvantages, purpose-built duelling pistols featured various improvements to make them more reliable and accurate, such as heavier barrels
, a spur on the trigger guard, saw handles, platinum
-lined touch-holes or hair triggers. Special care was taken when moulding
the bullets so as to ensure that there was no hollow part in them. The loading was also carefully undertaken. Given that duels were generally fought at short distances (20 to 40 ft (6.1 to 12.2 ) was typical) between stationary opponents, accuracy was not a major problem.
Duelling pistols generally had quite large caliber
s: 0.45 in (1.1 cm) was typical, as were calibers of 0.52 in (1.3 cm), or larger. The bullets loaded in them could weigh half an ounce
(214 gr) in .52 caliber, or more in larger calibers. Additionally, a bullet fired from a duelling pistol could have a muzzle velocity
of up to approximately 800 feet per second (243.8 m/s), which, with a .52 caliber bullet, would give it a lethality which compares favourably with more modern automatic pistol cartridges such as .45 ACP
. These factors, coupled with the primitive state of emergency medicine
at the time meant that duelling pistols could inflict very severe gunshot wounds. As a result, fatalities were common in pistol duels.
Most duelling pistols had smooth bores, though some had "scratch rifling" (a subtle form of rifling which was difficult to see with the naked eye). Pistols with rifled barrels spin-stabilise the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. As a result, duelling pistols with rifled barrels were considered unsporting by many.
, France
and the future United States
during the mid-eighteenth century. Initially holster or travelling pistols were mainly used, but by the end of the century special-purpose duelling pistols were being made by craftsmen in England
, France
Germany
, Austria
and America
.
The most famous and innovative manufacturers were London
-based companies such as Wogdon & Barton
, Durs Egg
, Manton, Mortimer, Nock, and Purdey
.
The duelling pistols of this time were sold in pairs, usually in compartmentalised wooden cases along with a powder flask, rods for cleaning and loading, spare flint
s and a bullet mould.
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
used in a classical duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
. As a general rule, they are single-shot
Single-shot
Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...
flintlock
Flintlock
Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...
or percussion
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
black powder pistols which fire a lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
musket ball. Duelling pistols were manufactured and sold in pairs of identical appearance, reliability and accuracy.
Design
Standard flintlockFlintlock
Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...
pistols have a noticeable delay between pulling the trigger and actually firing the bullet. To fix this and other disadvantages, purpose-built duelling pistols featured various improvements to make them more reliable and accurate, such as heavier barrels
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
, a spur on the trigger guard, saw handles, platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
-lined touch-holes or hair triggers. Special care was taken when moulding
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
the bullets so as to ensure that there was no hollow part in them. The loading was also carefully undertaken. Given that duels were generally fought at short distances (20 to 40 ft (6.1 to 12.2 ) was typical) between stationary opponents, accuracy was not a major problem.
Duelling pistols generally had quite large caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
s: 0.45 in (1.1 cm) was typical, as were calibers of 0.52 in (1.3 cm), or larger. The bullets loaded in them could weigh half an ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
(214 gr) in .52 caliber, or more in larger calibers. Additionally, a bullet fired from a duelling pistol could have a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of up to approximately 800 feet per second (243.8 m/s), which, with a .52 caliber bullet, would give it a lethality which compares favourably with more modern automatic pistol cartridges such as .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
. These factors, coupled with the primitive state of emergency medicine
Emergency medicine
Emergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
at the time meant that duelling pistols could inflict very severe gunshot wounds. As a result, fatalities were common in pistol duels.
Most duelling pistols had smooth bores, though some had "scratch rifling" (a subtle form of rifling which was difficult to see with the naked eye). Pistols with rifled barrels spin-stabilise the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. As a result, duelling pistols with rifled barrels were considered unsporting by many.
Manufacturers
The use of pistols in duels became popular in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the future United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the mid-eighteenth century. Initially holster or travelling pistols were mainly used, but by the end of the century special-purpose duelling pistols were being made by craftsmen in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The most famous and innovative manufacturers were London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based companies such as Wogdon & Barton
Wogdon & Barton
Wogdon & Barton was an 18th century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were...
, Durs Egg
Durs Egg
Durs Egg was a Swiss-born British gunmaker, noted for his flintlock pistols and for his company's production of the Ferguson rifle.Egg was apprenticed in Solothurn and Paris before establishing his own business in London in 1772...
, Manton, Mortimer, Nock, and Purdey
James Purdey and Sons
James Purdey & Sons - or simply "Purdey" - is a famous British gunmaker of London, and the name is synonymous with the very finest sporting shotguns and rifles. Purdeys hold or have held numerous warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal...
.
The duelling pistols of this time were sold in pairs, usually in compartmentalised wooden cases along with a powder flask, rods for cleaning and loading, spare flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
s and a bullet mould.
External links
- 18th and 19th French weapons
- Sir Thomas Mitchell duelling pistols, National Museum of AustraliaNational Museum of AustraliaThe National Museum of Australia was formally established by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. The National Museum preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation....