Virginia Manufactory Pistol 1st Model
date: label: date made
content: 1808
label: associated date
content: 1808
name: label: maker
content: Virginia State Armory
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock First Model pistol was made by the Virginia Manufactory for the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is iron mounted and fastens at the forend with a double strap barrel band. This pistol has a large gooseneck hammer. It also has a brass blade sight brazed to the lower strap of the barrel band. The ramrod is iron with a bulbous head. It has been reconverted from percussion.
label: Description
content: This pistol is stamped “VIRGINIA” under the pan and “MANUFACTORY” is script under Virginia. “RICHMOND/1808” is stamped at rear of lockplate. There is a raised “P” on the pistol.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: The Virginia Manufactory is also known as the Richmond Armory and the Virginia State Armory. It was established by the Act of 1797 to manufacture arms for the state militia. It was built along the James River and was initially in production from 1802 through 1820. The man who was in charge of the armory was James Haslett. He was formerly employed by Robert McCormick. He was recommended for the job by Colonel John Shee, a surgeon from Philadelphia who served in the Third Pennsylvania Battalion. He wrote to the Governor of Virginia that they would “be enabled to engage Haslett…for the Richmond Armory.” The Armory reopened in 1860 for production during the Civil War.
label: Description
content: This specific type of pistol is the largest American martial handgun ever made. The Virginia Manufactory cut down defective musket barrels from the iron mountings for these pistols. The raised “P” is in the place of typical Virginia regiment mark “4,V,A, REGT.”
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
label: Description
content: Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 200.
label: Description
content: Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 240.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Virginia, Richmond
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: The Bitter Collection of Firearms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Adriana and Edwin W. Bitter Family Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0024.08
label: accession number
content: 1986.0024
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0024.08
label: collector/donor number
content: P47L
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, flintlock
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Flintlock; .70 In; Smooth Bore; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 18 1/4 in; 46.355 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 18 1/4 in x 6 11/16 in; 6.35 cm x 46.355 cm x 16.9545 cm