Pennsylvania/Kentucky Pistol
date: label: date made
content: ca 1815
name: label: maker
content: Fordney, Melchior
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .54 caliber smoothbore “Kentucky” pistol was assembled by Melchior Fordney. The stock is curly maple, stained with a piano finish. The curved grip has a brass butt cap with a rear extension towards the tang. The brass trigger guard has an English acorn finial with a French front bar. It has two brass ramrod thimbles with two brass side plates.
label: Description
content: It is stamped “C.Arb” on the barrel. “J/Holland” is stamped on the lock. There is a stamp of “IB” possibly for J. Bonewitz.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: Melchior Fordney made pistols and rifles in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1807 to 1846. He was famous for his Kentucky rifles. His life and career were cut short in 1846 when he was killed with an ax by a Baptist Preacher named John Haggerty. Apparently, Haggerty he did not approve of the fact that Fordney lived with a woman outside of wedlock.
label: Description
content: Fordney’s work often had very elaborate detailing and was made one at a time when he was not contracted by the government. This pistol, because of its large size and lack of “C” stamp, is believed to be one of the later pistols of Fordney’s work.
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. 66
label: Description
content: Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 308.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Lancaster
label: associated place
content: United States: Kentucky
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: The Bitter Collection of Firearms
label: See more items in
content: Industry & Manufacturing
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: 1986.0024.16
label: accession number
content: 1986.0024
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0024.16
label: collector/donor number
content: P88L
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, flintlock
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Flintlock; .52 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 3/4 in; 40.005 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 3/4 in x 6 5/16 in x 2 in; 40.005 cm x 16.0655 cm x 5.08 cm