J. & W. Henry Maryland Contract Pistol
date: label: date made
content: ca 1813
name: label: maker
content: J. & W. Henry
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .57 caliber smoothbore flintlock pistol was made by J&W Henry of Philadelphia under a contract to Maryland. This pistol has a reinforced double neck hammer. It has a pin fastened full walnut stock and a wooden ramrod. The mountings are brass but it has an iron belt hook, denoting Navy usage.
label: Description
content: The lockplate is stamped “J. HENRY/PHILA”. The barrel has an eagle head and “CT” stamped on the left side.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: John Joseph Henry learned his trade from his father William Henry Jr. He opened a factory in 1808 in Philadelphia, Pa. During the War of 1812, it was his job to produce and repair firearms for the Committee of Defense in Philadelphia.
label: Description
content: This particular pistol is extremely rare. It was made for the War of 1812; not for Philadelphia, but for Maryland. It is also rare because the “CT” mark is a contract inspection mark that ceased to be used after 1813. There are only two known copies of this pistol.
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. 89.
label: Description
content: Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 192.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: associated place
content: United States: Maryland
topic: label: used
content: War of 1812
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: Military
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: 1986.0024.13
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0024.13
label: accession number
content: 1986.0024
label: collector/donor number
content: P77L
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, flintlock
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Flintlock; .60 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: 16 3/8 in; 41.5925 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/8 in x 16 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in; 5.3975 cm x 41.91 cm x 16.51 cm