Dueling Pistol
date: label: date made
content: ca 1817
name: label: maker
content: North, Simeon
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .52 caliber smoothbore flintlock dueling pistol was made by Simeon North. It has a browned octagonal barrel with blued breech inlaid, gold bands and a cartouche. It has a silver and blued mounted, half-cock safety behind the hammer. This pistol also has an iron front sight and open back sight. It has a finely engraved trigger guard and barrel tang but the silver oval escutcheon behind the tang is not engraved. There are finely checkered grips and horn tipped stocks with a wooden ramrod and horn tip.
label: Description
content: The only stamped engraving on the gun is on the lockplate. Under the flashpan is the stamp “S. North”.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: In 1804, duels were common practice in America. It was a way for men from all walks of life to defend their honor. The process begins when one man offends another. He then has an intermediary called a Second challenge the offender to a duel. If he accepts, the offender then chooses the weapon.
label: Description
content: Because of the Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Duel, the popular weapon of choice was a large caliber smoothbore pistol like Simeon North’s Model 1817. This gun was chosen for many reasons. Between the years 1750-1850, it was common for a man in America to own a pair of pistols similar to this type. Also the smoothbore makes the gun relatively inaccurate -- duels did not always result with a death.
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, 142.
label: Description
content: Pbs.org. “History of Dueling in American,” The American Experience. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/duel/sfeature/dueling.html>.
label: Description
content: Hussey, Jeannette. The Code Duello. National Portrait Gallery: Washington: 1980
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Middletown
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: 1983.0777.11
label: accession number
content: 1983.0777
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0777.11
label: collector/donor number
content: P138L
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, flintlock
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Flintlock; .54 In; Smooth Bore; Muzzle Load; Sa; Dueling
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 3/8 in; 39.0525 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 7/8 in x 6 1/2 in x 1 5/8 in; 40.3225 cm x 16.51 cm x 4.1275 cm