Thomas French 1814 Contract Pistol, Navy
date: label: date made
content: ca 1814
name: label: maker
content: French, Thomas
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock Navy Pistol was made by Thomas French of Canton, Massachusetts between 1812 and 1814. The pistol is pin fastened with a walnut stock and has a wooden ramrod with a swelled tip. Its brass mountings include a brass butt cap. The unmarked barrel and belt hook are iron. The pistol is a bag grip.
label: Description
content: “T. FRENCH” is stamped at the rear of the lockplate and an eagle over “US” is stamped under the flash pan. A horizontal “V” is stamped on the left side of the stock to the rear of the brass sideplate.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: In 1808, Thomas French and two other men received a contract to produce 4,000 Model 1808 muskets. By March 4, 1818, the Committee of Claims declared the contract had been fulfilled. During this time, French was also manufacturing pistols. Because of an inspector in Boston, French’s arms had to be “superior weapons” no matter the cost. The Committee of Claims ultimately issued a voucher to French for the additional cost in the production of these firearms.
label: Description
content: The Model 1814 French Navy Pistol was manufactured for the U.S. Navy and American privateer merchant fleets in Massachusetts. It bares the same marks as the Model 1808 Muskets that were issued by the government, so it is likely they were used by the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 262.
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, 69.
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: Physical Description:
label: Description
content: This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock Navy Pistol was made by Thomas French of Canton, Massachusetts between 1812 and 1814. The pistol is pin fastened with a walnut stock and has a wooden ramrod with a swelled tip. Its brass mountings include a brass butt cap. The unmarked barrel and belt hook are iron. The pistol is a bag grip.
label: Description
content: “T. FRENCH” is stamped at the rear of the lockplate and an eagle over “US” is stamped under the flash pan. A horizontal “V” is stamped on the left side of the stock to the rear of the brass sideplate.
label: Description
content: History:
label: Description
content: In 1808, Thomas French and two other men received a contract to produce 4,000 Model 1808 muskets. By March 4, 1818, the Committee of Claims declared the contract had been fulfilled. During this time, French was also manufacturing pistols. Because of an inspector in Boston, French’s arms had to be “superior weapons” no matter the cost. The Committee of Claims ultimately issued a voucher to French for the additional cost in the production of these firearms.
label: Description
content: The Model 1814 French Navy Pistol was manufactured for the U.S. Navy and American privateer merchant fleets in Massachusetts. It bares the same marks as the Model 1808 Muskets that were issued by the government, so it is likely they were used by the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 262.
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, 69.
label: Description
content: Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Canton
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: 1982.0785.13
label: accession number
content: 1982.0785
label: catalog number
content: 1982.0785.13
label: collector/donor number
content: P44D
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Object Name
content: pistol, flintlock
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Navy; Flintlock; .69 In; Smooth Bore; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: iron (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 in; 40.64 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 3/8 in x 16 1/8 in x 6 1/4 in; 6.0325 cm x 40.9575 cm x 15.875 cm