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Item No.:	10563	Price :	$18,950.00
Item :	CASED PAIR OF JOHN MANTON FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS, .54 CALIBER, CA. 1810

Description :

This is a cased pair of Flintlock Dueling Pistols made by renowned Gunmaker John Manton of London. Manton was maker to Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duke of York at the time these pistols were made. John was the brother of equally renowned maker Joseph Manton. John died in 1834, but the business continued under his son for some years afterwards. The Mantons are considered to be some of the finest English gunmakers that ever lived. John was especially known for the workmanship of his pistols. These pistols showcased his abilities. The guns are engraved. The locks have waterproof pans with rollers on the frizzen. They have sliding safeties. The pans are gold lined. The touch hole liners are gold and there is an inlaid gold band around the barrel breech. The "MANTON - LONDON" barrel markings are also inlaid gold. The 10-inch octagonal barrels are coned to ease loading with the bores about .54 caliber. The barrels have a faux brown Damascus finish. The grips are finely hand checkered. This pair of pistols is in good condition. They were used very little but were, unfortunately, poorly stored in the presentation case. They have developed some rust in areas. One of the pistols is in better condition than the other. The lesser of the two has some large rust spots on the barrel near the breech that partially cover the maker's name. There is a large spot of rust on the frizzen and a smaller one on the hammer. There are other small rust spots on the stock furniture. There is a repair to the fore part of the stock on the right side of the gun. The ramrod is missing. The better pistol has much less rust, a complete original stock, and its original ramrod. There is a small rust spot on the top flat of the barrel. The frizzen also has some rust spots. There are some fine speckles overall on both guns. The locks work on both pistols, but the lesser pistol has no half-cock position. The better gun does. The smooth bores are good on both guns with just a few tiny specks. They are mostly smooth. The presentation case looks like it is rosewood, mahogany, or maybe teak. The wood is sound with a scattering of dings and scratches. Overall condition is fair. as the green felt lining is heavily soiled and has some significant rust stains. The partitions are all good. There is a large brass inlay on the top with a folding handle. It is engraved with a crown over the letter "V". Included are the tools. There is a loading/cleaning rod with a threaded mallet head for loading or ball starting. There is a nipple wrench and a bullet mold. Both have some surface rust. These pistols need a little careful restoration, but I think they will clean up to a large degree. The watchword here is CAREFUL RESTORATION, not ham-handed scouring! This is a beautiful pair of pistols. Stock no. 31164

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