Harper's Ferry flintlock pistol
flintlock pistol
The Harper's Ferry Model 1805 U.S. martial flintlock pistol manufactured at the Harpers Ferry Armory in Virginia (now West Virginia) was the first pistol manufactured by an American national armory. It was the standard handgun of the U.S. Dragoons during the War of 1812.
Specifications
Harper's Ferry 1805, 1806, 1807 and 1808 flintlock pistols were all essentially identical, and the design has similarities with the Model 1803 rifles also produced at Harpers Ferry. The M1805 pistol was a .54 caliber, single-shot, smoothbore, flintlock pistol intended for field duty. Harper's Ferry model 1805–1808 flintlock pistols were known then as “horsemen’s pistols” and were produced in pairs; both pistols having identical serial numbers. With just one shot readily available without reloading, a pair or "brace" was the standard issue. Horse accouterments also included a standard pair of saddle holsters. No serial number higher than 2048 has ever been discovered—and that is exactly half of the number recorded as produced at the Harper's Ferry Armory. There are between 200–300 of these pistols known to exist today.
War of 1812
During the War of 1812, the M1805 pistol was issued to American cavalry.
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