Help on ID of cap and ball pistol

[Darren Petts]

I inherited this some time ago. Can anyone shed any light on it please? It's roughly an 8mm smoothbore. No manufacturers markings. Has signs of use and repair around the striker and looks genuinely old rather than a reproduction. I also have a bullet mould for round ball and some balls, a nipple key and ramrod. Thanks
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/673/cb1it2.jpg
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9307/cb2dm8.jpg
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/1398/cb3lf0.jpg
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9839/cb4fo9.jpg
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3153/cb5ly7.jpg

[Smokeless Coal]

Looks modern and home made to me. The grain through the grip would normally have been selected to follow the curve, its not hard to do and would give strength.
The plate on the left side does not look right, it seems too long.
The screw to hold the barrel on seems strange.
The shine on the metalwork seems too much, could be picture quality but I would have expected a greyer finish.
The hex barrel looks too short. Is there a ramrod hole?

The decoration on the lock confuses, it could be a commercial lock. If it was an original and they bothered to put a bit of decoration on then I think a makers name would also be there.

Are there any marks at all on the barrel? A proof mark would be normal even a makers "mark".

[loiner1965]

ditto....just does not look right,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,do not fire it mate:eek:

[Smokeless Coal]

It looks fireable, but should still have a proof mark. Clubs tend to insist on that.

If its of modern manufacture it should be on your ticket:rolleyes:

It could be a bitza.:D

[Darren Petts]

No ramrod hole.
No proofmarks on barrel.
Barrel is octagonal not hexagonal.
Thanks for help folks.

[Smokeless Coal]

If it were pukka I'd expect a ramrod fitting of some sort.

My error hex/oct

It looks well made but would you want to fire it? If so get it proofed and put on ticket if not get a proffesional evaluation or deact it.

[Dave 101]

Sorry I cant ID your pistol but speaking as a wood worker the stock is to clunky flat sided ,like its been cut out of a board with just the edges rounded , also the design of the profile does not follow the metal work ie the bak of the lock plate almost comes to the edge of the wood , you would expect the profiles to mirror each other . I would say it was some sort of bitza . Ineteresting all the same with the collection of accesories , begs the question was it ever fired ? Dave

[Smokeless Coal]

The lock looks like an "English bar lock" as fitted to percussion shotguns.

The trigger guard is also like an English shot gun.

[Dave 101]

I was thinking the lock came off a long gun but wasnt sure no expert , I just realised whats wrong with the trigger guard its back to front . Dave

[Smokeless Coal]

Good fun trying to sus it though. Bit like an "identify this object" quiz for gun nuts.

The barrel looks like a modern "green mountain" lump. Unscrewing the breech plug and measuring and inspecting the thread would show if it were modern. Old threads were not a crisp cut unlike modern tungsten tooling cut, and they tended to be coarser.