Valuation please of a poss nock pistol please?

[Baldee]

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...redden/302.jpg

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...redden/305.jpg

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...redden/304.jpg

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...redden/303.jpg

The pistol cocks and when you pull the trigger fires (dry) not sure what calibre it is been told it is over 100yrs old but not sure. Any info would help?

[njaw]

Hi there

Henry Nock was a well respected gunmaker in business between - 1760-1810
His arms are of the highest quality and command a premium. For this reason, it was not unusual for gunmakers (particularly Birmingham) to mark their pieces with names of famous makers so that they could sell them for more money. In fact, IMHO seven out of ten guns in the marketplace today sporting such names are period fakes!

This does not mean that the guns are of bad quality, far from it (in most cases). It's just that they were not built by the person named on the piece. I own a number of good quality antique percussion pistols signed by Nock but I can pretty much guarantee that they were not built by him. This does not detract from the enjoyment of owning them. It's just worth knowing if you are going to spend serious money on a gun from a 'well respected maker...' Also, percussion guns appeared on the scene from around 1830. Nock was long gone!

With this in mind, the going rate for a percussion pistol as seen in your pictures would be anything between £90 and £150. This pocket pistol is of standard form and sports slab sided grips (probably walnut) and a turn-off barrel. It probably has two Birmingham proof marks under the barrel.


I hope this helps.
regards
Nick

[Baldee]

This does help there is two stamps on the underside of the barrel both look like a crown but are faded. You say turn off barrel what do you mean?

Is it removable?

[njaw]

Yes, the barrel is removable. It would be removed everytime to load the powder charge and ball. A special key would slide over the barrel and onto the rectangular protrusion which you can see underneath the barrel. A twist of the key and the barrel would unscrew. To see an animation of how the gun would be loaded, look here:

http://lewis-clark.org/content/conte...ArticleID=2363

atb

Nick

[robinghewitt]

Henry was quality in flint, the tiny Nock pocket pistols are little gems comprising about 40 precision parts.

His nephew, Samuel Nock, was more into mass production out Whitechapel way.

Probably a Samuel Nock piece

[Baldee]

Yes, the barrel is removable. It would be removed everytime to load the powder charge and ball. A special key would slide over the barrel and onto the rectangular protrusion which you can see underneath the barrel. A twist of the key and the barrel would unscrew. To see an animation of how the gun would be loaded, look here:

http://lewis-clark.org/content/conte...ArticleID=2363

atb

Nick

My pistol has a triangular protrusion not sure if this means anything. But very helpfull thanks.

[Baldee]

Henry was quality in flint, the tiny Nock pocket pistols are little gems comprising about 40 precision parts.

His nephew, Samuel Nock, was more into mass production out Whitechapel way.

Probably a Samuel Nock piece

Thanks for that very helpfull.