I have just acquired this reproduction of a 1760 Scottish Flintlock pistol of the style commonly referred to as a Doune or a Murdoch.
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| 1760 Scottish Flintlock |
This richly ornamented pistol is of a type carried by Scottish Regiment officers. Only 12 inches long, this all-metal model weighs a hefty two pounds! It has a heavily detailed and beautifully embossed finish. The pistol can be secured to the waistband with the belt hook on the left side. Rotate the pan, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger – the hammer falls just as it did in the original made over 200 years ago. This elegant and ornate replica represents one of the most significant moments of Scottish history.
Pistols were considered requisite items for the Highland soldier as early as the 1730s. By the 1740s the elegant pistol styles of Christie & Murdoch (armourers of Doune, Stirlingshire) had became the most sought after amongst Highland officers. The unique elements of the Doune pistols were the scroll or rams horn butt, fluted barrels at the breech and the octagonal flared muzzles. Soon pistol makers all across Scotland (and in England) began to copy the styles of Doune. A Doune pistol is a particularly recognisable type of pistol, with a
ramshorn or scroll butt, intricate engraving and inlaying throughout and
a flintlock firing mechanism.
The design was attractive with intricate decoration that made it a
fashion accessory for the wealthy. The weapons could be drawn and used
quickly, it had all the accessories needed built in, was robust and
fired a deadly shot. They were sold in pairs.
Doune pistols were manufactured by
various gunsmiths in Doune form as early as the 1640s to the late 1700s
and became famous throughout Europe.
It is said the first shot fired in the American war of independence was from a Doune pistol.
