| Heedless Horseman | 25 Oct 2022 5:56 p.m. PST |
From many Years ago I have has a plastic wall ornament… originally called 'French Dueling pistol'.
BUT… pan, etc. is on LEFT.
Were there such things? |
| William Warner | 25 Oct 2022 6:42 p.m. PST |
To me the term "plastic wall ornament" doesn't scream historical authenticity. Perhaps it was originally one of a pair, one pointing to the right and one to the left. The designer probably decided that they wouldn't be properly "ornamental" unless they were symmetrical, each with the lock showing. Stranger things have happened… |
79thPA  | 25 Oct 2022 8:07 p.m. PST |
Yes, there were pistols with the lock on the left hand side. |
| advocate | 25 Oct 2022 11:33 p.m. PST |
I'd be surprised if the occasional left-handed piece weren't made, probably as special commissions though. |
| 14Bore | 26 Oct 2022 2:14 a.m. PST |
Of course seen many sts of dueling pistols and many ( as I remember are mirror images so one left side one right side for display.
Or maybe when a lefty and rightyget into a argument |
| Heedless Horseman | 26 Oct 2022 3:00 p.m. PST |
Agree about lack of authenticity… it doesn't 'hold' right.
Not part of a pair… just was a framed wall ornament! But why create the thing with lock on wrong side?
Curious, though. If someone could afford a pair of pistols as a commission… or just had left hand, maybe? |
| 79thPA | 26 Oct 2022 5:00 p.m. PST |
There are known examples dating back to the 1600s so what, exactly, do you consider inauthentic about it? A lock on the left side allows for a left hand draw without worrying about whether any part of the lock is going to get caught in clothing, belts or straps since the lock faces away from items that it likely to get snagged on. |
| robert piepenbrink | 26 Oct 2022 6:46 p.m. PST |
If they're dueling pistols, surely only one can be right? |
| colkitto | 27 Oct 2022 2:42 a.m. PST |
There's some discussion about left-handed firearms here: TMP link I guess if you were a left-handed infantryman in the time of mass-produced flintlock muskets you just had to adapt? Otherwise you'd get a face full of sparks and/or cause drill chaos. |
| cavcrazy | 27 Oct 2022 10:51 a.m. PST |
I'm pretty sure that the guy who got shot, could care less if it were a left handed pistol or not! |
| Heedless Horseman | 01 Nov 2022 4:52 p.m. PST |
Horse pistols… crossdraw in saddle would make lot of sense… from Butt forward holsters and often too costly to drop… for those who could commission. No idea of evidence, though.
Dueling… you would not be bothered about which side pan was on… one shot…. hit or miss. |
| Andy ONeill | 04 Nov 2022 11:32 a.m. PST |
Guns used to be hand built by craftsmen.
You could ask the bloke to put the lock wherever you liked. |
| Major Bloodnok | 15 Nov 2022 9:32 a.m. PST |
If you've got the dosh you can have one built however you want. So Lord Elpus might have a left handed pistol but Pte Bloggs is going to get a right-handed pistols/musket. This will be the norm well into the 20th century. |
ponders nirvana.