A Very Rare Forsyth Patent Sliding Primer Pocket Pistol. 6 ½” overall, 3 ¼” barrel octagonal at the breach then 16 sided, 46 bore sighted barrel signed ‘Forsyth & Co’ on top flat, standing rear sight on engraved tang. Very small side lock, border engraved, stepped bolted action finely engraved with designs of symmetrical foliage, engraved hammer & first pattern sliding primer. Walnut full stock, engraved trigger guard and swivel rammer. Vacant oval silver escutcheons.
A very fine small pistol, the lock is only 2 1/10th” long, in very good condition, much original finish, one of the earliest sliding primer pistols. Smallest side lock action lock I have ever seen.
Circa 1818. Numbered 1704 on the barrel, lock and primer
Forsyth & Co., Patent Gun Maker's, Partnership of A.J. Forsyth, J. Brougham & C.B. Uther (C.B. Uther only from 1819), 10 Piccadilly, 1809-16; 8 Leicester St, Leicester Square 1816-52. Exhibited patent locks and safety gun, Great Exhibition, 1851.
Pair No 1705 in W. Keith Neal Collection.
See. D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers, Forsyth & Co.: Patent Gunmakers, 1995, pp.41 and colour pl. X