Antique Arms & Militaria

An Original, French, Napoleonic Year 13 Modele, & Dated 1813 French Flintlock Line Cavalry Pistol, Mauberge Manufacture Imperial. Manufactured For Napoleon's Army To Replace All The Grande Armee Pistols Lost In the Retreat From Moscow

One of the flintlocks from a fabulous & large original collection of finest Imperial French swords and pistols we recently acquired, this one is one of a near identical pair we purchased, but each is being sold separate. Each part of this flintlock pistol bears the poincon stamp of Gouilloud, Napoleonic imperial arms inspector from 1804, lock made at the Maubeuge Manufacture Imperiale. Excellent condition overall with a tight and crisp spring action. A true museum grade original souvenir from the Napoleonic Wars

This flintlock pistol was made at the French Royal Arsenal at Mauberg {formerly the Imperial Arsenal} in 1813, before Napoleon's defeat in 1814 and exile to Elba, and his return in 1815. Thus this pistol was made and whereupon it was issued to the cuirassiers, that then very soon transferred their loyalty back to their old emperor, Napoleon upon his return from exile in Elba. It was used by the cuirassiers in the 100 Days War, culminating in Napoleon's final defeat at Quatre Bras and Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington, and this pistol being taken as war booty.

Used as a regimental issue sidearm, by and the very best French Napoleonic frontline cavalry, the carabineers, cuirassiers, chasseurs, dragoons and lancers, serving in Napoleon Bonaparte's army during the Napoleonic Wars. This is the pattern called the AN 13 {year 13} which represents the 13th year of French Ist Republic of 1792. The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar proposed during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793. This is the pattern of pistol that would have first seen service in the Elite Imperial Guard Cuirassiers of Napoleon's great heavy cavalry regiments. The Cuirassiers Heavy Cavalry Regiments used the largest men in France, recruited to serve in the greatest and noblest cavalry France has ever had. They fought with distinction at their last great conflict at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and most of the Cuirassiers pistols now in England very likely came from that field of conflict, after the battle, as trophies of war. This pistol may well have been taken from a vanquished Cuirassier pistol that was drawn for combat on the field of battle. One can imagine this pistol lying freely, or, maybe, even still clasped in his cold desperate hand, or even under his fallen steed, at the field of conflict at Waterloo. Every warrior that has ever entered service for his country sought trophies. The Mycenae from a fallen Trojan, the Roman from a fallen Gaul, the GI from a fallen Japanese, the tradition stretches back thousands of years, and will continue as long as man serves his country in battle. In the 1st century AD the Roman Poet Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis Juvenal
wrote; "Man thirsts more for glory than virtue. The armour of an enemy, his broken helmet, the flag ripped from a conquered trireme, are treasures valued beyond all human riches. It is to obtain these tokens of glory that Generals, be they Roman, Greek or barbarian, brave a thousand perils
and endure a thousand exertions". A truly super Napoleonic pistol. The cuirassiers were the greatest of all France's cavalry, allowing only the strongest men of over 6 feet in height into it's ranks. The French Cuirassiers were at their very peak in 1815, and never again regained the wonder and glory that they truly deserved at that time. To face a regiment of, say, 600 charging steeds bearing down upon you mounted with armoured giants, brandishing the mightiest of swords that could pierce the strongest breast armour, much have been, quite simply, terrifying. Made in the period that Napoleon was Emperor and ruling most of Europe, it was used through the Napoleonic period from 1813, later in the the Royal restoration period, when Napoleon was imprisoned at Elba, and then during the War of the 100 days, culminating at Waterloo .
All Napoleon's heavy Cavalry Regiments fought at Waterloo, there were no reserve regiments, and all the Cuirassiers, without exception fought with their extraordinary resolve, bravery and determination. The Hundred Days started after Napoleon, separated from his wife and son, who had come under Austrian control, was cut off from the allowance guaranteed to him by the Treaty of Fontainebleau, and aware of rumours he was about to be banished to a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean, Napoleon escaped from Elba on 26 February 1815. He landed at Golfe-Juan on the French mainland, two days later. The French 5th Regiment was sent to intercept him and made contact just south of Grenoble on 7 March 1815. Napoleon approached the regiment alone, dismounted his horse and, when he was within gunshot range, shouted, "Here I am. Kill your
Emperor, if you wish." The soldiers responded with, "Vive L'Empereur!" and marched with Napoleon to Paris; Louis XVIII fled. On 13 March, the powers at the Congress of Vienna declared Napoleon an outlaw and four days later Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, Austria and Prussia bound themselves to put 150,000 men into the field to end his rule. Napoleon arrived in Paris on 20 March and governed for a period now called the Hundred Days. By the start of
June the armed forces available to him had reached 200,000 and he decided to go on the offensive to attempt to drive a wedge between the oncoming British and Prussian armies. The French Army of the North crossed the frontier into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, in modern-day Belgium. Napoleon's forces fought the allies, led by Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Wellington's army withstood repeated attacks by the French and drove them from the field while the Prussians arrived in force and broke through Napoleon's right flank. The French army left the battlefield in disorder, which allowed Coalition forces to enter France and restore Louis XVIII to the French throne. Off the port of Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, after consideration of an escape to the United States, Napoleon formally demanded political asylum from the British Captain Frederick Maitland on HMS Bellerophon on 15 July 1815. The pistol is in very nice condition overall.  read more

Code: 25398

A Fabulous & Impressive 18th Century Ship Captain’s Beautiful & Large, Brass Barrel Naval Blunderbuss Flintlock Pistol, With Box-Lock Action.

6.5inch barrel with ring turned muzzle, nice action, sliding safety, bag-shaped wooden butt. Nicely proved barrel on the underside. This is truly a most beautiful piece.

The combination of polished bronze, walnut, horn, and steel make a most attractive pistol of colour and material contrasts. Finest walnut stock. Bronze cannon form blunderbuss barrel. Bronze blunderbuss barrel pistols were the weapon of choice for naval officers and ship's captains for use at sea. This is a superb example of its kind. The muzzle (and often the bore) was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon, making it easier to reload in haste. The overtly flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss. Ship's Captains found such impressive guns so desireable as they had two prime functions to clear the decks with one shot, and the knowledge to an assailant that the pistol hads the capability to achieve such a result. In the 18th and 19th century mutiny was a common fear for all commanders, and not a rare as one might imagine. The Capt. Could keep about his person or locked in his gun cabinet in his quarters a gun just as this. The barrel could be loaded with single ball or swan shot, ball twice as large as normal shot, that when discharged at close quarter could be devastating, and terrifyingly effective. Potentially taken out four or five assailants at once. The muzzle was swamped like a cannon for two reasons, the first for ease of rapid loading, the second for intimidation. There is a very persuasive psychological point to the size of this gun's muzzle, as any person or persons facing it could not fail to fear the consequences of it's discharge, and the act of surrender or retreat in the face of an well armed blunderbuss could be a happy and desirable result for all parties concerned. Action in excellent working order, recently fully serviced. 11 inches long overall. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 23369

A Stunning King George IIIrd 1756 Pattern Light Dragoon Flintlock Pistol, 19th & 25th Light Dragoons, Part of The East India Company Cavalry Contingent Combating the ‘Tiger of Mysore’ Tipu Sultan

With finest walnut stock with amazing natural age patina, and traditional brass furniture and two British EIC traditional ‘heart’ marks, one on the stock the other on the barrel. From the historical 'Siege of Seringapatam' used by the British 19th & 25th Light Dragoons, serving with the East India Company. The 19th played a major role in the Anglo-Mysore Wars and Anglo-Maratha Wars. Their first campaign was against Tipu Sultan of Mysore from 1790 to 1792. After defeating Tipu, the 19th were on garrison duty until 1799 when war broke out with Tipu again. This time, the Sultan was killed during the Battle of Seringapatam.

Tipu Sultan was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in Southern India. An enemy of many of his neighbours as much as he was of the British East India Company.

Tipu remained an implacable enemy of the British East India Company, sparking conflict with his attack on British-allied Travancore in 1789. In the Third Anglo-Mysore War, he was forced into the Treaty of Seringapatam, losing a number of previously conquered territories, including Malabar and Mangalore. He sent emissaries to foreign states, including the Ottoman Empire, Afghanistan, and France, in an attempt to rally opposition to the British.

In 1800, the 19th fought Dhoondia Wao's rebel army and in 1803, led by Major-General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington), they participated in the Battle of Assaye. In this battle, the outnumbered British troops defeated a Maratha army and the regiment was subsequently awarded the battle honour of "Assaye" and presented with an honorary colour.
They were stationed at Cheyloor in 1802, at Arcot in 1803, in Bombay in 1804, and at Arcot again from 1805 to 1806. The regiment was summoned to Vellore on the night of 10 July 1806 to rescue the 69th Regiment of Foot who had been the victims of a revolt by Indian sepoys. The 25th Dragoons (raised for service in India by F E Gwyn on 9 March 1794) was renumbered 22nd (Light) Dragoons in that year. This 22nd (Light) Dragoons regiment served throughout the Napoleonic Wars, which began in 1805, and was disbanded in 1820.
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore, offered much resistance to the British forces. Having sided with the French during the Revolutionary war, the rulers of Mysore continued their struggle against the Company with the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Mysore finally fell to the Company forces in 1799, with the death of Tipu Sultan.

Napoleon and Tipu Sultan

In 1794, with the support of French Republican officers, Tipu allegedly helped found the Jacobin Club of Mysore for 'framing laws comfortable with the laws of the Republic'. He planted a Liberty Tree and declared himself Citizen Tipoo. In a 2005 paper, historian Jean Boutier argued [likely wrongly] that the club's existence, and Tipu's involvement in it, was fabricated by the East India Company in order to justify British military intervention against Tipu.

One of the motivations of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt was to establish a junction with India against the British. Bonaparte wished to establish a French presence in the Middle East, with the ultimate dream of linking with Tippoo Sahib. Napoleon assured the French Directory that "as soon as he had conquered Egypt, he will establish relations with the Indian princes and, together with them, attack the English in their possessions." According to a 13 February 1798 report by Talleyrand: "Having occupied and fortified Egypt, we shall send a force of 15,000 men from Suez to India, to join the forces of Tipu-Sahib and drive away the English." Napoleon was unsuccessful in this strategy, losing the Siege of Acre in 1799 and at the Battle of Abukir in 1801. It was, as with all Napoleon’s ‘alliances’ simply a way to remove Britain’s ability to oppose his own Empire ambitions. His term ‘establish relations’ has been used for centuries since by controlling despots as a benign appearing phrase that is actually in reality an umbrella term for ‘control and dominate’.

It has been said in numerous quarters, especially by denigrators of the former British Empire, that the magnificent sub continent of India suffered much under British rule, however let’s not forget prior to the British arrival, and even during, despite their best efforts, India had been ruled with an iron fist for millennia by dozens of kings, nawabs, maharajahs, and princes who had stripped so much wealth from India that many became the richest men on earth, some worth 10 or 100 times the worth of the billionaires of today. So much wealth it is almost inconceivable to understand and comprehend today. There were of course a few benign and caring rulers, but as a rule they were deposed, murdered or imprisoned, often by sons with a somewhat less ‘sympathetic nature’ to their subjects.

As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables. Very good and tight action. A horn tipped ramrod. As with all our antique guns they must be considered as inoperable with no license required and they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 22429

A Very Fine Early 19th Century, Anglo-Spanish Sporting Gun by Ignacio Bascaran, Dated 1822, One of Spain's Most Important Gunsmiths and Barrel Makers of His day, With His Bespoke Silver Inlaid Barrel

A fine English sporting gun bespoke mounted with a stunning Spanish barrel, by Bascaran of Eibar The main factory of arms, Bascarán de Eibar, was one of the most important Basque companies of the 19th century. It was founded by Bascarán in Eibar in 1820 and its factory continued working until year 1862, date in which the children and later their grandsons were given a position of the factory, the family name in gunsmithing goes back to the 18th century and a gun by Fernando Bascaran is in the Basque Museum . The last gunsmith of the Bascarán clan of which I have news was of Mr. Martín Bascarán, which made a semi-automatic pistol Ruby type until year 1918 to equip to the armies French and English during the I World war. The beautiful city of Eibar Guipúzcoa is a municipality belonging to the region of Bajo Deba in the Basque Country of Spain. It is known as the "City of Gunsmiths." In this illustrious city it has produced some of Spain's leading makers. The first written document referring to Eibar gunsmith industry is a request from Lombard dated 1481. Arms of this grade were incredibly expensive and more often than not made for presentation to important persons. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables.  read more

Code: 23889

A Fabulous Quality King George IIIrd Cased Double Barrel Sporting Gun By World Renowned Gunsmith S.Nock, Early Transitional Flintlock To Percussion

Very fine sighted damascus barrels of the finest quality, engraved Saml. Nock 180 Fleet St. London Maker to His Majesty, case colour hardened gold lined breech engraved with a hound, border and foliate engraved, signed lock converted from flintlock using the drum and nipple principle, half stocked with chequered wrist, border and scroll engraved steel mounts, the trigger guard decorated with a hound, serial numbered to the underside of the barrels, contained in its green baize lined oak case, the lid with trade label for Samuel Nock at the Regent Circus address, complete with commensurate and later accessories.
Samuel Nock was the nephew of famed innovative gunmaker Henry Nock and apprenticed under him. He was also a highly rated and accomplished gunmaker and worked through the transitional period from flintlocks to percussion systems. He served as a royal gunmaker to the English monarchy from King George III in 1805 up to Queen Victoria starting in 1837. He died in 1851. To replicate such a fine hand made ‘bespoke’ double barrelled gun today, only Purdey or Boss of London could have the skills required to replicate it. A finely engraved, bespoke single Purdey side by side sporting gun, with a Damas barrels, costs today £113,500, with an 18 months to 2 year waiting time, and additional costs for casing and tools. The double-barrelled sporting gun was seen as a weapon of prestige and authority, especially in the days of the East India Company and the later Raj in India, where it was known as Dunali (literally "two pipes"). It was especially valued by the nobility in the Raj in Bihar, Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab  read more

Code: 23371

A Stunning & Rare Victorian US Civil War Period 'Whitworth' Rifle, One Of The Best Condition Examples We Have Seen in Over 20 Years. The Most Desirable & Highly Prized Gun Of The American Civil War. That Could Cost Over $1,000 During The War

A rifle so highly prized for its quality of service and accuracy, it could cost, at the time, more than the value of an average home in America..

With an absolutely mouthwatering patina, as good as any Whitworth we have seen in the finest museum collections.
Serial number 198. One of the most famous types of rifles used by snipers in the US Civil War in the 1860's. In fact they can be such a significant and rare weapon that with known Confederate provenence with correct serial numbering stamping and the like a Whitworth rifle value has been known to approach $100,000 in today's collectors market. Sadly, this fabulous arm has no known provenence surviving, however, it is a most intriguing and an even rarer example in some respects, in that it was converted in the 1870's to the improved 'Snider' breech loading configuration. We have never seen another surviving example of a Snider converted 'Whitworth' rifle before in over 50 years.

A once recorded story of sniper and his Whitworth was detailed below;

‘From hundreds of yards away, a Confederate sharpshooter carefully aimed his prized Whitworth, the crosshairs of its Davidson telescopic sight outlined against the ramparts of Fort Stevens in Washington, D.C. Through the scope fitted to the left side of the stock his eye scanned the ample crowd of Union soldiers and plucky civilians who had ventured by, hoping to observe warfare up close. Suddenly, the shooter’s attention shifted to a tall bearded man wearing a stovepipe hat, realizing it was that Yankee president, within easy range of his English-made precision rifle. As he prepared to fire though, a Federal officer dragged Abraham Lincoln out of view.’

When issued, the rifles came with specific rules of engagement. The Whitworth sharpshooter would only use his gun against high-value targets. Artillery positions, cavalry scouts, exposed officers, and enemy sharpshooters were fair game. Furthermore, they were free to operate independently, choosing their own targets and locations on the battlefield. Some Confederate generals, especially Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne of the Army of Tennessee, consolidated their sharpshooters into dedicated companies, using them to divert enemy forces where needed.

While many high-ranking Union officers had fallen victim to sharpshooters armed with Whitworth rifles, Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, in command of the 6th Corps at Spotsylvania, was the most noteworthy witness to their effectiveness. Sedgwick was no stranger to enemy bullets, having been wounded several times prior to Spotsylvania. Ironically, he was hit, but not injured, by a spent bullet on May 8, 1864. The next day, his luck ran out.

The story of the Whitworth and the Civil War; What the Confederacy needed as it prepared for war was a means of equalizing the disparity in arms fielded by the industrially superior North. Unable to produce what they needed, the South looked abroad. Arms buyers secretly visiting Great Britain obtained contracts for hundreds of thousands of regular P1853 Enfield rifles, and many other munitions that could be sent home by blockade-runners. But the available Whitworths were costly and difficult to come by.

Under wartime conditions, the price of a Whitworth rifle quickly jumped from $100 to $500, then again to $1,000 an expensive proposition considering how many regular muskets and rifles that same sum could buy, a Colt revolver in 1863 for example was just $20, and that was considered an expensive pistol at the time. $1,000 then was a simply mind boggling sum by today's standards.

The Whitworth projectiles were made by ‘swaging’, a unique forging process that were difficult for the South to manufacture, so cylindrical bullet moulds were added to shipments to supplement the smaller stores of hexagonal ammunition. These cylindrical moulds then went to Southern arsenals to produce additional loads for distribution, once the British rounds had run out.
Overall 52 inches long

As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 23154

A King George IIIrd Late 18th Century English Fowling Musket By Smith

For the exponent of gentlemanly pursuits. Fine walnut stock, percussion action converted from flintlock in the 1840's, steel furniture with pineapple form trigger guard finial and rear scroll. Hook breech quick release barrel with barrel key attachment. Good condition for age, fine working action. Small very old pitting area on barrel near breech, very slight scuff mark on stock at reverse of lock plate area. Throughout much of its history, hunting in England was an activity of the upper class. Legally, only land owners could hunt in England and the vast majority of the land was in large estates owned by the wealthy. To reduce poaching, the right of a person to own a gun was greatly restricted unless he was a landowner. Thus, ownership of a gun was not even a choice for the average British citizens. Moreover, deer hunting was further restricted to the royalty and generally carried out on horseback with dogs.

The wealthy British sportsmen of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries were primarily interested in hunting various types of birds. Most of their arms were designed for wing shooting. Rifles were considered an oddity. In the book titled British Field Sports; William Henry Scott (1818) the author described rifle shooting as a ?nice and curious branch of gunnery.? Scott goes on to state that "Rifles ? were little known among us, in the first American War, when people were amused on this side of the water by the story of an American woodsman, who had actually shot an eagle with his rifle, when it was?out of sight, a thing by no means impossible."
Colonel Peter Hawker, one of the most prolific British hunters of the early nineteenth century, maintained detailed diaries relating to his hunting activities. Over the course of many seasons, Hawker shot more than ten thousand birds and other small game. Over the same period of time, Hawker harvested only three deer. Colonel Hawker records that the first time he ever fired a rifle was in June of 1813 (at the age of 27) in anticipation of shooting a deer which had been causing crop damage. (Colonel Hawker's Diary at page 74). As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 20483

An 18th Century Hallmarked Solid Silver Butt Cap For A Gentleman's Musket

Heavy guage, cast, King George IIIrd London silver, dated either 1769 or 1789 [difficult to tell exactly]. This would enhance a musket or fowling piece up to a whole new level, either as a replacement for a plain brass type, or to replace a missing example. 147.5 grams weight, butt 50mm x 124mm, butt tang 105mm  read more

Code: 17249

A Very Fine & Rare, Signally Beautiful, Anglo-American War of 1812, 'Eagle Head' & Scroll Fretted Hilt, American Officer's Sabre. In Great Condition.

It was quite extraordinary, but we acquired a pair of these fabulous and very rare American eagle head pommel and scroll fretted hilted sabres, that have been together since the war of 1812, possibly owned by brothers that served, but naturally, officer's swords were never sold as pairs, or indeed used as such, but, none the less, they have been together for almost 200 years. We are, however, selling them individually.

Eagle head pommel with fully feathered back strap, in brass, with scroll fretted knuckle guard, and carved bone grip. Almost all the deluxe grade American officer’s sabres had the expensive alternative option of a carved bone hilt, as opposed to carved ivory, as enjoyed by their British counterparts, as the new nation of America lost all its access to ivory after its split from being part of the British colonial forces. Another one of the long list of negative consequences resulting from the revolution of 1776. It has an engraved bright polished blade, and its original brass mounted leather scabbard, with both twin ring belt strap supports, and an alternative wear option of a frog mount stud. Overall in excellent condition, with usual aged blade etching surface wear.
Used in the War of 1812 period, and a very nice example of these very fine swords, For Canadians, historically, the War of 1812 was the successful defence of a small colony against attack by a much larger neighbour.
Canadians endured repeated invasions and occasional occupations, but each invasion ultimately ended with an American withdrawal. The Royal Navy and British Army supported by Canadian regulars, Canadian militia, and First Peoples warriors, successfully defended Canada. Isaac Brock, Charles de Salaberry, Laura Secord, and Tecumseh became, and remain, iconic Canadian figures. The successful defence of Canada allowed British North America to evolve into an independent transcontinental country.

The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and Great Britain and its colonies, Upper and Lower Canada and Nova Scotia, from 1812 to 1815 on land and sea. The Americans declared war on Britain on June 18, 1812, for a combination of reasons, outrage at the impressment (seizure) of thousands of American sailors, frustration at British restraints on neutral trade while Britain warred with France, and anger at British support for native attacks along the frontier which conflicted with American expansion and settlement into the Old Northwest. The war started poorly for the Americans as their attempts to invade Canada were repeatedly repulsed; later in the war, American land forces proved more effective. The Royal Navy lost some early single-ship battles but eventually their numbers told and the naval blockade of the eastern seaboard ruined American commerce, and led to extreme dissatisfaction in New England. Following the American raid and burning of York (now Toronto), the British raided the Chesapeake Bay area and burned parts of Washington D.C. but were repulsed at Baltimore and withdrew. The Americans gained naval control of Lake Erie and Lake Champlain, preventing the planned British invasion of New York. The Americans destroyed the power of the native people of the Northwest and Southeast. With the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, and the stalemate on the battlefields, both nations agreed to a peace that left the prewar boundaries intact.

The small thumb pictures in this gallery are of our other near identical matching American 1812 sword, the large photos are correct for this sword . Other photos to add on Monday

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25449

Thousands of Books, 1st Editions & Hardback Books of Military Interest

Our book gallery on this site generally only shows our first additions or books of great rarity by famous 19th or 20th century authors, or of special interest, such incunabula or illuminated manuscripts, as well signed volumes and books bearing autographs of famous military or aeronautical heroes.

However, we also have thousands of books that we never list due to their quantity, based on military history, military biographies, or tomes on combat history of warfare. Our list is far too numerous to mention so please feel free to visit us to view our selection or contact us and we will see if we have a particular volume you are seeking.  read more

Code: 23329