Length overall length 40cm (15.7in)
George III New Land Pattern Flintlock Pistol, the 23cm 0.68 calibre barrel engraved with East India Company bale mark which is also engraved on the sidelock with the maker’s name ‘Rea’ the date of manufacture ‘1802’. Fully walnut stocked with brass trigger guard, butt cap and ramrod. The London proof marks include the crowned GP, the crowned V for viewed, and crowned ‘2’ inspector's stamp, and British Ordnance barrel inspection mark crowned 4 to the sidelock.
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The New Land Pattern pistol was first approved in 1796 and mass-produced by 1802. It was adapted from a design created for the East India Company’s armies in India. During the renewal of war with France in 1803 East India Company (EIC) pistols were purchased or otherwise acquired by the British Board of Ordnance. Such weapons can often be identified by both the East India Company bale mark on the barrel, as we have here, and standard British military ‘BO’ (Board of Ordnance) inspection marks. The present example lacks the latter but features the old style pan which was latter replaced with raised semi-waterproof pan to cope Indian monsoon conditions.
New Land Pattern pistol saw active service with regular British Army, Yeomanry and Militia. It was carried by British cavalry in the Peninsula War and at Waterloo. It had very limited range and was wildly inaccurate, especially when fired from the saddle. British troopers disliked them, generally preferring to fight with swords. Moreover in action troopers had to rapidly differentiate between pistol and the carbine cartridges when reloading in the heat of battle. If a pistol was loaded with too much gunpowder, it could blow itself out of the trooper’s hand when fired. Pistols of this and other contemporary types were only guaranteed to hit the enemy at very short range, sometimes only if pressed right against the body of an opponent.
Gunsmith John Rea (1782-1830) was to be found at 122 Minories, London. He specialised in flintlock pocket pistols, and worked under contract to the East India Company to produce flintlock holster pistols en masse and heavy pivot flintlock guns.