Belt Pistol with Patilla Style Miquelet Lock, c1690

Belt pistols have a large hook attached to their side or screw plate. They could be easily hung from a belt, saddle or sash. One contemporary illustration shows several belt pistols being carried at once on a type of shoulder belt called a baldric (Spanish: Xarpa) (1) (2). Patilla style miquelet locks have a large external main spring. The spring exerts an upward force on the hammer`s heel. Two horizontal sears pass through the lock plate in front of the hammer. The lower one is the half cock sear. It locks the hammer`s toe in a safe position for loading and carrying the weapon. The upper one is the full cock sear. It prevents the hammer from falling until the trigger is pulled. The earliest known examples of this style are Spanish and date from the late 16th century (3) .

The style of this pistol suggest that it was made in Ripoll during the late 17th century. The the traditional patilla style miquelet lock has a minimal narrow waisted lock-plate without beveled edges. The hammer`s arm is crescent shaped. The top jaw and spring bridles are engraved with floral patterns (3) . The barrel is octagonal at the breech with longitudinal grooves that extended to the tang. The transition from octagonal to round is made with a ring, followed by five more rings near the center of the barrel. The barrel has a brass muzzle ring and is pinned to a full stock. The stock has a ringed oblong and rounded butt, with a floral engraved, inlaid and pierced, steel butt plate. There are similar pierced steel plates inlaid behind the top barrel tang, on the cheeks of the stock and surrounding the trigger guard (4) . There is a ringed steel ramrod thimble and wooden ramrod with a brass end piece. The simple screw-plate has a serpentine belt hook.

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