User:Tntferrari

The History of the Scottish pistols seems to center in the village of Doune, dating to about the year of 1646. Doune is a small village located about 6 miles from Sterling in Scotland. The castle located there was the home of an early Stewart king. The castle predates the history of the pistols by hundreds of years. Thomas Caddell was known to be a smith in the village in 1646. The were other smiths in Scotland making pistols that predate Thomas Caddell, thus he is not credited as the inventor of the pistol. He does seem to be a great contributor in the development of the Doune Pistol. The Doune Pistol, also known as the Highland Pistol, had generations of guns smiths numbering near 200 from Doune alone. While Doune is not actually considered to be in the highlands, it is on the edge of the highlands. The highlanders would pass through Doune enroute to taking their cattle to market. This route may have made Doune the ideal location for pistol makers. In "Musee d'Art st a d'Historie" located in Neuchatel Switzerland is a Doglock pistol made by Thomas Caddell dated 1678. This pistol is generally considered to be the work of Thomas the first, but may be an example of his son Thomas the Second. The Caddell family continued the trade through Thomas the fifth into 1775. Other famous makers from Doune include 3 generations of Campbells, Christie, John Murdoch,and Thomas Murdoch. The pistols are easy to recognize due to their all metal construction; contemporary English and Euroupean pistols had wood stocks. The Scottish pistols were known for their excellent quality and decoration. Many of the pistols were engraved, etched, inlaid with silver and gold gilt. Early examples used a firing mechanism called a snaphaunce. This progressed into a simpler system referred to as a flintlock. The pistols are generally grouped by the design of the pistol grip which also generally dates them-1600 to 1625 Fishtail butts, 1625 to 1650 Lemon butts, 1650 to 1730 Heart butts, 1650 to 1830 Ramhorn or Scroll butt, 1750 to 1800 Lobe butt  (with some earlier examples in the 1650's). The majority of the Doune pistols were Scroll butt flintlocks. The highly decorated examples sold within the range of 3 years wages for the average Scotsman of the time,and were sold to the very weathy buyers of the world. Some of them made it to North America. There was one retrieved from a Jamestown well a few years ago. The "Shot that was heard around the world" that started the Americian Revolution was said to have been fired from a Highland Pistol. George Washington was given a pair of Murdoch lobe butt pistols that were captured from the English. Washington later willed them to Lafayette. The Highland pistols were so much more than just a weapon, they were a symbol of status and were often purchased and worn as part of formal dress. They were not a holster weapon, as the had an ornate belt hook on the side. A well dressed gentleman may wear a pair of pistols on a sash type belt to display them. They are engraved and inlayed everywhere, so even the bottom is a piece of artwork to be displayed. Many examples have survived in excellent shape and are treasured by collectors around the world. The survival rate may be to attributed to the aristocratic fashion statement rather than being used for defense, as many examples may never have been fired. Fine examples are not only found in Scottish museums, but can be found in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Hermitage State Museum in St.Petersburg, Russia. Private collectors from around the world take great pride in ownership of a Scottish Highland Doune pistol, preserving them for future generations to come. References: Scottish Firearms By Claude Blare and Robert Woosnam The Scottish Pistol by Matin Kelvin Scottish Arms and Armour by Fergus Cannan