Confederate Pistol?
 

Please help me and review pictures and see if anyone can identify the year make and model. I believe it is a Radcliffe & Guignard Percussion Pistol. It has two barrel and hidden triggers, the metal side has long lines the form multiple X's. A Walnut carved handle with a metal cap/npple on bottom of handle.

Any history behind this weapon? How should I clean it? Any value?

I don't know anything about your pistol, but it looks like a pin fire gun based on the slots in the in the top of the barrel. If it's a true pin fire, it would be post Civil War.

A limited number of Lefaucheaux revolvers were issued to forces during the Civil War. Pinfire cartridges have been found at battlefields. Here is a link to the IAA forum. There are a few collectors that study pinfires and should be able to help you out. The other link is for the website of a dedicated pinfire collector. Good Luck!

http://iaaforum.org/forum3/viewforum.php?f=8

http://freemycollection.com/

Lot of obscure Confederate firearms, I only know a few, Cofer revolver Virginia Arsenal etc.

If Confederate it's probably valuable and CW collectors value as found condition greatly. Don't clean it, will cut the value sure. You need expert advice.

Bill

Thank you Bill and Everyone. I will not clean it. Does anyone know of a collector that deals in purchasing Civil War Guns that I can talk to?

There is writing on the top rib. Any suggestions as to who I should talk to about it? If it's valuable both in historical and financially i would be interested in learning more. Any one is welcome to the conversation.

Even though I live in the heart of Confederate collecting am at a loss to give a good reference. I would take the pistol to a good Civil War show make the rounds of tables see what the dealers say. And don't take the first offer.

One problem with Confederate relics is so many have been counterfeited it makes it hard to determine the value of legitimate. However your pistol is so unique it's not likely it was faked. Perhaps half claiming Confederate use are fakes. Got myself in trouble at Portobello road antique market in London. Picked up a Sword, fairly good copy of Ames CW model. Fellow gave me the sell before I could say anything. When he finished in my best Virginia accent told him it was a &@3* fake made in Spain. He did not take it well.

Here is a link to shows. Only one I know personally is the November Richmond show

http://www.confederateplanet.com/upc...ria-shows.html

Bill

Thank you Bill for the information. I agree the gun is very unique I have searched for others like it but have been unable to find an exact. Except the original post of Radcliffe & gungnard . My impression is this was a special order for a unique person.
Does anyone know a Civil War Specialist in weapons in the orlando fl area? I would like to confirm year make. & model & ball park value of a "possibly" one of a kind Confederate Pistol

I wouldn't say "unique" and it's pretty unlikely it was used in the Civil War. Pinfire cartridges were just coming into use during that time, they would have been fairly hard to get. I'll take a wild guess and say there are Belgian proof marks stamped under the barrels. Every one of these double barrel pistols I've seen (rimfire and pinfire) had Belgian marks on them.

If it was a "special order" for a "unique person" then there's no way you could provenance it to being used by someone in the Confederate Army short of a photograph of them in uniform literally holding the gun.

This forum is about Parker Shotguns made in Meriden Connecticut. You might have better luck posting on forums relating to pinfire firearms or civil war forums if you still think it's some kind of military arm.


Destry