Abbey Cased Pair

I’ve been a bit lax in keeping my Blog up to date recently, so here is an update:

Turn-off Pocket Pistol by Abbey of Long Sutton

I bought a pair of percussion turnoff pistols at the Birmingham Arms Fair because they looked pretty and in need of a bit of TLC, I also got a box that fitted them as pairs were sometimes boxed.  When I got home I found I had a barrel key that fitted, but couldn’t unscrew the barrels easily so sprayed Plus-Gas around and left it for a day or so. Still couldn’t get them off so thought I’d better apply some heat, but in an uncharacteristically sensible moment I thought to check that they were not loaded.  One was – I could see the lead ball.  The Plus Gas prevented the powder from going off, so I drilled out the ball and poured out the damp powder which fizzed when lit – so the gun had been loaded since it was last used – probably in the mid 1800s – some  160 years ago!

See the finished boxed set…….

29/6/2015 – I’ve just finished boxing up the pair of pistols – I realised that they had the name on the left side and the address on the right – opposite to the normal convention, so they are in fact by Abbey ( no initial) of Long Sutton in Lincolnshire not far from King’s Lynn.

Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product – the box is an old cutlery box that I put a nice burr veneer quartered on the top – the pistols have been repaired, including making a very fiddly sear spring and inserting a bit into the butt and chequering it.  The tools are contemporary but not original to the pistols.