Russian soldier's cuirassier pistol of the 1797/1803 model

A very rare pistol of a shortened model in good collector's condition. The presented pistol took part in the exhibition "Return visit. Russia and Europe against Napoleon. 1813-1814" in Tula in 2014 and published in the corresponding catalog on page 32. Also published in the book "Russian military costume. The Army of Alexander I. Cavalry" on page 50. Shortening of this weapon was carried out in accordance with a decree by the Military Department in the likeness of pistols of the Life Guards Mounted Regiment at the Sestroretsk Armory. This decree applied to all cuirassier and dragoon regiments. By December 31, 1804, according to the report of Lieutenant General K. Bowra, pistols had already been shortened in His Majesty's Life Cuirassier Regiment and most dragoon regiments, and in Glukhovsky Cuirassier and Seversky Dragoon were just sent samples for shortening. According to our data, today this is the only known instance of a pistol of this model in the Russian Federation.

Steel, wood, brass; forging, casting, wood carving, engraving. The barrel is steel, round in cross section, the barrel bore is not rifled. The weapon number No. 273 is engraved on the breech of the barrel. The sighting devices consist of a brass front sight and a rear sight. The lock is flint, French battery type. The inscription "Tula 1798" is engraved on the key board, as well as the stamp of the Tula acceptance, made in the form of letters "MP" (?) in a rectangle. The "G"—shaped keyhole holds the screw caps and allows you to tightly press the lock to the bed, and the powder shelf to the barrel in the area of the seed hole. The trigger is made of steel, mounted on the key board with a single screw. The powder shelf is made of steel. The trigger of the lock has a safety and a combat platoon. The bed is wooden, the forearm extends the entire length of the trunk. A wooden ramrod is reinforced in the lower part of the lodge. The barrel is attached to the bed from the muzzle by a muzzle brass ring. In the breech, the barrel is attached with a screw connecting the shank of the breech bolt to the trigger larva. The trigger guard is brass. The back of the trigger guard is fixed in the bed with a screw. On the trigger guard, the key board and the breech of the barrel, the stamps of the military acceptance of the Tula plant are punched. A brass medallion with the monogram of Emperor Paul I is mounted in the upper part of the handle. The pistol grip has a brass backplate with two "whiskers" on the sides. A powerful back cover makes it possible to use a pistol after a shot as a cold weapon of shock-crushing action.