Durs Egg Flintlock Duelling Pistol
Durs Egg · Pistol · Discontinued · 1775
Also known as: Durs Egg Duelling Pistol, Durs Egg London Flintlock Pistol, Egg Officer's Duelling Pistol
Overview
The Durs Egg Flintlock Duelling Pistol is a fine single-shot muzzle-loading flintlock pistol made in London by the Swiss-born master gunmaker Durs Egg between the 1770s and the early 19th century. Built as a bespoke arme de luxe, it combines a swamped octagonal smoothbore barrel with a crisp flintlock lock, slab-sided walnut butt, and finely engraved steel mounts. A signature of Egg's work is the long flat trigger guard with a forward bar and a small lead weight set inside the grip to counterbalance the barrel and give the pistol its deliberate, steady heft. Supplied to British aristocrats and army officers, these pieces are regarded among the most refined duelling arms of the Georgian and Napoleonic era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1050 g (37.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 1080 g (38.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 375 mm (14.76") |
| Barrel Length | 229 mm (9.02") |
| Height | 140 mm (5.51") |
| Width | 38 mm (1.50") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 284 J (209 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned And Engraved |
Calibers
- .58 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 0.58 in lead round ball, 14.7mm round ball, .58 caliber patched ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Smoothbore, Swamped Barrel, Slab Sided Butt, Engraved Steel Mounts, Lead Counterbalance In Grip, Cased Pair
Service history
Operators
- British aristocracy and army officers
- George IV (as Prince of Wales) and the Duke of York
Conflicts
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
Production
Production years: 1772-1831
Made in small bespoke numbers as hand-finished presentation and duelling pieces; total output unrecorded
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Durs Egg
Discontinued: 1831
Notes
Duelling pistols of this class were kept smoothbore by convention so that neither duellist held an accuracy advantage, and were normally supplied as a cased matched pair with accessories. Barrel length and bore varied between individual commissions, from roughly 9-inch, 54-bore examples to 10-inch, 34-bore pieces.
Background
Durs Egg (1748-1831), son of the Swiss gunmaker Leonz Egg, came to London by way of Paris, worked for John Twigg from 1772, and rose to become gunmaker to George IV and the Duke of York. Renowned for the quality of his workmanship, his cased duelling pistols were among the most sought-after arms of Georgian London.