French Model 1763 Cavalry Pistol
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Pistol · Discontinued · 1763
Also known as: Pistolet de cavalerie modèle 1763, Pistolet de cavalerie modèle 1763/66, Pistolet d'arçon modèle 1763-1766, Model 1763/66 Cavalry Pistol
Overview
The French Model 1763 Cavalry Pistol is a .69 caliber flintlock smoothbore holster pistol adopted for the cavalry and dragoon regiments of the French royal army. Issued as part of the duc de Choiseul's post-Seven Years' War rearmament, it featured a walnut full stock, brass furniture, a steel barrel and ramrod, and a robust flintlock with a reinforced cock. The original 1763 pattern proved too long, so from 1766 the arms were recalled and shortened, producing the standard 1763/66 service pistol carried in saddle holsters through the Revolutionary era until the Model 1777 replaced it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1230 g (43.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 402 mm (15.83") |
| Barrel Length | 230 mm (9.06") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | White Metal |
Calibers
- .69 Caliber Musket Ball · primary — also known as 0.69 in, 17.1 mm ball, 17.5 mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Brass Furniture, Walnut Full Stock, Steel Ramrod, Belt Hook Variants
Service history
Operators
- Royal French Army (Ancien Régime cavalry and dragoons) · adopted 1763 · as Pistolet de cavalerie modèle 1763
- French Revolutionary Army · adopted 1789
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802)
Production
Estimated total produced: 66,000 · Production years: 1763-1778
Around 2,400 pairs made before the 1766 shortening reform; Saint-Étienne produced roughly 66,000 of the 1763/66 pattern under the ancien régime, with additional output at Charleville and Maubeuge.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Discontinued: 1778
Notes
Produced at the Charleville, Saint-Étienne and Maubeuge manufactories. Roughly 2,400 pairs were made before the 1766 shortening order; Saint-Étienne alone produced around 66,000 examples of the 1763/66 pattern under the ancien régime. Second-type locks feature rounded lock plates and cocks.
Background
Adopted under the reforms of the duc de Choiseul to modernise French cavalry armament after the humiliations of the Seven Years' War, the Model 1763 was quickly judged too long and recalled in 1766 to be cut down. The shortened 1763/66 pistols armed French dragoons and horse regiments through the American War of Independence and the Revolution before giving way to the coffered Model 1777.