H.W. Mortimer Duelling Pistol
H.W. Mortimer & Co. · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1785
Also known as: H.W. Mortimer & Co. Duelling Pistol, Mortimer Flintlock Duelling Pistol
Overview
The H.W. Mortimer Duelling Pistol is a flintlock muzzleloading pistol built in London around 1785 to 1835 by Harvey Walklate Mortimer, gunmaker to King George III. Chambered for a 25 bore (.577) round lead ball, it features a swamped octagonal smoothbore barrel of roughly 12 inches, a browned finish with inlaid gold lines, a gold-lined touch-hole, a set trigger, a fine checkered walnut grip and a bridled, roller-frizzen lock. Sold in cased pairs, Mortimer's duelling pistols are prized as English 'best' guns of the flintlock era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1100 g (38.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 457 mm (17.99") |
| Barrel Length | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 170 m/s (558 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 269 J (198 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 15 m (16 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- 25 Bore (.577) · primary — also known as .577 round ball, 25 bore, 14.7mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Swamped Barrel, Set Trigger, Checkered Grip, Gold Lined Touchhole, Browned Barrel, Adjustable Rear Sight, Roller Frizzen
Service history
Operators
- British nobility and gentry
Production
Production years: 1785-1835
Hand-built in small numbers as bespoke cased pairs; exact totals unrecorded
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Harvey Walklate Mortimer
Discontinued: 1835
Notes
Typically supplied as cased matched pairs with accessories. Many surviving examples were later converted from flintlock to percussion ignition. Specifications vary between individual hand-built pistols; figures given are representative.
Background
Harvey Walklate Mortimer, working from 89 Fleet Street, was appointed Gunmaker to George III in 1783 and became one of the most celebrated London pistol makers, a contemporary of Robert Wogdon and John Twigg. His barrels were signed 'H.W. MORTIMER. LONDON. GUNMAKER TO HIS MAJESTY.' The Mortimer name became so synonymous with quality that it was widely counterfeited, and cased pairs of his duelling pistols command very high prices among collectors today.