John Manton Percussion Duelling Pistol
John Manton & Son · Pistol · Discontinued · 1825
Also known as: John Manton & Son Duelling Pistol, Manton of London Percussion Pistol, John Manton Dover Street Duelling Pistol
Overview
The John Manton Percussion Duelling Pistol is a single-shot, muzzleloading percussion pistol built by the celebrated London gunmaker John Manton & Son of Dover Street in the 1820s and 1830s. Chambered for a large .63 caliber (roughly 20-bore) patched lead ball, it embodies the classic English duelling pistol form: a heavy octagonal Damascus-twist barrel, a half-stocked walnut body with a naturally pointing checkered grip, fixed blade-and-notch sights, and a concealed single-set trigger that allowed deliberate aiming. Manton's percussion pistols and flintlock-to-percussion conversions were prized for their fine balance and accuracy on the field of honour.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1250 g (44.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 390 mm (15.35") |
| Barrel Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 356 J (263 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 20 m (22 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Barrel Material | Damascus Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .63 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 20 bore round ball, .63 cal patched ball, 16mm lead ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Damascus Twist Barrel, Concealed Single Set Trigger, Checkered Grip, Half Stock, Horn Forend Cap, Fixed Blade And Notch Sights, Color Casehardened Lock, Silver Escutcheons
Production
Production years: circa 1825-1834
Hand-built in small numbers as cased matched pairs; no series production figures survive.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: John Manton
Discontinued: 1834
Notes
John Manton began producing percussion arms around 1825; many surviving duelling pistols are period percussion conversions of earlier flintlock pairs. The locks are typically signed 'John Manton & Son Patent' and the barrels marked 'John Manton and Son Dover Street'. Duelling pistols of this quality were sold as cased matched pairs. Bore diameters varied between individual guns; .63 caliber is representative of the larger-bore examples.
Background
John Manton (older brother and one-time master of the equally famous Joseph Manton) ran his workshop at 6 Dover Street, London, supplying arms to the royal family and Regency gentry. So renowned was the accuracy of Manton duelling pistols that the anonymous 1824 British Code of Duel condemned their 'decisive aim' as an unfair advantage on the duelling field. As duelling waned and the percussion cap replaced the flint, Manton's pistols passed from the code duello into the collections that prize them today.