Light Dragoon Pistol Pattern 1777
British Board of Ordnance · Pistol · Discontinued · 1777
Also known as: Pattern 1777 Light Dragoon Pistol, New Pattern Light Dragoon Pistol
Overview
The Light Dragoon Pistol Pattern 1777 is a British .65 caliber smoothbore flintlock cavalry pistol issued by the Board of Ordnance to the mounted troopers of the Light Dragoon regiments. It carried a 9-inch round steel barrel with brass furniture, a pin-fastened walnut stock, a single ramrod pipe and a swelled-tip wooden ramrod. Adopted late in the century and refined with the Pattern 1777 short-sear lock, it served British cavalry and Loyalist units through the American Revolution and into the Napoleonic era before the swinging captive-rammer patterns superseded it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1020 g (36.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 381 mm (15.00") |
| Barrel Length | 229 mm (9.02") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 356 J (263 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 14 m (15 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .65 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 0.65 in, carbine bore, 16.5 mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloader
- Features: Brass Furniture, Wooden Ramrod, Single Ramrod Pipe, Pin Fastened Stock, Short Sear Lock
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1777
Conflicts
- American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
Production
Production years: 1777-1799
Board of Ordnance pattern produced by government contractors and assembled at the Tower of London and Dublin Castle.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: British Board of Ordnance
Discontinued: 1799
Notes
One of the last British Land Service pistols to use a wooden ramrod. Bore is commonly described between .62 and .67 caliber; carbine bore of roughly .65 is typical. The Pattern 1777 short-sear lock was widely fitted to the Light Dragoon pistol.
Background
Carried in saddle holsters by troopers of the 16th and 17th Light Dragoons and by Loyalist horse such as the British Legion and Queen's Rangers, the Light Dragoon pistol was a close-quarters weapon meant to be fired from the saddle at a few paces before the trooper closed with the sword.