Wogdon Flintlock Duelling Pistol
Robert Wogdon (Wogdon & Barton) · Pistol · Discontinued · 1774
Also known as: Wogdon & Barton Duelling Pistol, Wogdon Dueling Pistol, Church Wogdon Pistols
Overview
The Wogdon Flintlock Duelling Pistol is a single-shot, muzzleloading flintlock pistol built by the London gunmaker Robert Wogdon, the most celebrated maker of English dueling arms in the late 18th century. Firing a patched lead round ball of roughly .58 caliber (29 bore) ignited by black powder, it was purpose-built for the affair of honor: a heavy smooth-bore octagonal barrel, a plain unadorned finish that offered no glare or distraction, a broad sliding safety, and a delicate concealed set (hair) trigger that let a duellist fire with the lightest touch. So dominant were his pistols that a duel in Georgian England was sometimes simply called 'a Wogdon affair'. Wogdon pistols were most famously used in the 1804 duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr at Weehawken, New Jersey.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1050 g (37.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Barrel Length | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Set Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 180 m/s (591 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 293 J (216 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 12 m (13 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .58 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 58 cal round ball, 14.7mm ball, 29 bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzleloaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch, Sliding Safety
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Hooked Breech, Single Set Trigger, Hair Trigger, Roller Frizzen Spring, Gold Lined Touch Hole, Engraved Furniture, Half Stock
Production
Production years: c. 1774-1803
Made in small numbers as bespoke cased pairs; Wogdon produced flintlock arms from the 1760s and traded as Wogdon & Barton at 14 Haymarket, London, between 1795 and 1803.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Robert Wogdon
Discontinued: 1803
Notes
Sold in fitted cased pairs with loading accessories. The Hamilton-Burr pistols, belonging to Hamilton's brother-in-law Colonel John Barker Church, were later alleged to contain concealed hair triggers, though set triggers had by then been standard on top-maker English duelling pistols for two decades. Bores varied between makers and examples, commonly cited as 28-29 bore (roughly .54-.58 caliber). Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) worked from Haymarket, London; from about 1795 to 1803 he traded in partnership with John Barton as Wogdon & Barton at 14 Haymarket.
Background
The name Wogdon became so synonymous with dueling that an affair of honor was sometimes referred to as 'a Wogdon affair'. His pistols were used in the most famous duel in American history, on 11 July 1804 at Weehawken, when Vice-President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton.