Engraved 18th Century French Dueling Pistol with Iron Hardware

The French knew their way around a duel. In fact, it's said that the duel was actually invented in France. That fact has been disputed, but there is no disputing the death toll that dueling took in France.

This intimacy with the duel gave the French quite a bit of experience to draw from (no pun intended) when they designed their pistols. That, combined with the famed French stylishness made their dueling pistols some of the most coveted in Europe.

This particular non-firing replica is a devastatingly elegant gun, based on an actual dueling pistol from 18th century France. It is long, graceful and fearsome.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the pistol is the fiercely rendered dragon themes carved into the iron of the locks and stock. Two dragon heads form the striker and the cock, rearing up at one another as if preparing to strike, which they do once the trigger is pulled on the pistol. A full length dragon carved from iron is bolted to the stock of the pistol, just above the trigger. This one arches its head backward as if attacking prey on its flank ... similar to the position a duelists head would face when standing in profile and preparing to take a shot at his opponent.

The long barrel (10 inches long!) would have provided excellent accuracy (relatively, anyway. This is still a flintlock). The iron of the barrel is carved ornately with vine patterns and the words "ARIS 1750." ARIS of course would be the manufacturer, while 1750 (equally of course) would have been the date.

A wooden ramrod is poised beneath the barrel, supported by an etched mounting bracket. The iron trigger features a carved and leering demon head. Lastly, the wood frame of the pistol is light in color, giving the pistol a distinguished appearance.

This is a truly beautiful weapon; stylish and powerful and hard to put down. Buy one or a pair of these weapons and stake your claim upon honor and nobility.

Optional Engraved Stand
For a low price you can add a personalized engraving to your pistol stand. We will apply 2.5 inch by 1.25 inch solid brass plate to the stand engraved with your personalized message. This makes for a truly wonderful gift or award. Just click-on the engrave button next to the pistol stand part number and use our engraving utility to enter up to three lines of text in the font of your choice.