Q: Civil War SINGLE SHOT pistols

[Mad Reloader]

Howdy!

Going to run this past the Traditional Muzzy crew, I know there's at LEAST one Civil War re-enactor here.

This question is for my good buddy Private D. P. Preising of the 5th Texas (re-enactor unit in the Phoenix area)

What would be apropos makes of single shot percussion pistol (large frame) for a sidearm as might be used by a Confederate?

{Not talking cap & ball derringers here, folks!}

One of our cohorts in the 1st Texas Regiment of the Arizona Civil War Council apparently has either a percussion Model 1842 or Model 1855, and Pvt Preising...REALLY liked how it performed as far as producing an impressive "bang" during last weekend's re-enactment of some Far Western battles (Glorieta, Picacho Pass)

{he has apparently given up on the .44 calibre Colt thing, BTW!}

The 2 of us need to figure out WHICH kinds of percussion singles would be apropos for CS use, and...

Buckskinner/Mountain Man

Here's the deal: D P Preising is trying to puzzle out how to get the best possible compromise quasi-martial pistol in order to be useable in TWO re-enactment venues.

(I picture him more as the Trading post merchant or US Dragoon on the frontier as opposed to the Liver-Eatin' Johnson type...)

We figured out that the DGW "Konig Leopold" 12-gauge Austro-Bavarian percussion pistol might be just a little TOO big. (and heavy)

Also, the DGW "T. Mang im Graz" percussion single was a tad too pricey.

One that he rather likes is the DGW "Lyman Great Plains Pistol" kit in .54 Calibre (same bore as the Austrian Lorenz, BTW)

{Oh, my re-enactment venue is World War l Austria-Hungary. There's some slight overlap between his time & campaign and mine... hence the tendency for TMR here to keep making note of things Austrian & muzzleloading! }

AT ANY RATE:

My idea was as follows ~~~ since he's building the DGW kit at some point in the future, and the nice folks at DGW sell additional hardwares for gussying up things such as buttcaps, etc...

Add on a nice brass buttcap, and a swivel, got a fellow who can engrave "K-Leopold-Gasser-1848" on the lockplate or somewheres, and you thusly have something resembling an Austrian martial pistol prior to the 1850's (in the 1850's my guys imported Colt Navies and then started making copies of Beaumont-Adamses before we went to cartridge arms)

So, gussied up Great Plains pistol does double duty:

1) Looks like something that would have shown up with a crate of Lorenz rifles (recall Austria was more than happy to sell the Confederacy excess and especially obsolescent excess arms)

2) Also still useable when he goes out and does Mountain Man Longhunter caplock stuff with his OTHER re-enactor buddy who is doing a timeperiod besides ACW.

---Either that, or clue me in as to where the heck we can get a good deal on a percussion Model 1842 pistol, possibly in kit form.
(which would also work as a double-duty re-enacting pistol!)

[Adam Helmer]

MR,

You covered the correct single shot pistols, the M1842 and the M1855. The 1855 is neat because it was issued as a pistol-carbine with detachable stock. The next single shot pistol is the M1866 Remington caliber .50 rimfire in rolling block action. I have not seen any repro arms or kits of any of these pistols.

Adam

[Mad Reloader]

Dixie gun works has a repro of the 1855, with shoulder stock (not a kit though)

[travelworn]

how about a LeMats .63 cal barrel under a .42 cal revoler? cavarly troops liked it but it is abit on the bulky side. I know that it is not a single shot but it will make a nice boom and a good conversation piece