French Cavalry Pistol, Mlle. An 13 (1803)

[Fritz]

A Napoleonic period Flintlock Cavalry Pistol Mlle. An 13 - the year 13 after the French Revolution of 1789.

Condition is average for the age, overall staining and some smoothed out pitting. The trigger guard is a rough cast brass replacement obtained from a company in Paris many years ago. This was so rough, I had to file and smooth some of the edges and surfaces. There was no screw hole bored, so I got this done with precision by a skilled jeweller, in the Karl-Marx-Allee (E.Berlin), around the corner from where I was living at the time. The part itself was originally made for the Mlle.An.No.9, but I was able fit this, after some carefull filing on this part. It is still not a perfect fit, but a good 90-95%, and not particularly noticeable.

Apart from that, the hammer lip screw is an old replacement, but not correct. The ramrod is also not correct, probably from another weapon, and stuck fast. The whole Weapon has been repeatedly cleaned with gun oil (Balistol), with a special oil and wax for the wooden parts. The lock has been carefully removed and soaked in a bath of parafin oil, thoroughly dried and re-oiled, re-assembled. In all the weapon is now in a good state of conservation.

The lock with moderate staining, is marked Manufr.Imple.de Chatelleraut, there is a date stamp to the left of the breech end of the barrel 1805 or 6 or 8 ??? All brass fittings are marked with a French Imperial Crown, others have a stamped L.V - possibly Légion 5 ???

It can be assumed that this pistol was captured locally, it could have been in the battle of Göhrde in 1813, which is just across the river Elbe, or even elsewhere. It probably had no further military use, although the Prussians adopted many types of French military weapons, such as swords, muskets and cuirasses, it is not recorded that captured pistols were taken into service. The dealer told me, he got it from a local farmer, probably had been in a barn or somewhere like that for ages.

Purchased around 1994 from a Hamburg antiques dealer

This jeweller in East Berlin was able to make the final adjustment to the cast brass trigger guard purchased from Le Comptoir de l'Arquebuserie, Paris. The hole for the screw had to be bored with great precision in the right place for fitting the trigger guard to the pistol. The lady looked rather surprised when she saw the items in question!

[Kenny Andrew]

nice pistol Paul

[Fritz]

Yes I was delighted at the time. It took me several years to find the missing triggerguard, which is not perfect. Still worthy of further restoration.

[Fritz]

Commemorating the Battle of Göhrde, 2013, 200 years after the battle (1813)

The Göhrde is southeast of Hamburg in Wendtland-Dannenberg on the Elbe.

A re-enactment group in uniforms of the British or K.G.L. Artillery. Also taking part in large numbers were Prussian and Russian forces.

 

In 1899 several batteries of Feld-Artillerie-Regiment 46 (Wolfenbüttel) were permitted to wear a scroll on the eagle of their helmets, with the battle honours: Waterloo-Peninsula-Göhrde

[Fritz]

Saw this interesting selection of original parts, so I ordered the trigger guard, thinking this would
be the correct replacement for the M. An 13 pistol, however, did not fit and is more likely for a musket.

[Fritz]

Vergleichende Übersicht

Various pieces found on weapons in my collection -
A primitively made trigger guard from the An 13 pistole, very old
A primitively made flintlock hammer from a M.1777 musket, probably of DDR vintage
Mainspring for a 1777 musket and a hammer screw for pistol An13, both by Pedersoli