A Beach Oddity and a first

[fred]

I have not found the motivation to go out detecting in the cold for a few days so I have been tunnelling into my shed through nearly a year's worth of plastic bags full of assorted finds. From this accumulation I extract any spending money, finds and scrap metal.

During this process a lump of black crud from the beach was broken open to revealed this beauty. It is the very well preserved gunmetal block off of a 19thC flintlock pistol. It would have originally have had a screw on metal barrel, a wooden handle and the flintlock mechanism itself. All the details that I would expect can clearly be seen including the pan and the fixings for the trigger and a trigger guard. This illustrates the general principle:

https://www.gunstar.co.uk/hayward-goodw ... uns/764419

I am very pleased with it and it illustrates why you should always investigate lumps of crud which give a positive signal.

Apologies for the dodgy photos.

[cantona1]

Amazing what turns up eh Fred? Dropped off a boat I guess?

[stupot]

Nice one, get it cleaned up to see if there's a makers name, although most were on the barrel. Very interesting item indeed.

[Easylife]

I saw that and it straight away reminded me of my toy petronels, then I read that it was a real gun.

[Lowland]

Hi Fred
That’s a cool historic find-very interesting

[silverwood]

fantastic find fred.
i wonder how many people its killed?

[Rivers rat]

Time for a restoration i am positive you could find some old stock


RR

[fred]

fantastic find fred.
i wonder how many people its killed?

Nearly me - it was quite deep!

[Muddyknee]

Dropped by a smuggler perhaps.