Peter
from Hampshire, UK
The first percussion Perrins I bought was the earlier one
with the Continental style stock and engravings of dogs on the lock side plates
and trigger guard.
It must have been someone's valued possession, as at some
time it suffered damage to the stock and one of the hammers, which they
considered worthy of repair, as the hammer has a replacement top, carefully
fitted with an almost invisible join, and a piece of the stock which must have
split off above and to the rear of the left lock, has been refitted and secured
by pinning.
The gun shoots well for me, though at present is off ticket
and awaiting attention to the locks, as the trigger pull has become excessively
hard, in fact almost impossible on the left lock.
The second percussion gun, marked Perrins and Son, I noticed on a stallholder's
stand at a club arms fair. I had
gone with no intention of buying anything, but seeing the Perrins -----.
It is obviously a later gun, as various differences to the hammers and
stock furniture show, apart from the fact that Perrins' son had obviously joined
the firm by then. It has the more
traditional English style of stock, and is currently on ticket and used for clay
shooting, at which it serves me well. Load
is three and a quarter Drams of powder and one and a half ounces of shot.
Went to the Muzzle Loaders Arms Fair and ended up buying a
piece that needs a bit of restoration. Don't think I will find any Perrins
connection, butt is the remains of a transitional revolver, made before they had
really got the design right. It is said that some were made by cutting the
front off the barrels of a pepperbox pistol, and adding a barrel fixed to the
cylinder arbor, and one can see a likeness.
I see what you mean
- a good rub with some wire wool and a spot of oil should see it right!!!
John
The restoration begins....
Some other non Perrins include:
Enfield 2 band rifle lock,
Lang 14 bore percussion pistol,
Roger's and Spencer modern repro,
Smith pocket pistol,
Enfield 3 band Snider conversion breech shut and
open,
comparison .577 Snider cartridge, .577 Enfield muzzle loader bullet, and .22
long rifle cartridge.
Enfield 3 band lock,
Pedersoli repro Le Page flintlock,
Le Page lock
David Hermann pistol with ring trigger. Nicely made piece but missing it's
ramrod, so have to see what I can do about that. Figure how you can hold the
butt and pull the trigger without squashing your fingers!!
