An Unusual Pair Of Scottish 25-Bore Flintlock Gold-Inlaid All-Metal Belt Pistols
By Thomas Murdoch Of Leith And Dounne, Late 18th Century
With three-stage barrels engraved over half their length with scrolling foliage towards the reduced muzzles, fluted breeches, gold-lined touch-holes, signed border engraved flat bevelled locks (one retaining screw missing) each engraved with scrolling foliage on the tail, foliate engraved cocks and steels, stocks engraved with characteristic partly hatched foliate designs enriched with gold-inlaid scrollwork and with slender foliate engraved gold panels along the underside, 'ram's horn' butts en suite and each inlaid with gold interlace along the spine below a border engraved gold oval with owner's crest and motto 'Non Temere', a border engraved oval gold escutcheon on each side engraved respectively with the initials 'GF' and 'JF', foliate engraved gold button triggers and threaded prickers, engraved diagonally fluted belt hooks each with pierced and engraved finial (one with old repair), turned tubular ramrod-pipes (one loose), and later steel ramrods (some gold probably replaced), private Birmingham proof marks (2)
16.5 cm. barrels
Footnotes:
Provenance
Mrs. N.J. Wood
Sotheby's, London, Modern And Antique Firearms, Armour And Edged Weapons, 18 October 1977, lot 332
Sold in these Rooms, Antique Arms and Armour..., 25 July 2007, lot 477

The crest and motto is that of Forbes

For another pair of similar Scottish flintlock pistols, by John Campbell, circa 1780, with gold-inlaid decoration and mountings, see Wallace B. Gusler and James D. Lavin, Decorated Firearms 1540-1870 From the Collection of Clay P. Bedford, 1977, pp. 102-3 (illustrated)