Hi everyone,
A Canadian historian researching the Napoleonic/War of 1812 veterans who took up land grants at the Perth Military Settlement wrote to me asking whether British Army officers were supplied with pistols by government or if they were required to to provide their own at personal expense. I believe they were bought privately but don't really know of any evidence for this. Is anyone aware of primary or secondary sources I might be able to share with him on the procurement and design of officers' pistols during the Napoleonic period?
Eamonn, British officers could provide their own service pistol of service type until relatively recently (1996?). It was certainly on TA call up documentation in 1995!
Many flintlock pistols for auction from this period are listed as "private purchase." If you recall Churchill carried a broomhandle Mauser, which wasn't gov't issue.
@tomholmberg I carried my own 9mm Browning HP in exercise and used it for shooting practice, but never on operations. Sadly, civilian ownership was banned before the opportunity arose.
Apparently Churchill didn't register his personal sidearms when that law was passed in the 1920s.
@tomholmberg For the record, I complied completely with the regulations and the law, even obtaining and providing to the local constabulary the permission of the Officer Commanding (me) in writing to the firearms owner (me) to temporarily keep their (my) weapons in the sub-unit armoury! Although the ban on civilian handgun ownership rules out pistols, many officers still provide other personal sidearms, such as swords. I carried, and although long retired, still have an Edward VII pattern.
“British Cavalry Carbines and Pistols of the Napoleonic Era” by Barry Chisnell and Geoffrey Davies has a photograph of ‘A fine officers privately made 1715 style pistol by Freeman marked to the 2nd Royal Horse Guards (Blues)’. Not all officers had a high regard for their sidearm though, as Lt Col John Luard put it “There are but few cavalry officers, who served during the Peninsula War, that ever saw a pistol used, unless to light a fire in bivouac, and shoot a glandered or wounded horse”
Thank you David!