Civil War Brass Boot Pistol

[H20Hawgs]

Went digging in VA today before heading back home to GA. Found an eagle coat button, some bullets, one carved as a chess piece and this brass, boot pistol at about 16"... The barrel is octogon shaped and the maker mark is visible along with the test fire mark. If anyone has any info please let me know. I will research it when I get a chance.
Enjoy...
Pound the Ground!

 

[7centsworth]

Congratulations. Nice finds

 

[DugInDirt]

n/t

 

[H20Hawgs]

I think it is French from the 1700s. I will have to do some serious searching to knoe for sure!
Really just a neat relic...

 

[Jim West Pa]

n/t

 

[H20Hawgs]

I would love to resore it and shoot it. It has a crack in the block or it was made that way? The barrel is solid and in tact. The closest I have ome to identifying is a french 1700s coat pistol with a switch blade spring loaded knife underneath the barrel. Those are the same size but have cannon on a seperatly attached outer pice on the block. It has the maker marks. It says ELG with a star under the letters. Also stamped when test fired EG...

 

[Jim West Pa]

that could be the reason why you found it.
Unles you fully understand what yer doin,and plan to restore it to a shooter, have a competent gunsmith check it over first.
As for the "cannon" designation, hand 'cannons' were the predicessor to what we know today as a hand gun.

 

[H20Hawgs]

I found the boot pistol in another forum. It appears the block was buil that way. See picture-mine is the top one.

 

[H20Hawgs]

Its an 1830s Belgium solid cast barrel and carried by civil war officers. This is only the second one dug that I can find... Neat relic!

 

[CSA GHOST]

Boot pistols were very popular in the early years of the war. That faded out quickly as men learned how to carry the least amount of gear possible. Most CW photographers had them in their studio for props, that's why you see so many in tintypes. One of my Confederate ancestors has two in his pic, one in each hand. Nice find.

 

[H20Hawgs]

Thanks for the replies and the information. The block was made with the left side as a separate piece. It is in tact very well still. It is one of the neatest relics I have flipped in a plug no doubt. I hard a hard time finding anything on this and stumbled on that pic from another relic site helping identify one found in TN. I think that one was in American digger a couple months back! The place I found it was a camp for both confederate and yank troops. Other hunters (friends) have passed over this relic many times with technic "T-2s"... My SE Pro picked it out the first time it was put to the ground in the woods... I do like their T-2s for ease of operation but I could never use another machine... I have found too many relics in too many hunted out spots the others seem to miss! Again thanks for looking and helping with this great relic.
"Pound the Ground"

 

[Jim West Pa]

n/t

 

[H20Hawgs]

Boot pistols were very popular in the early years of the war. That faded out quickly as men learned how to carry the least amount of gear possible. Most CW photographers had them in their studio for props, that's why you see so many in tintypes. One of my Confederate ancestors has two in his pic, one in each hand. Nice find.

Thats got to be a neat picture to have in the family...

 

[hanging rocker]

Great find, by the sounds of it the find of a lifetime,wonder what happened to the original owner for him to have lost it ???? We dont find to many guns in australia.
keep on lookin mate

 

[H20Hawgs]

Great find, by the sounds of it the find of a lifetime,wonder what happened to the original owner for him to have lost it ???? We dont find to many guns in australia.
keep on lookin mate

It was found at a civil war site, so anything goes... He could have ran and forgot it, just too much more added weight to carry, got shot, there is no no telling but whatever it was- not good. He left an officers eagle button and a chess piece as well. A friend dug a US box plate right there also...