H.Aston Model 1842 70 cal Musket Pistol in very good condition no FFL

Description

H.Aston BP Pistol 70cal Model 1842 Henry Aston produced 24,000 for his first contract (1846-51), and an additional 6,000 as H. Aston & Co. (1851-52).

The U.S. Model 1842 Percussion Pistol was manufactured by Henry Aston of Middletown, Connecticut in 1851. Henry Aston manufactured approximately 6000 1842 pistols between 1851-1852 for the Ordnance Department and U.S. Navy. They have a strikingingly similar design to the French AN cavalry pistol of that era. Our pistol has a round smoothbore barrel with brass front sight blade and captive steel ramrod. The lock and barrel are “National Armory Bright”. The barrel band/side plate, trigger guard, buttcap, and back strap are brass. The stock is oil-finished black walnut. The lock plate has the  Aston markings “U.S/H.ASTON”  and “MIDDTN/CONN/1851” stamped vertically behind the hammer.  The Ordnance “W” sub-inspection mark is stamped on the side plate, consisting of single “P”.

The Model 1842 Percussion Pistol was the last single shot percussion handgun to see service with the U.S. Army. Model 1842 Pistols saw extensive use during the Mexican War and were still in limited service at the start of the Civil War. The Model 1842 Percussion Pistol was a well-designed, robust weapon that represented the final development of the single shot “horse pistol”.

Stock 315 – S/N 1846