Antique Pocket Percussion Pistol - Restoration

[@BigD-jc6rj]

This type of pistol was called a “muff pistol”, as it was made for concealed carry. A muff was a scarf-like garment that a woman would put her hands into in order to keep them warm (so get your mind out of the gutter, those of you who are still in the 8th grade). If she was walking to her stagecoach or her horse, the pistol was already in her hands, and could quickly be produced and fired if some ruffian threatened her. Pedersoli makes a “screw barrel” version of this pistol (Again, get your minds out of the gutter). The barrel unscrews from the gun, powder is poured into the “breech” portion. Then a ball is placed on top, and the barrel screws back on over the ball. The gun is then cocked and capped, and is ready to fire.

[@blackleaf_yt]

Im not sure who you are, but I despite being in 8th grade am a fairly seasoned reenactor for my age and I have one of these pistols. Also, personally I would not have thought of your dirty reference with the name "muff gun" if you haven't pointed it out.

[@kaptein1247]

I thought it was called the muff pistol because of the shape of the handle

[@kelvinsparks4651]

I have the exact same pistol. You've given me the inspiration to give it a restoration too . Thanks.

[@ChasedRabbit]

I could watch your gun restoration videos all day, these are so awesome. I love how you edit them too. Sped up and with no music, so you can actually hear the sounds.

[@mtslyh]

Nice job. I'm not a fan of the nickel myself. I would have blued everything or used the "plum brown" that makes things look more antique. But you still did an amazing job restoring this pistol back to working order. It started out as a rusty old wall hanger. And now, with small enough loads, your friend could actually try shooting it.

[@mzmadmike]

FINALLY! A restoration that is actually a restoration, not some hick with a grinder. You made do very well with the tools you had, and while a more detailed restoration would be possible, there's no reason to spend that much time and money on a piece like this. So you used proper techniques and finishes of the era to perform a preservation of a useful piece in proper presentation. Thank you.

[@bigrev1601]

Love the footage of your tools as you were putting it together out of frame.

[@paulorth2251]

You did a really nice job on this pistol, in this case I also think it should have been blued rather than the nickle finish. Nice test fire and loved the hand grip. I didn't realize how simple these guns were, nice workmanship.

[@JoeyP322]

Excellent!! Restoring more modern (pre-1960) military firearms would be interesting to watch. Especially the military bolt actions and revolvers. Thanks for posting...

[@gayle525]

I love what you do with the wood on these guns. It’s like you have a special touch.

[@stevehuffman7453]

Did you clean the bore? Would have been better to remove the active red rust then wipe a light coat of oil on the metal. How much of the original bluing was left? It looks good, but as others have said, the historical and any collector value was destroyed.

[@ottoleisering7855]

Personal opinion; great job. In the original condition I don't think any collector would want it, I certainly wouldn't. Your restoration had the right combination of keeping its antique appearance and yet preserving it. everything is a trade-off.

[@masterhandmade9859]

Very good work! I love old pistols, they are reliable and beautiful!

[@renee21996]

Great job bringing this pistol back to life

[@renee21996]

any advice on removing a pocket pistol barrel that is stuck?

[@scotthaddad563]

renee21996 if you look closely toward the end of the video you can see a pretty bad mark on the barrel where he gripped it with the pliers. He’s lucky that it didn’t warp..

[@BillyMaysFan95]

I love these gun restorations! Thank you!

[@colarisaka]

Awesome! That is a Belgian made "Muff" pistol ca. 1840s-1860s! I think you could safely shoot it with 10-13 gr. FFFg and a 10-11mm lead ball! They loaded from the breach of the barrel once screwed off, then screwed back on, right?

[@CapitalNick]

Most likely not. It would have still been loaded from the muzzle. The removable barrel was just for the sake of production, cleaning, and interchangeable barrels if needed or desired.

[@colarisaka]

CapitalNick Actually they could be loaded either way! A proper size ball from the breach, or a patched sub caliber ball from the muzzle. A reproduction of this gun is still made in Italy. I know Dixie Gun Works imports them here. Most are .40- .41 cal. roughly 10-10.5mm. I think 10-15 grs. fine powder and he could shoot that! I do agree he should load from the muzzle with a sub caliber patched ball, less compression=less pressure at the breech. But in times of old they'd have screwed the barrel off to load these! That is why it has no ramrod.

[@CapitalNick]

I stand corrected. I have one myself and didn't know that. Never shot it though. I should have figured with the absence of a ramrod. Although I have a full-sized flintlock with no place for a ramrod. Perhaps it was just a different practice to carry the ramrod separate with certain full-sized pistols. Namely dueling pistols.

[@colarisaka]

CapitalNick Yeah I've never seen a dueling pistol with a ram rod. I think a third man loaded both dueling pistols then oversaw the duel while seconds stood by. These little muff pistols were just cheap alternatives to revolvers in the 1840s-1860s and they probably only coated $1 versus a Colt revolver at $10-$15. The reprint of the 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog had a little Belgian .22 caliber revolver for $.68 cents while the two revolvers I own from that era are listed at $12.95 for the Colt and $9.95 for the Smith and Wesson. Belgium and Spain flooded the world with cheap guns in the 19th century!

[@giannispap16]

Can you upload more restoration videos of antique guns??? Love your work

[@llkurofoxll1013]

118k already?That's crazy!I've been here since 9k subs! Glad to see you grow :)

[@stevestrash1791]

I Actually have the EXACT same pistol, down to the wood grip and shape of the Hammer cuts. Does anyone know who made these? Or where they were made? Mine has 44 stamped on it, where yours has 10 presumably a serial number?

[@frick566]

Another great video!...the "piston" is called a "Nipple" on Black powder guns

[@The411]

Technically, in the era when this pistol was made, it was called a cone. But yes, today it's a nipple. You may now giggle...

[@Lysergide]

Hey mate, I've got a quick question. I've managed to recently get my hands on a Belgian percussion pistol. Even after oiling the absolute heavens out of it I still cannot unscrew the barrel. And I'd rather not use force either as the idiot that had the pistol before me already left some horrible scratches on the barrel in what I presume was his attempt at unscrewing it. Any tips on what I could do? The rest of the pistol can be taken apart just fine, but the barrel is hella stubborn.

[@MrTAGARON]

I have a question:it is possible either to Polish ,or to cover with silver(not paint).Why don't you do it?

[@NaruSanavai]

The silver required would cost far more than what that little gun is actually worth, though.

[@ezquimal]

What size have now that barrel after the nickel plate? Or not change inside of the Barrell?

[@timaquatic]

Hey Andre, I have stripped mine that belonged to my Great Grandfather that was a bailiff in Ireland and moved to London after the English landholders started to let go of of their land management, I have two issues, one is the offset cap holder which I am scared of cross threading further as it appears skewed and the other is the damage to the top of the trigger as me and my brother treated it like a toy growing up

[@flintax1553]

Now all you got to do is restore a pirate hat lmao

[@Taterzz]

so nice of you to add audio of a woman speaking in normal speed while you worked at hyper speed.

[@williamwurthmann1573]

Love the old pistoles.

[@furrymessiah]

Have you considered trying Evapo-Rust for your rust removal agent? If seems to work a treat for that Hand Tool Rescue guy.

[@Redasurc]

Your pfp is cool

[@lutheduck]

Can you share more info on that nickel plating powder?

[@dan725]

@@MastersOfCraftOfficial I couldn't find any information on "Niclos" though :(. This is the first time I've seen a plating without electroplating, but just boiling. I'm super curious about the materials/product used to do that! Regardless, your content is ALWAYS AWESOME. EDIT: Found it online. The process is called Electroless Nickel Plating, and there's a couple of online stores that sell kits for them. Very cool. It's argued that Electroless is more even and gives a more thicker plating.

[@bhamgreeneyes]

I have to admit that I cringed a bit when I first saw this video so thanks for the Pawnstars comment. :) Beautiful work, the nickel plating is a great touch.

[@VeradonaRestoration]

Krásná práce kamaráde 👍

[@joshveer1138]

First Off, Very Good Job, Beautiful Restoration! Second, I Think This Is the Same Design That was Used to Kill Abraham Lincoln Third, I Think That Screw Off Barrel Design Was Designed For Portability And Concealability, And Also One Of the First Attempts At Making A Repeatable Firearm.

[@Trojank]

Is your rotary tool from Dremel or something else?

[@lordvengerx]

Outstanding found this channel by accident stuff is truly amazing this and that sword you don't see this kind of history stuff on other restoration channels instant sub for sure x3 cheers :D

[@paulorth1013]

Nicely done, sir.

[@takoyakisenpai]

You could tell how hard he worked on this on his hands

[@historybuff9276]

I dont know If you've ever heard of doing it but if you take some good krazy glue and cover the centerpiece where the wires go inton the crimp on your spinning wheels top and bottom they last a little longer

[@stephencresswell4760]

Will the coating effect the value and how it shoots? Would love to see you fire a few rounds with it. What calibre is it?

[@TechsScience]

Don't it contains spring?

[@lootznbootz4588]

Playback speed was a little too fast when I slowed it down it helped. But regardless very nice! That handle came out really good! Great video keep em coming

[@LucasClemente]

What's the english translation for that Niclos stuff?

[@grahamparr3933]

Have you got a proper video of this?

[@isaiahere]

I have one similar to this and I can't get the screws on the grip to come off. Any tips on getting them out without damaging it?

[@Redasurc]

Penetrating lube

[@scottwieland7832]

what is Nicol and where can I get some?

[@fergusonman131]

I am so glad that someone does not talk in a video....that video would have been two hours long if he would have talked....keep up the good work.

[@pirate2998]

I personally prefer to keep such weapons in it's original shape, just few taps with gun oil & oiling of the wood.

[@stephensmith4480]

Couldn`t agree more. A bit of Bees wax or Linseed oil on the furniture and a spot of light oiling on the metalwork,tighten up any loose screws. Nothing more,you will just destroy any Antique value.

[@stefanobc1971]

At least he didn't make it mirror finish

[@dodgeplow]

It has no antique value. The fact that you can buy one for $20-30 tells you that. The original screws are missing too (those are modern replacements). This is an art project for him not different than buying canvas and oils.

[@NaruSanavai]

@@stephensmith4480 aNtIqUe VaLuE

[@stephensmith4480]

@@NaruSanavai What are you on about?

[@semperfi1587]

Better not miss!

[@baneofbanes]

Semper Fi Jist goes to show how revolutionary the first reliable revolvers where at the time.

[@tootall5559]

I'm of the opinion this pistol is not as old as you think. too many more modern techniques used to make it. All the threaded parts, and machined screws, not handmade ones, but they did have that in the 1800's so maybe, maybe not. Can't really tell from a video. What is that Nicklos stuff? How does that work, I've never seen plating done like that. Could come in very handy for some of the things I do. However, I think I would have gone with bluing it, that would fit the supposed period better. So would an oil finish on the grip, tho they did have shellac back then, it wasn't commonly used on pistols and such, mostly furniture. Also, I saw no markings on the gun, that's very unusual for a real piece common for a reproduction. at the proposed time, they were mass produced, sort of (not by today's standards) but still got stamped with the maker's name and usually the caliber. I'm no antique weapons expert by a long shot...lol. Just seen a lot of them over the years. Something about this one doesn't seem right... can't put a finger on it from a vid.

[@michaelrs8010]

Excellent job. Thanks for the entertaining video

[@kruppfamilyadventures2652]

where did u get that flintlock pistol gun

[@Tittles-nv4vz]

His freind it says in bud description but he hasn’t posted in 2 years

[@kruppfamilyadventures2652]

@@Tittles-nv4vz o

[@Legolasicek]

Just why didn’t you use electrolysis? Is it somewhat inconvenient,?

[@punkrockkkk]

Do you have a link or name of the tool you are using at 3:54 in the video? Thanks

[@zippofanmc]

How do u find antiques for so cheap?

[@everfreebrumby8385]

That’s a neat little gun.

[@garge7676]

Pistols just like this one were exceedingly popular among soldiers, it seems. Daguerreotypes and Tintypes of soldiers in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War show a good amount of troops armed with these pocket pistols. One photo of a Heavily Armed Volunteer of the Mexican-American War shows someone armed with a musket and two of these pocket pistols tucked into his belt. Just a fun tidbit, I guess

[@infinitenoodle7531]

Excellent video!!!

[@patriotaespana8842]

No va pavonada ?

[@scottloar]

The pistol grip. Clean using 000 steel wool dipped in a 50/50 mixture of denatured alcohol and mineral spirits, the same as stripping fine furniture. Once thoroughly cleaned and dried finish with a high quality English paste wax used for waxing furniture. By doing so you will have maintained the integrity of the original grip and better complement the pistol's metal finish.

[@loyalram4363]

I know on Pawn Stars, they always say “this gun’s been cleaned. It’s worth nothing.” If it’s a straight up restoration, is that different?

[@loyalram4363]

Andre Will Do It If a gun is broken, it’s of course better and more valuable after being fixed. I think what you do with these weapons is an art, and so I am not criticizing. Haven’t you heard collectors say that a cleaned gun is significantly decreased in value because it doesn’t have the patina of age? I’ve heard it for collectible coins and guns....

[@TheASSedoTV]

Beautiful job

[@McCreightMB]

I’ve loved the gun restorations. I wish you could do a full sized Kentucky long Rifle or any rifle from 1700-1890

[@McCreightMB]

Andre Will Do It I look forward to the day you can!

[@mattrip9810]

were does he find this stuff?

[@GOVSWALKER]

I really love the end result. It is a very nice looking piece.

[@MRNVCDIY]

Nice job

[@williamavery9185]

Great restoration. I would have liked to see it blued though.

[@specialsmithchick]

Wow! Spectacular work! It’s too bad you couldn’t sand any faster, though (Smiles so adorably at own ridiculous remark you can’t help but smile back with a little tilt to your head as you say, “Awe!”)

[@Tetleyb]

A question if I may? Do you make a living doing this or is it a hobby?

[@terrydavenport48]

Was this an 'original' or was it one of the models you could order and put together yourself back in the 70's?

[@hansjuergensimon6066]

Can you still shoot it ?

[@elbandido9887]

This reminds me of the famous duel pistols used in England

[@NaruSanavai]

Except, you'd want to be more like two paces away when shooting at someone with this, as opposed to ten.

[@bryanbortko2695]

Nice piece

[@bentimmerman2916]

what is this gun called?

[@bilalsehic2874]

Where can I buy nicles like that? I need shipping couse I'm from Bosnia

[@jehoiakimelidoronila6543]

How much more if that pistol fires a 410 gauge shotgun shell? Small but deadly.

[@raresdumitrescu8589]

will you make a video loading and shooting it tho? lovely video

[@alviselaguna5028]

Slow down, man! We want to see the details!! ;)

[@stefandelphin]

This is a weapon, which was manufactured in the years around 1875 by the German gunsmith Rassmann in Mehlis to myerr knowledge for the Saxon Gendarmerie.

[@Axel-id4nh]

how do you find these rare thingys tho

[@samione]

Axel 360 I don't think it's rare.

[@mrjack08722]

Not rare, just old.

[@DarkStormsDino]

He mentioned going through metal scrap yards

[@Axel-id4nh]

MrJack08722 i mean if it's old it's rare mostly.

[@Badenhawk]

It’s really not rare, and it’s most likely not an original piece from the time period. A lot of working reproductions look old.

[@bartram33]

Looks like it could still do the job!

[@oldschool1993]

Dude, slow it down and make it in 2 parts-

[@heckler3119]

You should become a full time restorer of old things! If that's a job

[@topiheimola69]

Nah I think it's more of a hobby than a job. Or maybe you could make it into a job, like people bring you these old artifacts they want restored and pay you for doing it :o

[@ThePsychodo]

nicely done!

[@Mmarin5193]

Really enjoying these videos, I wouldn't mind seeing you take a old fire arm and bringing it to a near mirror polish. I know that's probably a whole loy kore work, but it should be cool to see on a more ornate piece

[@schuur10]

Yes! thats the one i bought in one of my previous lives!

[@ThatButchBitch]

what

[@scotttilson2747]

A master at work. But he needs to cut back on the caffeine a little bit.

[@The411]

Use leather pads with vice grips, you left huge gouges in the barrel.

[@georgetteanderson8980]

Awesome job, looks great

[@MrBioniclefan1]

Great work

[@americanpatriot2310]

That is AWESOME!

[@Ladynero]

Very nice job! You do excellent work.

[@paalaasengstubbrud3524]

will it fire? i imagine the bore is still rusted to shit

[@paalaasengstubbrud3524]

oh that's awesome!

[@StitchyMe]

Can you slow down parts of the video where you hold something up to the camera during the disassembly? There isn't enough time for the viewer to really see what is being shown when sped up.

[@dionysus6892]

The Arch Duke better watch it

[@jacobwilloughby9215]

The steal wool was the wrong way to go about it. Collectors like it with the age. But looks cool

[@francoislebois]

Pirate gun? 18 century?

[@stevehuffman7453]

Percussion ignition. 19th century, post c. 1829

[@kpadmirer]

Back in the 50s, this pistol would sell for around $25.

[@LesBelltexas]

great restore thats quite cool...

[@macedindu829]

Looks amazing.

[@gun189-f5c]

very clear the gun is the best

[@gsb7572]

So satisfying