*SOLD* Williamsburg Arms Thomas Jefferson Flintlock Pistols *SET 138 of 1000 MADE*

The Jefferson Pistols are offered by the U.S. Historical Society, with the approval of The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, which maintains Monticello as a national shrine. The issue is limited to 1,000 matched pairs. Once the edition is complete, the tooling and molds will be destroyed in the presence of witnesses from the U.S. Historical Society. Each pair of pistols is individually numbered and registered with the Society. The pistols come complete with a solid mahogany display case and firing accessories.

These handmade, actual firing replicas are museum-quality flintlocks. The handcrafted pistols are shown in the velvet-lined solid mahogany display and storage case with firing accessories. Leather compartment lids are tooled in gold and fitted with brass pulls.

The Display Case is a Valuable Collector's Object and a Handsome Piece of Furniture. The graceful profile of the solid mahogany case is in the Queen Anne style, which was popular in the decorative arts at the time the original pistols were made. The octagonal shape of the case was a favorite with Jefferson in his architectural designs, including Monticello. The pattern of the ebony and boxwood inlay is reminiscent of the classical Roman columns which were frequently part of Jefferson's designs. Each pistol case is made using one master pattern. Note the precisely mitered corners and attention to detail. The inletting is, of course, done by hand to assure the perfect fit of metal to wood. The hinges and handles are solid brass. The key head is brass plate; the shank is steel. Each case is hand sanded and then sealed with a hand-rubbed coat of special sanding sealer. Four coats of lacquer are then carefully laid down. Further hand rubbing produces the desired patina. The interior is hand-lined in velvet. Prior to inserting the velvet-covered lid, Charles Willson Peale's famous silhouette of Jefferson is mounted in the lid so that the portrait can be seen through the brass-framed oval glass window in the lid. The corner compartments may be utilized for storing round balls, flints, and leathers. The two leather corner compartment lids are tooled 24-karat gold. Even though the Thomas Jefferson Pistols are working, functioning, proof-fired pieces, they are exempt from all present and proposed firearms regulations as they are classified as muzzleloading flintlocks. Since these flintlocks require advance preparation, priming and loading, accidental firing is simply impossible.