Tanto Pistol

[watsonmil]

In the case of some items, ... not exactly the same type of instance as Erick points out, I have quite often found that people doing a " Google " search will contact me for items I sold as many as 5 years ago ! It would seem Google is so big as to use whatever they please without consideration for obtaining permission. Please do a search for TANTO PISTOL using Google. The first item that comes up is a Tanto Pistol I have owned for a goodly number of years, ..... and I didn't pay $ 1975.00 US. I cannot remember if this is the same dealer I purchased the item from or not. I do know it is the same pistol ! By the way it is NOT Flintlock it is Percussion. ... Ron Watson

[estcrh]

In the case of some items, ... not exactly the same type of instance as Erick points out, I have quite often found that people doing a " Google " search will contact me for items I sold as many as 5 years ago ! It would seem Google is so big as to use whatever they please without consideration for obtaining permission. Please do a search for TANTO PISTOL using Google. The first item that comes up is a Tanto Pistol I have owned for a goodly number of years, ..... and I didn't pay $ 1975.00 US. I cannot remember if this is the same dealer I purchased the item from or not. I do know it is the same pistol ! By the way it is NOT Flintlock it is Percussion. ... Ron Watson

Ron..you should know better than to tell us NOT to do something!!!! I saw the pistol you mentioned, so you still own it? What does it fire exactly? I to have purchased items and the site I made the purchase from would still list the item as sold many months later.

[watsonmil]

Hi Eric,

Tell you what, .... if time permits me I will post an article in the next few days. Yes, ... I still own the Tanto Pistol. It is probably interesting enough for the members to get my son to do some photos which I can post. It fired a .30 cal ball, .... might not kill you outright, ... but sure as hell would get your attention ! .... Ron Watson

[estcrh]

Hi Eric,

Tell you what, .... if time permits me I will post an article in the next few days. Yes, ... I still own the Tanto Pistol. It is probably interesting enough for the members to get my son to do some photos which I can post. It fired a .30 cal ball, .... might not kill you outright, ... but sure as hell would get your attention ! .... Ron Watson

Sounds good, I will be watching. 30 cal would be enough to get my attention.

[Jean]

It fired a .30 cal ball, .... might not kill you outright,

 

In fact the bullet is made of lead and it flattened on the impact (all the more if slightly modified), it can kill you easily.

 

Navy Colts model 1851 were only .36

[watsonmil]

I was being somewhat facetious, ... of course it could kill you. I was simply pointing out that if you're going to a gun fight, ... take something a little bigger. The comparison between a Navy Colt of.36 cal and this .30 cal pistol is not comparable. The .36 Colt had a rifled barrel, ... this Tanto pistol is smooth bore. The .36 firing a round ball of 70.26 grains is nearly 75% larger than a .30 cal ball which weighs in at 40.66 grains ( the equivalent of a .22 long rifle rimfire 40 grain slug ) Remembering that a .22 rimfire is being fired from a rifled barrel, ... the .30 cal Tanto pistol ( smooth bore ) did not even have the punch of a .22 short let alone long rifle cartridge. Conical projectiles ( more weight than round ball ) were never used in a smoothbore, as they would only tumble, ... there being no rifling to stabalize the projectile. The .36 Navy could use either a round ball, or conical ( slug ) as they were rifled. The purpose of the Tanto Pistol was pretty much psychological, .... no one wants to be shot period, ... whether it kills you outright or not. .... Ron Watson

[Jean]

Ron,

 

Of course, Ron you are right but the main difference is its use, Navy colt was a revolver designed to be used in regular fight and its accuracy had been tested before being adopted (25 yards at least, probably even 5O).

Here we are facing a combined knife/gun weapon which is by definition a civil one, much of these weapons were in use in Europe as far as the eighteenth century. They were always designed to be used when it went to hand to hand fighting at sea or in abrawls so the rifled bore was of no use (the gun was the ace in the sleeve). In Europe in fact we had both version: dagger coupled to handgun or saber to handgun, always to be used at point blank. It also existed the revolver coupled with bayonet type.

 

The length of the barrel is also fundamental, nobody would bet on the accuracy of a double barelled derringer .41 at ten yards even with a rifled bore

 

For the fun here are examples coming from the States and England :

 

The combined Bowie/cap & ball pistol patented in 1838 by George Elgin from Macon (Georgia) adopted by the US Navy and ordered at 150 copies - Used by Captain Thomas Catesby Jones during his travelled and described as "Mandatory and the best weapon on seas or on shore when exploring new countries"

 

Two combined Pistols, England Circa 1780

 

Combined hunting sword (England Circa 1840)

[watsonmil]

Dear Jean,

The " Tanto " Pistol which is in my collection is strictly a gun. The only reason it is called a "Tanto Pistol " is due to the mounts ( Aikuchi ) ... concealing the fact it is actually a gun rather than a tanto. In the case of this Tanto Pistol, .... NO blade is involved. I will if I may, post a short article in a day or two with photos. All will be much more clear. A picture is worth a 1000 words. The story behind them is really very interesting. Kind regards, ... Ron Watson