The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms - 1350 to 1700
- Road to American Liberty - 1700 to 1780
- A Prospering New Republic - 1780 to 1860
- A Nation Asunder - 1861 to 1865
- The American West - 1850 to 1900
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present
- For the Fun of It
- Modern Firearms - 1950 to Present
- Hollywood Guns
Turkish/Balkan Rat-tail pistols
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This pair of Turkish/Balkan rat-tail flintlock pistols features cast silver stocks embellished by elaborate filigree carving and engraving. Even the loading ramrod is fitted with a similar silver handle and related cylindrical tube which conceals a stiletto dagger. Worn as a symbol of rank and status, it is believed this pair of pistols was never fired.
The iron of the barrel and lockplate protects the silver stocks from tarnishing in a chemical partnership where the less noble of the metals would oxidize (tarnish) first.