THE WAPENSHAW

by Hank Griffith

(This issue, we have a guest columnist for the Wapenshaw, since the topic, firearms, is too "modern" for me. Here, then, is Hank's article on Scottish Highland Pistols - Guy.)

The earliest pistols which can be verified as Scottish were made of brass and had fishtail-shaped butts, and a similar type made of brass or steel with lemon-shaped butts, dating to the very late 1500s to the early 1600s. These pistols were of the snaphaunce type, which gave way to the wheellock and then the flintlock.

There are a few Scottish pistols of this early period, with walnut stocks made in Germany, which are in a collection in Sweden, and others with wooden stocks covered with brass plates. Almost all of the early type of pistols were heavily scrolled and engraved.

The typical Scottish pistol had no trigger guard, and had a belt hook on the opposite side of the firing mechanism. These pistols usually came right- and left-handed until the Victorian period, when all were right-handed because they were not for use, only part of a costume. The use of pistols in Highland warfare is very interesting; while running to the attack the men in the front ranks would fire them when in range. Not having the opportunity to reload while still running, they would throw the pistol, making possibly a second casualty of the enemy. If the butts had been made of wood this type of handling would make them unserviceable in short order; therefore they were designed with all-metal stocks. (Leave it to the Scots to come up with a unique method of fighting, and also a way to be cheap - constantly paying for replacing broken wooden stocks would have driven any Scot back to his whisky!)