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Originally Posted by Norman McCormick
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This is an excellent article Norman!!! Thank you!
This means that these familiar sea service pistols made in Belgium were well in use by this time (1815). Typically a 'pattern' or 'model' of a weapon type is given that designation as a result of an official order or regulation issued in that year and recognizing the form as distinct and standard.
This means that such a designated weapon has likely been in production and use already for an indeterminate period of time. The bureaucratic wheels in earlier times, incredibly, were even slower than today!
With Spanish weapons, especially in the colonies, for example, the sword colloquially termed the 'bilbo', was often regarded as a M1769, yet had been prior classed as a M1728. We cannot be sure exactly when these arming swords developed, but those years correspond to offical regulations issued.
With English swords, the M1821 swords for light cavalry(three bar hilt) and the 'heavy' with bowl hilt. While production of these began in that year, issues and complaints led to production halting 1824-25,with a hiatus until 1829. As a result these are deemed by many to be techncally 1829's while many call them 1821's.
With these pistols, that they existed as such well prior to 1815 seems to be the case, but it is good to see how they have been referenced in all these sources. The Liege factor is I think much overlooked in arms study, so this remarkably insightful discourse is outstanding!