Officer's Saddle Pistol, Pre-regulation Model, Circa 1730. 34636

OFFICER'S SADDLE PISTOL, pre-regulation model, Old Monarchy, reign of Louis XV, circa 1730. 34636

Walnut stock with polished brass fittings: stock cap with lugs, under-guard trigger guard, cleaning rod loops, and a counter-plate adorned with rocaille decoration featuring a plain medallion, a foliate volute, and a dragon’s head. Barrel with slightly raised flat sides. Square lock plate with discreetly ornamented borders. The Saint-Étienne arquebusier engraved his mark: “APENEL A LAPLACE”; the letters “AP,” intertwined in cursive capital letters, precede the other characters rendered in small capitals. Antoine Penel, descended from a long line of gunsmiths, worked in Saint-Étienne or its outskirts. The location “LAPLACE” has not been identified.
Total length of the weapon: 51 cm; barrel length: 34 cm; caliber: 15 mm; weight: 1.06 kg.

France.
Ancient Monarchy, reign of Louis XV, circa 1730.
Very good condition, normal oxidation on the steel parts.

PROVENANCE:
Former PM collection.

HISTORY:
This most likely belongs to the PENEL (or PÉNEL) family, a family of arquebusiers from Saint-Étienne during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Antoine Penel: arquebusier in Saint-Étienne, documented from approximately 1680 to 1730.
François and Antoine Penel: manufacturers of luxury firearms, particularly pistols, active around 1745–1760.