Lepage Moutier Arquebusier du Roi et des Princes Percussion Pistol 1847
SOLD FOR: $1,152.00
LSB#: LSB260419DN001
Make: Lepage Moutier Arquebusier du Roi et des Princes (Gunsmith to the King & the Princes)
Barrelsmith: Barrel by Léopold Bernard (French, Paris, active 1832–70)
Model: Over and Under Percussion Pistol
Serial Number: 4794
Year of Manufacture: 1847 / Antique
Caliber: .69 Caliber (17.5mm)
Action Type: Muzzleloading Double Barrel Percussion Pistol with Single Non-Selective Trigger
Markings: The bottom of the barrel is marked with an “L.B.” beneath a crown with a star below (the oval mark of Paris barrelsmith Léopold Bernard (active ca. 1832–70). The left side of the barrel rib is marked “4794 1847”.
Barrel Length: 7 1/8″ Damascus
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a metallic bead. The rear sight is a v-notch fixed to the top tang.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is a one-piece highly figured walnut grip with an engraved metal cap and two engraved lock plates. The wood exhibits attractive figure and color throughout. There are minor compressions and scattered small dings. There are no chips or cracks. There is a natural grain split on the right rear of the grip at a small knot in the wood. Overall, the grip rates in Fine condition as antique.
Type of Finish: Damascus Barrels, Bright and Engraved Steel Furniture
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The smooth bores are somewhat bright. There is light intermittent surface corrosion. There is no notable heavy pitting or erosion. In this writer’s opinion the bores each rate 6 or 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains a pleasing, untouched antique appearance. The Damascus barrels display an attractive aged patina with visible patterning and scattered handling wear. The engraved lockwork, tangs, trigger guard, and furniture retain sharp engraving with mild age toning. The markings remain legible, including the prestigious Lepage Moutier and Leopold Bernard inscriptions. There are minor scuffs down the length of the barrels with small spots of fine pitting. Overall, the pistol rates in Fine antique condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet all your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol includes its Ramrod.
Our Assessment: Lepage Moutier, bearing the title Arquebusier du Roi et des Princes — Gunsmith to the King and the Princes — occupied the absolute pinnacle of Parisian gunmaking during the first half of the nineteenth century, producing elaborately crafted arms for European royalty, aristocracy, and the most discerning civilian clientele of the age. The firm’s work represented the confluence of French artistic tradition and gunmaking mastery at a moment when Paris was the uncontested capital of the world’s finest percussion firearms, and a signed Lepage Moutier piece was as much a statement of social standing as it was a functional instrument. The barrels on this example carry the crowned oval mark of Léopold Bernard, one of Paris’s most respected barrel makers active from 1832 through 1870, whose work appeared on the finest arms of the period — a collaboration between two of the city’s premier craftsmen that speaks directly to the quality and intentionality of this pistol’s original commission. The 1847 date places it squarely in the mature percussion era, when the form had been fully refined but had not yet been eclipsed by the coming cartridge revolution.
This over-and-under percussion pistol presents in Fine antique condition with an untouched, unrestored appearance that serious collectors will immediately recognize as far preferable to any cleaned or refinished example — the Damascus barrels displaying their characteristic patterning beneath an aged patina, the engraving on the lockplates, tangs, and furniture remaining crisp and well-defined, and the highly figured walnut grip retaining its natural color and character with only the minor compressions and a natural grain split consistent with 175 years of careful existence. For the collector of royal-grade European antique arms, presentation-quality percussion pistols, or the finest expressions of Parisian gunmaking’s golden age, a signed Lepage Moutier with a Bernard barrel, original finish, and functioning mechanics is the kind of acquisition that defines a serious collection — and surfaces with remarkable infrequency. Please see our photos and good luck on your bids! – L.S.