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VERY RARE BALL’S PATENT ANTI-GARROTTER BELT PISTOL
– A VERY UNIQUE PIECE OF FIREARMS CURIOSA: As
described in the famous Flayderman & Co. catalog No. 117
(1994), “Considered to be among the rarest of firearms
curiosa”, this very rare Ball’s Patent Anti-Garrotter
Belt Pistol is a very unique offering. The above cited
catalog listing was for an anti-garrotter pistol in the
original case and was titled “ONLY KNOWN SPECIMEN CASED
LABELED PERC BELT PISTOL”. The text of the description
included the statement that there was another known
unmarked specimen of this same pistol at the time of the
publication of the catalog, and it is possible that this
pistol is that cited specimen.
The set offered by Flayderman was in the original
lacquered iron case, with a printed maker’s
label/instruction sheet mounted in the cover of the case
which included an illustration of the belt and gun, and
the title, “Henry Ball, Mfr of Improved Patent Single &
D.A. Revolvers & Guns….Instructions for Loading Ball’s
Patent Anti-Garrotter.”. It was complete with the full
length leather belt and buckle which featured a lanyard
and pull knob enclosed in a raised rib that ran the
length of the belt, and sold for $5900. The pistol in
this set featured a round 1 ½” barrel mounted in the
center of the plate - the barrel was stamped with
British proof marks and the base plate was stamped “W.
BALL’S PATENT”.
Henry Ball is recorded in the history of British gun
makers as being located at 23 Weaman
Row, Birmingham, England, and employed as a gun
and lock maker from 1849-1868.
Ball’s invention was intended to be worn either at the
front of the body, or at the small of the back pointed
to the rear, where it could be used in defense against
an attacker attempting to garrote - to use a cord or
wire with handles attached with which to strangle – the
victim.
This rare specimen - with the base plate measuring 6 ¾”
long and 2 ¾” wide, and the .50 caliber barrel measuring
1 ¼” long - presents in very good to excellent
condition. The base plate, the barrel, and the plate
covering the lock mechanism are clean and bright with no
significant aging or any corrosion. The lock and firing
lever function is very crisp and tight with no play.
The cone is complete and is not deformed. As with the
specimen noted in the Flayderman catalog listing, this
belt pistol is unmarked.
As formerly described, by
Flayderman as “one of the rarest of firearms curiosa”,
this is a very interesting oddity from the Victorian age
of firearms. (0303) $2925
NOTE:
Despite the relative rarity of any item, on occasion the
situation arises where I become a lightening rod for a
particular piece, resulting in having more than one for
sale at a given time. As in the case of this Ball’s
Patent Pistol, the happenstance of having two of these
rare pistols at the same time should not be interpreted
with the belief that they are more common than they
are. Rather, this is a unique opportunity for you to
exercise a choice between two excellent specimens.
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