Christopher C. Brand of Norwich, Connecticut, received a patented for this design on September 23, 1862. A carbine is pictured but a "gun or pistol" is mentioned in body of the patent. He presumably hoped to receive military contracts for his breech loading arms and chambered them for the .52 Spencer cartridge already in use. If this pistol had been manufactured a few years earlier, it very well might have been accepted as a military weapon, but during the Civil War revolvers were already well-established and favored over single shot pistols which were reminiscent of the muzzle loading horse pistols cavalrymen had used for hundreds of years. Brand was far more successful with his whaling guns which were widely used in the second half of the 19th century. The action is much like the Merrill with the thumb spur on the back strap pulling backwards to operate the toggle link which slides the breechblock to the rear. The hammer is mounted in the center of the breechblock, and the very small extractor lays to its right in the same slot. Only a few guns, mostly carbines, were made under this patent. This is the only known Brand pistol. It is marked "COOK C.S.A.1863" on top of barrel and has an "inspector" initial "B" on the top left flat. The bottom of the frame is marked "7". Copies of the patent papers accompany the pistol. Pictured in the 9th Edition of "Flayderman's Guide" (note the grip screw and the wear patterns) on page 471 and on page 507 of "The William M. Locke Collection" by Frank Sellers. It comes with the well-fitting period leather holster. Provenance: Gillespie collection.

Very good with gray patina and mild pitting. The grips are fine and have nice flame figure, glossy varnish, light scratches and nicks, some chipping at the heel on the right, and a replaced right screw. Mechanically excellent. The holster is fair with moderate overall wear and tears at the edges.