This attractive pair of pistols is illustrated and described The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Early Firearms of Great Britain and Ireland from the Collection of Clay P. Bedford" and were displayed at the MET in 1971 on pages 36 and 39. They note "Michael Ransford worked in Dublin from about 1735 until his death in 1757...Literature: Blackmore, Royal Sporting Guns at Windsor, p. 55 pl. 11; Christie's sale, June 10, 1969, lot 191." The pistols have silver mounts, and all but the upper ramrod pipes and wrist escutcheons have Irish hallmarks. The furniture includes border, shell, classical martial, and floral patterns, and the pommel cap studs are grotesque green-man masks. The locks are signed "RANSFORD." The two-stage, smoothbore barrels have traces of proofs on the upper left at the breech and dished rear sights on the tangs. The stocks have raised relief floral carving between the barrel tangs and wrist escutcheons and nicely shaped flats. The wrist escutcheons feature a crest with an armored hand holding a dagger and a ducal coronet.

Very good with mostly silver gray patina on the lock and barrel along with some light pitting and darker patina at the edges, attractive aged patina on the silver furniture, and mild overall wear. The stock is also very good and has crisp raised relief carving, a thin crack at the nose of the lock, some small chips and slivers absent at the edges, and a couple of thin cracks/repairs between the tendril and the trigger guard tang on the right. Mechanically fine.

See "A". Provenance: The Clay P. Bedford Collection; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1971; Property of a Gentleman

Very good with mostly silver gray patina on the lock and barrel along with some darker patina in the recesses and mild pitting, attractive aged patina on the silver, and mild overall wear. The stock is also very good and has some cracks in the wrist and forend, some filler, minor flakes and dents, and light scratches. Mechanically fine.