Posted on 04/30/2026 5:08:12 AM PDT by marktwain
Pistols were commonly owned in America at the time of the Revolution. Clayton Cramer & Joseph Edward Olson lay out extensive evidence in their paper.
Numerous people claim that pistols were not common during the American Revolution. This is done to imply concealed arms were not included in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Clayton Cramer and Joseph Edward Olson published a paper outlining extensive evidence of pistol ownership at the time of the American Revolution. The paper was published in the Willamette Law Review on June 3, 2008, pages 699-722.
In early America, pistols were distinguished from guns or firearms. The distinction between pistols and guns, and by extension firearms, persisted in common usage until 1828. One of the most telling pieces of evidence showing the commonality of pistols is the accounting of the weapons turned in to General Gage after the battles of Lexington and Concord occurred on April 19, 1775.
As an incentive, General Gage offered passes to leave Boston to all who turned in their weapons, because no weapons or ammunition were allowed to leave Boston. On April 27th, the people delivered to the selectman 1778 fire-arms, 634 pistols, 973 bayonets, and 38 blunderbusses.
Aside from the bayonets, pistols accounted for over 25% of the weapons turned in. This was probably an undercount, because pistols are easier to hide than the other weapons. After telling the Bostonians the weapons would be returned to them, General Gage confiscated them some months later.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
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And some had artillery.
This may be where “Hot as a pistol” came from. Used in a sentence back then it might’ve been something like “Boy, that Mrs. McGillicuddy is hot as a pistol!”.
I did not exercise my option right under the 2nd Amendment to purchase a handgun until sometime during the pandemic. The other weapons I have are long guns that I inherited from my father. The handgun I purchased - a Sig Sauer P365 - represented about 1.5 hours of billed time. I constantly peruse the reviews and advertising, planning generally to buy more guns. I am the perfect example of “I have more guns than I need, but not as many as I want.”
It is amazing how inexpensive quality firearms have become.
A week’s work at minimum wage is enough to buy a good pistol, rifle, or shotgun.
Of course, the sky is the limit on the upper end.
Way back in 1984 someone broke into our home while we slept. All I had was a .22 Nylon 66 rifle. Fortunately, the intruder left when he heard us moving to cover. The next day I bought a .45 ACP Lightweight Commander. Now I have a nice assortment, the CZ-75 being the newest.
“numerous people”. Lovely. To make a point some TWOT can’t be bothered to name names, just “something he heard”.
The article’s author is responsible for this crappola.
Of course they were. Look at popular literature, drawings and songs. One of my favorite old Irish songs from that era is “Reilly’s Daughter”, an excerpt from which is:
Suddenly a footstep on the stairs
Who should it be but Reilly out for slaughter
With two pistols in his hands
Looking for the man who had married his daughter.
I caught old Reilly by the hair
Rammed his head in a pail of water
Fired his pistols into the air
A damned sight quicker than I married his daughter.
Bkmk
A ‘Hot pistol’ is a stolen firearm.
One example in song is the line; “She was hotter than a two dollar pistol” sung by George Jones.
A Pistol , Rifle And ShotGun Should be
The Minimum Owned by Citizen Landowners
In These Here United States!
.
Lots of Range Time to Boot!
Cheers
There have been several books published over the years trying to show few people had firearms in the 1770s.
One I remember from around 1968 was “THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS by Carl Bakal, released in paperback as “NO Right.....”
A few years back another book was published trying to show few in 1776 had firearms. I can’t remember the name but it was found to be so full of errors it was withdrawn from publication.
One standout was a ‘historian’ named Michael Bellesiles who in 2000 wrote a book making the claim that gun ownership in early America was rare. His book was greeted joyously by the liberal echo chamber, of course, winning a prestigious award, only to have it rescinded a year later when the book was exposed as a total fraud. He ended up resigning from Emory University.
A frog went a-court'n, he could ride, uh huh.
A frog went a-court'n, he could ride, sword an pistol by his side, uh huh...
Songs, literature, and historical records are full of references to firearms in the hands of colonists.
Idiomation says it was a common phrase in the 1850s for cheap pistols that were around at the time. https://idiomation.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/hot-as-a-two-dollar-pistol/
Me, I never heard the “two-dollar-pistol” part. Learn something new every day!
If one visits the Governor’s house in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, one will see walls lined with flintlock muskets and walls (plural) lined with flintlock pistols. I remember our female tour guide stating, “This is what happens when men are allowed to decorate.” Of course, the Governor’s house had extra quality arms for militia musters as many laborers might not own a suitable weapon.
Learned (Leared?) the old meaning of the phrase before it meant a stolen pistol.
...Was the fastest thing around...
Great song.
I am about half way through reading “The Frontiersman”
It starts in 1755. I am up to 1779 currently in the book.
It primarily takes place in Cen Tuck EE and Ohio(Shawnee territory)
The Frontiersmen: A Narrative
Book by Allan W. Eckert
The Frontiersmen: A Narrative by Allan W. Eckert is a meticulously researched historical account of the American westward expansion, focusing on the settlement of the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, etc.) from the mid-18th to the early 19th century. It chronicles the lives of legendary figures like Simon Kenton and Tecumseh, portraying the brutal reality of the era through the clash of cultures, the struggles for survival, and the conflicts between settlers and Native American tribes like the Shawnee. The book is praised for its compelling, novel-like storytelling and deep historical detail, making it a popular and critically acclaimed work in American history.
Key aspects of the book:
Focus:
The opening of the Northwest Territory, covering events from the French and Indian War through the War of 1812.
Main Characters:
Simon Kenton, a legendary frontiersman, and Tecumseh, the brilliant Shawnee chief, are central figures, with other historical figures like Daniel Boone and William Henry Harrison also featured.
Genre:
Narrative history, blending factual events with a compelling story, making it read like an adventure novel.
Research:
Based on extensive research, including personal letters, diaries, and official documents from the period, with sources cited in the back of the book.
Themes:
Explores the harsh realities of frontier life, the conflict between settlers and Native Americans, and the virtues and tragedies of both sides.
I would highly recommend it.
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