This U.S. Model 1842 Navy percussion pistol was produced by Ames in Springfield, Massachusetts and is dated 1846. It is chambered in .54 caliber with an 8.5-inch barrel. The barrel has gone to a gray-to-brown patina and still shows its inspector marks, while the lock has a brown patina of its own. The wood is rated very good, with some chipping around the lock, and the action works perfectly.

For a Delaware buyer this is a collector's piece rather than a working sidearm, and it suits anyone building a run of U.S. martial percussion pistols from the 1840s. An Ames Navy pistol with legible inspector stamps and a dated lock is the kind of example that displays well and documents easily. Because Delaware handles it as a handgun transfer, the buyer must be 21 or older and every dealer sale includes photo identification, Form 4473 and a background check, with the permit or carry license step handled before the transfer.

Key features

• .54 caliber, 8.5-inch barrel
• Ames, Springfield, Massachusetts, dated 1846
• Inspector marks visible on barrel
• Wood very good, chipping around the lock
• Action works perfectly

We ship this antique to a Delaware FFL dealer you choose, and you finish the paperwork and background check at the counter.