Foreword: The most overlooked product of Kentucky gunsmiths is the under-hammer pistol. While not common, under-hammers were made by a number of Kentucky gunsmiths during the percussion era. Production appears limited based on the few known examples, perhaps due to under-hammers being a later, non-traditional style of pistol in a state that clung strongly to its earlier frontier traditions.

Under-Hammers: Under-hammer pistols were cheaper than percussion lock guns. [1] They were popular in New England, but interest dropped as the distance from New England increased. The benefit of under-hammers came from their simple design and ease of manufacture. [2] Despite under-hammers’ eastern popularity, farther west in Kentucky conventional percussion rifles and pistols were preferred. The small number of signed Kentucky under-hammers suggests they were seldom made in larger towns like Lexington, Bardstown, Frankfort, and Louisville. But under-hammers were made in Kentucky’s Ohio River port towns visited by easterners familiar with under-hammers. Farther inland in rural areas, where cash was scarce and price a more significant factor, under-hammers were more accepted. Kentucky’s under-hammers changed depending on how far from the Ohio River they were made. Figures No.1a and 1b shows the style changes with pistols made farther from the Ohio River. An Ohio River under-hammer is on top, and each descending pistol was made farther inland, with the bottom pistol made in southern Kentucky.

Single vs. Double-Action: Most under-hammers used the common “single action” mechanism, but in Kentucky a few guns had “double-action” mechanisms. Single-action hammers had thumbpieces for cocking the hammer before firing. Double-action hammers lacked a thumb-piece and had a cut-out to assist capping. To load, the trigger was pulled back slightly, lifting the hammer above the nipple for capping through the hammer’s cut-out front end, then carefully lowered back down on the cap. [3] The pistol could then be fired by simply pulling the trigger, without the delay of cocking a single-action before firing. Under-hammer pistols were primarily self-defense weapons, so the quicker double-action saved a second or two… and perhaps at times the owner’s life. The top pistol in Figure No.1 has the faster double-action mechanism without a thumbpiece on the hammer.

Different Styles: Despite the small number of known Kentucky under-hammers, a pattern emerges that helps explain their style variations. Better under-hammers with double-action mechanisms were made in Kentucky’s port towns on the Ohio River. The fine example in Figure No.2 below was made by gunsmith Andrew J. Jones at Augusta, Bracken County, on the Ohio River above Louisville. [4] The pistol is exceptional for its fine curly maple stock, metal work, and belt hook. Similar pistols were made by gunsmith J. Harding in the port town of Covington in Kenton County, across the Ohio River from Cincinnatti. [5] Another Bracken County pistol made in “1854” by Joshua Barlow is shown in Figure No.3. It has a single-action mechanism and attractive curly maple stock, despite the butt not being as shapely as the earlier Andrew Jones pistol. While extremely rare, double-action under-hammer pistols were occasionally made on demand farther inland in prosperous towns. A double-action pistol with fully curved butt by Kentucky gunsmith Jesse E. White of Lexington, signed “J. E. W.” in script like his rifles, is known. Footnote [6] shows an old image of the Jesse White pistol.

Kentucky’s under-hammer pistols had changing butt styles as pistols were made farther inland from the Ohio River. On the river, most butts were attractively curved, reminiscent of Kentucky’s earlier flintlock pistol butts. Going two counties inland to Harrison County, gunsmith William Fryman made the under-hammer pistol in Figure No.4 below. It retains some grip curvature, but the earlier, more graceful Kentucky pistol butt is gone, and it has the common single-action ignition. However, it has a belt/sash hook that was used on some smaller Kentucky pistols. Farther inland in Nicholas County, gunmaker Joshua Barlow [before his 1847 move to Bracken County] made the under-hammer pistol in Figure No.5. The trigger is smaller and the butt’s center-line straighter and shaped more like a New England under-hammer, but the barrel remains octagon for its entire length.

Another Nicholas County pistol by gunsmith Edmond C. Burden, who trained Joshua Barlow, is shown in Figure No.6 below. The pistol is neatly made with a single-action mechanism, and while the stock is curly maple, it lacks the curvature of an Ohio River pistol, instead angling sharply down like a New England under-hammer. The last Kentucky under-hammer pistol in Figure No.7 is dated “1842” and was made in Kentucky’s southern Green County by gunsmith Simon Settle. It has a curly maple grip but otherwise looks very much like a New England under-hammer with its octagon-to-round barrel, “boot leg” shaped butt, and single-action mechanism [end of hammer is missing]. Green County is two-thirds the way down toward Tennessee in a less populated, more rural area where cost was a major consideration, resulting in a cheaper, more “standard” style of pistol.

Summary: Under-hammer pistols were seldom made in Kentucky. Surviving examples exhibit a range of grip styles with the State’s more attractive pistols being made in port towns along the Ohio River. Farther inland, pistols began to take on New England under-hammer details, and in Kentucky’s southern counties, under-hammer pistols resembled New England pistols. But Kentucky under-hammers had a few consistent features… most were stocked in curly maple, many had a belt/sash hook, and they often had shorter barrels than Eastern under-hammers. Kentucky under-hammers were small, seldom used self-defense weapons, which may explain why so few were made in Kentucky. Kentuckians in general preferred pistols with longer barrels, more traditional Kentucky styling, and percussion locks… a holdover from their proud frontier heritage.

Foot Notes: [1] Herschel C. Logan, Underhammer Guns, The Stackpoole Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1960, p.11. [2] Ibid., pp.14-22. [3] Ibid., p.14. [4] Ibid., pp.15, 120-121. *See image below on left for signed “A. J. Jones” pistol illustrated in Underhammer Guns. [5] Shelby W. Gallien, Kentucky Gunmakers 1775-1900, Vol. II - Biographies, Powder Horn Publications, 2012, p.117, “J. Harding.” [6] Herschel C. Logan, Underhammer Guns, The Stackpoole Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1960, pp.23, 136-137. *See image below right for “J. E. W.” signed pistol illustrated in Underhammer Guns.

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