An Exceptional Southern Under-Hammer Pistol with Kentucky Roots ©
Foreword: A fine southern under-hammer pistol recently appeared at auction. It was stocked in vivid curly maple with a “Kentucky pistol” style butt, rare “double action” firing mechanism, and an even more rare belt hook. The gun was well-made but had no maker’s mark. However, when compared to other known under-hammer pistols, it most closely resembled a signed under-hammer by gunsmith Andrew Jackson Jones of Augusta in Bracken County, Kentucky.
Figure No.1a: The new under-hammer pistol has southern features in its attractively shaped grip, curly maple wood, and full-length octagon barrel. Two rare details for an under-hammer are its “double-action” firing mechanism and a belt hook. While unsigned, the pistol closely resembles pistols made by gunsmith A. J. Jones of Bracken County, Kentucky. The butt profile, main-spring guard’s shape, trigger length/shape, and hammer profile all closely mimic Jones’ pistols. Pistol: length 10”, barrel 5-3/8”, bore .32 caliber. Author’s collection, photos by Author.
Figure No.1b: The reverse of the southern under-hammer pistol is similar to its front side, since the firing mechanism is under the pistol instead of using a more traditional side lock. Note the cut-out at the end of the hammer, needed for capping the nipple and removing fired caps. The main-spring, which also serves as the guard, is attached to the hammer by a simple, small hook on the back of the hammer.
Southern Details: Almost all under-hammer pistols made in New England states had angled grips showing little curvature in their center lines. Southern under-hammers from less populated rural areas often followed the Eastern pattern, as seen in the Simon Settle under-hammer from Green County, Kentucky, in Figures No.2a and 2b. But southern under-hammer pistols made in populated areas were often more attractively stocked with curved grips in the style of Deringers and flintlock “Kentucky” pistols. The new pistol has the rounded style grip seen in Figures No.1a and 1b above. Other southern details include: 1) full octagon barrel rather than New England’s octagon-to-round or round barrels; 2) curly maple grip wood; 3) muzzle decoration of circles and punched stars encircling the bore much like longrifle muzzle decoration. A rare detail separating the new pistol from almost all eastern under-hammers is its “double action” firing mechanism that does not require a thumb-rest on the hammer for cocking. While infrequently found on southern under-hammer pistols, the double-action mechanism does show up on some of Kentucky ‘s finer under-hammer pistols.
Figure No.2a: Under-hammer pistols from Kentucky are rare. This example was made by gunsmith Simon Settle of Green County far inland from the Ohio River, and it uses the New England style grip. The hammer’s thumb rest is broken off, and the main spring is internal.
Figure No.2b: Simon Settle was a well-known member of the famous Settle family of gunmakers from central Kentucky. This is his only pistol known to collectors, signed “S. Settle. Maker1844” on a brass strip on top of the tang. Note the rear sight at the end of the brass strip.
Standard vs. Double-Action: Almost all under-hammer guns use the same simple action comprised of a hammer, trigger with long front extension, and spring that can be either internal, or at times external and serve as the guard. The hammer is pulled down by hand until a notch in its base catches the tip of the trigger’s forward extension. When the trigger is pulled, its tip slides out of the shallow notch and lets the hammer fall. The rare double-action mechanism has no thumb-rest tab on the hammer for cocking it. A slight pull on the trigger lifts the hammer above the nipple for cap insertion and the hammer is then slowly lowered. When firing, the trigger is pulled harder, raising the hammer higher until it dislodges from [or clears] the trigger tip and drops. While perhaps a little faster by not being manually cocked, it is probably less accurate due to the heavier trigger pull needed to fire the pistol.
Figure No.3a: This under-hammer pistol by Kentucky gunsmith A. J. Jones is very similar to the study pistol, with its spring guard, trigger, and softly rounded hammer being almost identical in shape. It may be a few years earlier due to is octagon-to-round barrel and less refined grip.
Figure No.3b: The above description accompanies the A. J. Jones pistol in Underhammer Guns by Herschel Logan. Several rifles, both full-stocked and half-stocked, by Jones are known to collectors, all signed in neat script. His work is well-made but usually rather plain.
Kentucky Connection: The new under-hammer pistol was likely made in northern Kentucky on or near the Ohio River. Kentucky gunsmiths making under-hammers more frequently worked in/near Ohio River port towns than any other localized area of Kentucky, in large part due to the river traffic from back east where under-hammer guns were more widely known and accepted. The only known under-hammer rifle from Kentucky was made by gunsmith George A. Mayer at Henderson, an Ohio River port town in Henderson County below Louisville. [1] Gunsmith Andrew J. Jones worked in Augusta, Kentucky, a port town in Bracken County above Louisville, where he made under-hammer pistols closely resembling the subject pistol in grip style, trigger and guard shape, and more importantly the rare “double action” hammer/trigger mechanism. A pistol by A. J. Jones is shown in Figures No.3a and 3b above. [2] A third pistol with similar style grip, straight barrel, and double-action hammer/trigger is signed “J. E. W.” in script similar to Kentucky gunsmith Jesse E. White’s signature on his rifles and was probably made by White in Lexington. [3] A fourth pistol has been reported by gunsmith J. Harding of Covington, Kentucky, another port town on the Ohio River. [4]
Figure No.4a: The main spring/guard, trigger, and hammer are all neatly shaped and well finished. Note the small, decorative hash marks around the breech and a rare belt hook made of spring steel.
Figure No.4b: When the hammer is viewed at a forward angle, the cutout opening on its contact end for loading and removing percussion caps is more easily seen. The nipple shows corrosion but is not beat down.
An Exceptional Pistol: The new under-hammer pistol is stocked in fine curly maple with neatly made trigger, hammer, and main spring/guard. The guard and double-action hammer and trigger are enlarged in Figure No.4a, while Figure No.4b shows the opening at the end of the hammer for easier cap insertion and extraction. An unused silver name plate fills the back of the grip; its lozenge-shaped finials match the tang’s finial. Both the inlay and tang are shown below in Figures No. 5a and 5b. A rare detail on the under-hammer is the slim belt hook on its front side. The pistol is made better than most under-hammers, and being southern, it is more attractive with its curved grip, straight barrel, and nicely shaped guard.
Figure No. 5a: The back of the grip has a narrow silver inlay, undoubtedly intended for the owner’s name but never filled in.
Figure No. 5b: The pistol’s tang has a sharply pointed lozenge-shaped finial, which is mimicked at either end of silver inlay below it.
Figure No.6: Muzzle decoration on the new under-hammer pistol has two concentric inner rings surrounded by eight neatly stamped “round stars” at each corner of the octagon barrel. Despite being unsigned, the distinctive 8-pointed stars stamped around the perimeter may help identify the gun’s maker when a signed gun, rifle or pistol, is found stamped with similar stars.
Summary: A recently discovered under-hammer pistol with curly maple grip, full octagon barrel, and double-action firing mechanism appears to be of southern origin. While unsigned, multiple details suggest it was made in Kentucky. When compared to known, published under-hammer pistols, the new pistol most closely matches a similar under-hammer pistol by Andrew J. Jones of Augusta, Kentucky, on the Ohio River, and may well be his work. If not made by Jones, it probably was made in another Kentucky port town on the Ohio River.
Sources:
1. Blog article, 11-1-24: “A Rare Kentucky Under-Hammer Rifle by Gunsmith George A. Mayer.”
2. Logan, Herschel, Underhammer Guns, The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1960,
pp.120, 121, “A. J. Jones,” Fig.124.
3. Logan, Herschel, Underhammer Guns, The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1960,
pp.136, 137, “J. E. W.,” Fig.162.
4. Logan, Herschel, Underhammer Guns, The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, PA, 1960,
pp.136, 137, “J. Harding,” p.75.