British Police Firearms

[Mervyn Mitton]

Following on from the last post - which showed an early percussion pistol used by the British Police - I thought I would add these few remaining pieces from my collection.

Remembering that the first British Force was the Metropolitan Police - who went on duty in 1829 - you could reasonably expect that there would be hundreds of old weapons in antique shops. This is not the case - prior to the Meropolitan there was a system of Parish Constables, Night Watchmen and Town Constables. They usually carried a stave - and if firearms were required they were either private - or, borrowed from the local Militia.

The system changed during Victorian times and swords and pistols were usually held in the major police stations. However, the ones shown here are from an earlier period and have been identified as having links with the early Constabulary.

Top left - a pistol for the County of Cheshire. Right : Double barreled percussion - of a type used by Inspectors in the Metropolitan Police. Centre left: Manstopper - heavy bore used by Birmingham Police. Right: a pocket Flintlock and on left a percussion pistol. Early detectives often carried these pocket pistols.

[Robin Lumsden]

Remembering that the first British Force was the Metropolitan Police ...... who went on duty in 1829 ....

Glasgow had the first police force in Britain, founded in 1779, fifty years ahead of Sir Robert Peel's efforts in London, and comprising an Inspector and eight officers. :cheeky:

[Brian Wolfe]

Very impressive collection Mervyn.

It's not something you usually think about when talking about the early years of British policing.

Thanks for posting them.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Robin - several people would like to think either Scotland or Ireland predate the Metropolitan Police. Unfortunately they were no more then Town Police - and several English Towns were just as well organised - even at that time. The fact is that the Met. were the first civilian police force in the World to be organised in such strength and with new methods.

[jimhallam]

I used to have a LARGE collection of Webley S-L pistols, starting with .32 cal #12, going from the .22 blowback olice trainer singleshot up to the big .455 which the Dockyard Police had at one time.. You can see many of them in Gordon Bruce's book. Although I COULD have kept them as I am "Section 5 Authorised" I passed most of them on to a friend in Rhode Island. What a shame that only the "scrotes" *** seem to have the freedom to have pistols in the U.K. now!

*** scrote ---- police jargon -- - work it out!