PAIR OF FLINTLOCK OFFICER'S PISTOLS FROM THE VERSAILLES MANUFACTORY, SIGNED "NICOLAS BOUTET", First Empire. 30232

PAIR OF FLINTLOCK OFFICER'S PISTOLS FROM THE MANUFACTURE DE VERSAILLES, SIGNED "NICOLAS BOUTET", First Empire. 30232

Octagonal barrels slightly swamped towards the muzzle, blued, stamped with thunderbolts "BC", "NB" in an octagon, "NB" in a rectangle (Nicolas Boutet's variant stamp), "LB". The top flats are signed "BOUTET Directeur Artiste". Caliber 14 mm, rifled barrels. Flat-bodied locks signed "Manufre à Versailles". Flat-bodied swan-necked cocks, steel pans. All fittings in polished plain steel. Oval flat caps. Wooden ramrods with horn tips. Walnut stocks with long butts. Finely checkered steep grips.
Barrel length: 22 cm, with the breech plug 27 cm.
Total length of each pistol: 33.5 cm.

France.
First Empire.
Good condition, pistols never cleaned, barrels retaining their color.

NOTE:
Nicolas Noël Boutet was born in 1761, he died in 1833. He was the director of the Manufacture de Versailles from year 2 to 1818. He was the reference arms manufacturer for luxury, award, and honor weapons throughout the Directory, the Consulate, and the First Empire. He had a factory depot in Paris at 1236 rue de la Loi (rue de Richelieu) in year 11. Then starting in 1807, at 87 rue de Richelieu. As a private gunsmith, he set up shop at 23 rue des Filles Saint Thomas in 1823. He worked until 1831.
He had a son, Pierre-Nicolas, born in 1786, died in 1816, which explains the inscription "Boutet et Fils" sometimes seen from around 1806.
This model of pistols was often given as a national reward weapon by the executive directory and later by Napoleon as First Consul.

PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Firearms cannot be paid for via Paypal. This company refuses transactions involving any type of weapons, including freely circulating and detainable collectible weapons. Consequently, only checks, remote credit card payments (VPC), and IBAN transfers are accepted.

Warning requested by Google search ranking service:

This weapon is an ancient collectible and cannot be used; it is inactive, current cartridges are not usable with this non-functioning weapon. The law of March 6, 2012, classifies weapons into 4 categories and regulates their acquisition and possession modes. Classification is therefore essential. Decree n° 2013-700 of July 30, 2013, specifies the list of weapons specific to each category.
The presented weapon is in category D2, freely detainable, and can be purchased without any restrictions since it is inactive.