In describing the gun that shot Lord Macdonald Duncan in the prologue of each of the books in this series, I wanted a gun from America or one used in America and upon the frontier. I chose the
Pistolet modèle An IX, which was used in Canada and as part of the Napoleonic Wars. I have several friends who are gun enthusiasts and this was their suggestion, though you do not find me ever describing the gun used for the attack on Lord Duncan as being anything but an “American” style gun. The pistolet modèle An IX was actually a gun used by the French military as early as 1801. It was a flintlock cavalry pistol. It replaced the modèle 1777, which had not proven itself worthy or reliable, so much so that the French brought back the modèle 1763 while they waited for appropriate updates.

“This pistol is superficially similar in appearance to the well respected Pistolet modèle 1763/66 pattern. The Pistolet modèle An IX is in effect the same in terms of changes made to the musket pattern of the same year, but when compared to the modèle 1777/1786 had the spring and brass barrel bands of its predecessor restored to make it much easier to service. The Pistolet modèle An IX, like its earlier patterns, was designed to equip mounted units, each cavalry soldier using two pistols. It was used in most mounted units of the Consulat and during the early years of the Empire, as well as in the Navy.

“In 1806, the Pistolet modèle An XIII was introduced; the two patterns co-existed for some time, until the last modèles An IX were upgraded to the An XIII standard. In the 1840s, the variants that were now of the An XIII standard were converted to a caplock action.”