Pistoleer

A pistoleer is a mounted soldier trained to use a pistol, or more generally anyone armed with such a weapon. It is derived from pistolier, a French word for an expert marksman.

The earliest kind of pistoleer was the mounted German Reiter, who came to prominence in Europe after the Battle of St. Quentin in 1557. These soldiers were equipped with a number of single-shot, muzzle-loader wheel-lock or Snaphance horse pistols, amongst the most advanced weapons of the era. Although mounted Pistoleers were effective against heavy cavalry, they gradually fell out of use during the Thirty Years War. After this time, cavalry in Western armies used swords or lances as their primary arm, although they still generally carried a pistol as a sidearm.

During the English Civil War, the Roundhead Ironside cavalry were issued with a pair of flintlock pistols. Cavaliers used similar weapons, often ornately decorated, including an early breechloader with a barrel that could be unscrewed.

Before 1700, cavalrymen were recruited from the wealthy gentry, and generally purchased their own nonstandard pistols. The Industrial Revolution enabled armies to mass-produce firearms with interchangeable parts, and cheaply issue large quantities of standardised firearms to enlisted personnel. However, officers in the British Army and Royal Navy continued to privately commission pistols from London gunsmiths such as Joseph Manton, Robert Wogdon, Henry Nock and Durs Egg until the mid 19th century.

Light cavalry of the early modern period were equipped with a sabre and specialised horse pistols, carried in saddle holsters.^{[citation needed]} These large calibre single shot handguns, also known as holster pistols, horsemen's pistols, cavalry pistols, or musket calibre pistols, saw extensive use among the British and French armies during the Napoleonic Wars. These were deadliest at close range, but massed pistol fire from horseback proved moderately effective at medium range. Many were made in .71, .65 and .58 calibre, to enable the use of standard infantry musket balls.

During the early Victorian era, most horse pistols in the arsenals of England, France, and the United States were converted to caplock ignition. These remained in service until .44 calibre revolvers such as the Colt Dragoon of 1847 or the Adams revolver of 1851 were introduced.

Horse pistols made at the Tower of London used the same lock as the Brown Bess musket. Pistols made before 1790 had wooden ramrods, instead of steel ramrods. The lock was stamped with the crown of George III of Great Britain and the barrel received arrow proof marks.

Due to the high demand for arms during the wars against France, regulation .71 calibre horse pistols were also manufactured in Birmingham, and by private gunsmiths. Britain's German allies produced similar pistols in .71 and .65 calibre, including the Prussian Potzdam horse pistols of 1733, 1774 and 1789.