Pistols without locks at Williamsburg?

I'm not sure how much I really trust the accuracy of CW docents on stuff that is not immediately in their personal area of expertise, and some not even then. The actual craftsmen and women, yes. The docents, not so much. On a visit a few years ago, one docent in the book binding shop was going on about the legal curriculum of the period at nearby William and Mary, and was quite adamant that Thomas Jefferson had never studied there, despite being assured that there was a boat load of documentation about his time there. Couldn't say why he was so certain. I know they have a script to stick to, but it just didn't inspire much confidence. So, the only person there I would trust to be knowledgeable about period firearms is the gunsmith.
 
Howdy

This story reminds me of what happened here in Massachusetts a few years ago. We had just been burdened with an onerous law, that among other things required that all firearms be safely stored. That meant in most cases they needed to be locked up.

Not too long afterwards, a Revolutionary War musket on display in the Massachusetts State House in Boston had a trigger lock put on it, just to be 'on the safe side'. Just in case it was loaded and a miscreant took it down and tried to commit a crime with it.

Eventually common sense prevailed and the trigger lock was removed from the musket.
 
My question would be "when was the Governor's inventory taken?". At the time of his death? One has to look at all the possibilities. Perhaps the locks were removed from he pistols to be repaired and were just not present at the time the inventory was taken.

I'm no expert on Colonial history . . . but it's my understanding that powder was stored in a magazine in many towns but it was powder intended for militia use? i.e. not personal use? If residents hunted in the surrounding areas they certainly would have had individual horns containing powder for not only hunting but personal protection weapons such as coach guns/pistols.

One has to remember, even at a place such as Williamsburg, that docents are not "authorities" on everything. I'm sure that Williamsburg was considered much more "civilized" than say border territory settlements where the danger of Indians and such were much more prevalent. To say that pistols and rifles/fowlers were not kept loaded is a foolish statement. The people of those times were no different that we are today so I'll ask this question . . . "how many of you have a loaded gun in your house?". I know I do . . more than one for the purpose of self defense. The people of those times were no different and while we, today, are not worried about "attacks" . . . we do have to worry about "home invasions" and the like.

And like many have stated . . . I personally have run across many antique rifles - both flint and percussion rifles and fowlers/shotguns that contained loads.
 
In the past it was very common to find 'old guns' still loaded when acquired for your collection, not so common now when most have passed through several collectors' hands. It you needed it in a hurry there was no time to hunting for powder and ball.
 
It would stand to reason that frontier settlers/trappers would keep their arms loaded. There was no telling when there would be an armed confrontation or game.
 
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