Late 18th Century French Military Pistol made in the style of Boutet, Versailles (original flintlock officers/dueling pistol).
Nicolas-Noël Boutet (1761 – 1833), was a French gunsmith and director of the Versailles rifle manufactory. He was born in Paris as the son of the royal gunsmith and became his assistant. In 1788, he married Leonie-Emilie Desainte, the daughter of his father’s colleague, which gave him an even better position at court and the title “Gun maker in Ordinary” to King Louis XVI. During the revolution he worked for Napoleon as director of the state arms manufactory. He died in Paris.
