English Flintlock 65 bore Dragoon pistol having a tapered part octagonal round barrel. The lock-plate with indistinct inscription below pan. The walnut stock with brass furniture, the top grip with oval medallion marked: “W.R.”.
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional cavalry units. In most armies, “dragoons” came to signify ordinary medium cavalry.
Dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
The name is derived from a type of firearm (called a dragon) carried by dragoons of the French Army.
The title has been retained in modern times by a number of armored or ceremonial mounted regiments.