1842 saw widespread adoption of percussion long arms and handguns across the western world. Britain fielded the percussion Tower pistol and the British East India Company put a near identical arm into service.
The .54†Aston-Johnson pistol was a caplock version of the flintlock dragoon pistol of 1837. The practice of the day was to equip mounted troops with a carbine and two large holster pistols slung in closed holsters on either side of the saddle. The initial orders, filled by the H. Aston Company totaled about 34,000 by 1850. Johnson formed a separate company and received an order for 10,000 pistols between 1853-55. An additional 1,000 were produced by the Palmetto Armory late in the series. The pistols are very robust in construction with brass barrel ban, side furniture and a heavy brass butt that was frequently used as a club after the arm was discharged. They were commonly loaded with a single ball or a combination of the .54†ball and several smaller shot- the “buck and ball†loading. They bear a close resemblance to the British pistols-which were bored for larger, 60 to 70 caliber balls.
There are very few modern copies of this general type of pistol. A few Tower/Brit East India Company models are sold- generally without the nipple channel completely bored and fitted with fake solid nipples so that they can be sold on e-bay. The best option for shooting appeared to be an original.
It is not difficult to find examples of this pistol in very fine condition. Many will have cracks in the stock behind the inletting for the lock. This can stem from use of heavy charges or employing the pistol as a club. We examined several before finding an example without a crack in the stock and in near-new mechanical condition.
The pistol bears Johnson markings and is dated 1855. The internal lock work retains the fire blue finish on the tumbler and screws and the rest of the lock plate and components, although a century and a half in the gun, appear factory-new.
Shooting the Aston-Johnson
The pistol has a very heavy trigger pull with every indication that it was standard for the arm. There is a front blade sight with no rear notch and the shooter is obliged to line up on the target as best he can. We were able to index the blade with the back strap screw and hit reasonably well. Our first session consisted of five shots from fifty- feet with Bates firing the first three two-handed standing and Cumpston firing the last two rounds single handed. The entire group was within 4 inches, very well centered on the torso of a Texas Police silhouette target. Subsequent groups fired by each shooter under the same conditions measured more like one foot in diameter. A single load of Buck and 4 balls fired from fifty feet hit center and covered about a one- foot circle within the silhouette.
In deference to the age of the pistol and the known weakness of extensively inlayed side lock pistol stocks, we stayed with a period-typical loading of 30 grains of Goex FFG powder set off by a modern musket cap. The resulting one hundred and forty- seven foot pounds of energy is hardly impressive by modern cartridge standards – or even those of the 19th Century Caplock revolvers. It falls right between the factory loaded .32 Smith and Wesson Long 98 grain Lead Round Nose load and the light 148 grain wadcutter loading of the .38 Special. 112 foot pounds and 187 foot pounds respectively. Even so, it would not be at all surprising to find the Aston Johnson much more decisive in the stopping power department because of the massive cross-section of the 230-grain lead ball.
The Aston-Johnson Pistol saw extensive service in the Mexican War of 1845-48 and in the western expansion of the United States into territories ceded by Mexico directly there after. By 1855 the Colt USMR holster revolvers were well on the way to replacing this design.
The .54†Aston-Johnson pistol was a caplock version of the flintlock dragoon pistol of 1837. The practice of the day was to equip mounted troops with a carbine and two large holster pistols slung in closed holsters on either side of the saddle. The initial orders, filled by the H. Aston Company totaled about 34,000 by 1850. Johnson formed a separate company and received an order for 10,000 pistols between 1853-55. An additional 1,000 were produced by the Palmetto Armory late in the series. The pistols are very robust in construction with brass barrel ban, side furniture and a heavy brass butt that was frequently used as a club after the arm was discharged. They were commonly loaded with a single ball or a combination of the .54†ball and several smaller shot- the “buck and ball†loading. They bear a close resemblance to the British pistols-which were bored for larger, 60 to 70 caliber balls.
There are very few modern copies of this general type of pistol. A few Tower/Brit East India Company models are sold- generally without the nipple channel completely bored and fitted with fake solid nipples so that they can be sold on e-bay. The best option for shooting appeared to be an original.
It is not difficult to find examples of this pistol in very fine condition. Many will have cracks in the stock behind the inletting for the lock. This can stem from use of heavy charges or employing the pistol as a club. We examined several before finding an example without a crack in the stock and in near-new mechanical condition.
The pistol bears Johnson markings and is dated 1855. The internal lock work retains the fire blue finish on the tumbler and screws and the rest of the lock plate and components, although a century and a half in the gun, appear factory-new.
Shooting the Aston-Johnson
The pistol has a very heavy trigger pull with every indication that it was standard for the arm. There is a front blade sight with no rear notch and the shooter is obliged to line up on the target as best he can. We were able to index the blade with the back strap screw and hit reasonably well. Our first session consisted of five shots from fifty- feet with Bates firing the first three two-handed standing and Cumpston firing the last two rounds single handed. The entire group was within 4 inches, very well centered on the torso of a Texas Police silhouette target. Subsequent groups fired by each shooter under the same conditions measured more like one foot in diameter. A single load of Buck and 4 balls fired from fifty feet hit center and covered about a one- foot circle within the silhouette.
In deference to the age of the pistol and the known weakness of extensively inlayed side lock pistol stocks, we stayed with a period-typical loading of 30 grains of Goex FFG powder set off by a modern musket cap. The resulting one hundred and forty- seven foot pounds of energy is hardly impressive by modern cartridge standards – or even those of the 19th Century Caplock revolvers. It falls right between the factory loaded .32 Smith and Wesson Long 98 grain Lead Round Nose load and the light 148 grain wadcutter loading of the .38 Special. 112 foot pounds and 187 foot pounds respectively. Even so, it would not be at all surprising to find the Aston Johnson much more decisive in the stopping power department because of the massive cross-section of the 230-grain lead ball.
The Aston-Johnson Pistol saw extensive service in the Mexican War of 1845-48 and in the western expansion of the United States into territories ceded by Mexico directly there after. By 1855 the Colt USMR holster revolvers were well on the way to replacing this design.
