"The Founding" - America's 250th Tribute

This one-of-one pistol presents a deeply considered and immersive engraved account of the opening events of the American Revolution, brought to life through steel, silver, and gold by Master Engraver Dieter Stübler.

The narrative begins on the ejection-port side with the Battle of Lexington, depicting the moment when tension between crown and colony became open conflict. From there, the engraving moves to the Old North Bridge, capturing the shift from confrontation to organized resistance. A silver-inlaid Minuteman on the grip anchors this side of the pistol, a reminder that these events were shaped not by armies alone, but by ordinary citizens compelled to act.

Across the top of the slide, the steeple of the Old North Church is engraved, marking where two lanterns burned on April 18, 1775, signaling the British advance by sea. That brief warning turned uncertainty into action, allowing resistance to organize before the first shots were fired. The narrative then moves into scenes from the Siege of Boston as the conflict widened around the city.

On the non-ejection-port side, individual figures come into focus. Paul Revere’s ride is shown in motion, conveying urgency and consequence, while General Thomas Gage appears as the central figure of British authority during these early days. Revere is repeated on the wooden grip in silver inlay, giving his role physical presence and permanence within the piece.

The engraving continues into the pistol’s most tactile components. The rear mainspring housing features the HMS Somerset, symbolizing British naval power just offshore. Opposite it, the front strap depicts Margaret Kemble Gage, wife of General Thomas Gage, whose alleged warning to Patriot leaders has long been linked to the intelligence that preceded the march to Lexington and Concord.

Along the bottom of the dust cover, a verse from Emerson’s Concord Hymn is engraved in solid gold:

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled.

Here once the embattled farmers stood

And fired the shot heard round the world.”

Every engraved surface and inlaid figure on this pistol has been executed entirely by hand. The result is not simply an embellished firearm, but a carefully assembled historical record—one that honors the people, places, and decisions that marked the beginning of American independence.

The pistol is presented in a hand-built hardwood case modeled after a Revolutionary War–era powder keg. Formed from fitted staves and cinched with iron bands, it echoes the vessels that once carried the powder that fueled the conflict depicted in steel. The Nighthawk Custom mark is set into each end, linking the craftsmanship of the present with the history it honors.