Does this mystery pistol ring a bell with anyone?

[ccdjg]

[micky2]

Hi John, never seen anything like it before, but do like it very much indeed. but it must be a very small bore looking at the size of the barrel in the photos. is it one you have just bought.

[Epicyclic]

Hmm... yes, the Simonon pistol John. Turn to page 319 fellow collectors- those who can't should call Protek asap with their bank details.

[trajectory]

It's very reminiscent of the continental style salon or parlour pistols like the Flobert types. It certainly looks to be a interesting addition. Could you explain a little about its mechanism & how it opperates please?

[rapidresponse1]

first one ive seen

[ccdjg]

Unfortunately it is not mine, and it belongs to a Polish collector. It is obviously cocked by direct pull, like a few other pistols of the period, but the barrel loading principal sets it apart from these. For example, the Simonon has a sliding barrel for loading:




The Eisenwerke Gaggenau TB pistol has a tip-up barrel,operated by a side button release:





and the extremely rare Langenhan (which admittedly does have a similar ring pull rather than T-bar pull) loads by rotating the barrel 90 degrees clockwise.




So it is certainly a puzzler.

[magicesperanto]

first one ive seen

For me also, I think the word is “Elegant”!