Antique Pocket Pistol - 'Snubbie' Of It's Day:

I'm something of a slow thinking man .. it does take a while for the lift to reach my top floor - but the doors do then open: - I bought this old pistol - an 'NZ official antique' at a recent auction - there is no doubt but that it is indeed old (estimated made 1840-ish) having impressive craftsmanship & engraving.

 - However, back in it's day it was the self-defense carry gun that was slipped into the purse or pocket by worthy thinking folk "just in case".. indeed these guns were known as "pocket guns".

As an old original antique that does not fire a metallic cartridge .. it is accepted as lawful to possess (but not shoot) unlicensed under section 2 of the current Arms Act New Zealand.

- There are a huge number of firearms laws around the world - in 1965 US Congressional testimony claimed that there were 20,000 gun laws on the statute books there - disputed of course but certainly Americans also seem to be free to own muzzle-loading Black Powder firearms outside of any regulation.

Even in the UK - the Un-european Kingdom - licensed target-pistol shooters are still permitted to own & shoot muzzle-loading target pistols.

- My antique 70 Bore specimen is Liege (Belgium) built and proof marked - being nicely engraved and has a fluted hardwood grip with a white metal cap box in the ebonised butt closed by a hinged 'Lions Head' lid.

This two-barreled smooth-bore percussion pistol was assessed GWO&C and my stripping and cleaning has confirmed that it does indeed seem to be in 'GOOD WORKING ORDER & CONDITION'. - provided your definition of smooth (bore) is a little rough 😏😏.

The gun has no sights & the 2 3/4 inch (7 centimeter long) rose damascus twist screw-off barrels are 70 Bore measuring around .405" caliber .. that's 10 mm - and are made of 'Damascus Steel' folded metal - formed by winding & forge welding steel strips around a mandrel.

At a recent pistol club meeting my efforts to introduce & illuminate this class of black powder civilian antique to those shooters was cut short following the comment "So what?" from one military expert .. and the opinion later expressed by another tyro that it was crap because the gun didn't even have a trigger.

- This type of pocket carry arm is safely designed so that the triggers drop into place when the hammers are cocked.

Ah well - "pearls before swine" & "whistling in the wind" .. I did try eh.

The tendency of office holders to always know best - can sometimes lead to stupid ill-informed decisions being imposed .. particularly as applied to firearms regulations - this same ignorance may sometimes also lead to gaps in restrictions.

"There's none so deaf as those that won't hear - There's none so blind as those that won't see."

.. The Old West Frontier has recorded tales of Buffalo (Bison) being slaughtered by riders armed with similar caliber black powder arms.

Marty K.

P.S. Disclaimer for officialdom: - My interest in firearms in New Zealand is solely for lawful sporting, scientific, educational, and recreational interest purposes. I am a pacifist having no thought of violence. Marty K.

Note: -  Dog-whistle politics is political messaging employing coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has an additional, different, or more specific resonance for a targeted subgroup. The analogy is to a dog whistle - the ultrasonic tone of which is heard by dogs but inaudible to humans.