J Rock Cooper Pistol .. Keeping It Simple Stupid:

Smooth modern lines from 171 years ago .. even I can't remember back that far.

 Patented 1849 - Is that elegant or what?

 J Rock Cooper was an English gun maker of quality ..

But take a second look - as it is not only good-looking .. but so simply designed as to function rather like a Glock .. in that if you pull the trigger it goes BANG .. & if you don't pull the trigger it can't fire.

TWO only moving parts.

That is sophisticated use of the technology of the era ..

The J S Cooper Under-hammer Pistol trigger capsule percussion pistol was specifically designed to be very simple and low cost to manufacture.. but they were quality products selling well all around the world.

The Cooper company built a range of firearms including pepperbox multi-shot revolving arms - but this patented design must have taken much thought.

Mr Cooper made me laugh out loud when I saw he had named the forward mounted spring-hammer as a "SPRING STEEL SLAPPER"  in this early drawing .. brilliant.

I'd try to describe the gun as a 'screw-off' barrelled percussion-fired single shot pistol using a 'ring trigger' pivoted from a rear lug that tensions and cocks the forward mounted spring 'slapper' as the trigger is pulled ..  releasing it at it's "apogee" to whack the copper cap & fire the round. - Two moving parts - double action.

It is a sophisticated design in how it's parts interact so beautifully.. 

The forward facing lever of the ring trigger is shaped to cover and protect the cap loaded onto the nipple and it is held in place there by the slappers' spring tension but when the trigger is pulled the lever cocks and releases the slapper firing the shot.

'SLAPPER' - action-spring-hammer

- There is no lockwork in the 'breech' - nor in the handle. - This linked Russian site shows and explains the design well in translation ..

http://historypistols.ru/blog/kapsyulnye-pistolety-i-revolvery/kapsyulnyj-pistolet-c-nizhnim-raspolozheniem-kurka-dzhozefa-kupera-j-r-cooper-underhammer-pistol/

Imagine modern production machinery knocking-out an updated quality version of these .. well there is something around that might be nearly as simple - a modern utility screw-barrel 'zip' in 9mm & .380"  costing $100 made by Altor Corp in Phoenix Arizona .. but it is a plasticky piece of nastiness - however it does work .. Link:
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-altor-corp-single-shot-9mm/

Marty K.

Proud member and supporter of Sporting Shooters Association NZ