maint1517
member
The engraved heads, I would lean more to them being original to the gun.Me to that why I posted the picture, oh and most of the screw heads were engraved as well.
The engraved heads, I would lean more to them being original to the gun.Me to that why I posted the picture, oh and most of the screw heads were engraved as well.
2 different Pfaff's. I'm assuming it's a father & son gunmakers then, for a modern size prospective it is the size of a 3 inch J frame S&W minus the cylinder width. Larger than the "muff pistol" box locks in my collection though not by a great deal, so perhaps a gentleman pocket gun then? At lest I'm getting to know a great deal more about it than I have for the last 40 years.In the book is a portion that begins:
A LIST OF GUN MAKERS, AMERICAN AND FOREIGN, WHOSE ARES WERE USED IN AMERICA BETWEEN 1600 AND 1800
Then further it lists:
GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN
(Approximately 1770-1800 or later)
Pfaff, Carsel
Pfaff, Posen
So it's post 1800 as it's caplock. It's very similar to smaller pistols, sometimes called muff-pistols, that used a key, and one removed the barrel, poured the powder into the chamber, sealed the chamber with a ball, then screwed on the barrel onto the gun which held everything in place, tight. They got very good velocity in a small package, since the ball was forced onto the rifling like a modern bullet and the gas was well sealed. The small versions normally used a "box lock" type of caplock, and this gun looks like an enlarged version.
LD
2 different Pfaff's. I'm assuming it's a father & son gunmakers then, for a modern size prospective it is the size of a 3 inch J frame S&W minus the cylinder width. Larger than the "muff pistol" box locks in my collection though not by a great deal, so perhaps a gentleman pocket gun then?