This piece was also posted at the Ethnographic Forum, looking for advice were to go for qualified coments (I am an adict to Vikingsword
).
A sort of Queen Anne pistol, although the barrel doesn't turn off. Some used to call this version, night pistol; you loaded them with shot, so you didn't need to aim with accuracy ... good for instant shooting in dark hours. that's why it has a ramrod for front loading.
The safety catch operates by sliding the trigger guard, like most.
Although it has the LONDON name on the breech, doesn't seem to be British, the London thing being just to impress and raise its value. There is no British proof marks anywhere, which is almost impossible to happen with Brit guns.
It could (could) be Belgium (Liegeoise); the fact that it has no Liege proof marks doesn't exclude such possibility, as by the end XVIII century ( which seems to be its age) local proof marks were not obliging ( before Napoleon got there and made regulations) .
However calling it a knock off is rather penalizing for me, as it costed the "eyes of my face". Thing is, i just couldn't resist to its appeal.
Anyone here have items of this sort ?
Fernando