Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This pistol was recently featured on an episode of History Channel’s Pawn Stars (watch the sequence on this page)!
This unique piece is a small gun fashioned to be hidden as a Belt Buckle. Dating to the later portion of the 19th Century, this one-off item was likely handmade by a gunsmith using shop fabricated and spare parts salvaged from other firearms.
The barrel measures approximately .75 of an inch with a mechanism that is squeezed into the confines of the buckle which is approximately .5 inches deep. The pistol itself operates as a Percussion ignition, black powder muzzle loader which fires a .36 Caliber Lead Ball. The pistol’s “trigger” is drilled to attach a lanyard, indicating that this pistol may have been intended to fire with a wire hidden elsewhere (pocket) on the operator’s person to avoid detection.
Leather belt is old but almost certainly a later replacement.
Just what an Old West Saloon gambler may have worn and used after a heated round of Texas Hold’em Poker!
Specifications-
Approximate Year of Manufacture: 1885
Caliber: .36″
Cartridge Type: Ball, Powder, Percussion cap
Barrel Length: .75 Inches
Overall Length: N/A
Action type: Percussion
Feed System: Muzzle Loaded
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country’s antique gun laws prior to ordering.